Any learned viewer of David Cronenberg’s films knows that his latest film, Crimes of the Future, was not his first foray into body horror with an emphasis on psycho-sexual medical theatrics. In his 1988 film Dead Ringers, Cronenberg introduces us to twisted twin brothers Beverly and Elliot Mantle (both played by the brilliant Jeremy Irons) whose unnerving codependency and shared obsession with female anatomy and obstetrics reward them successful careers as gynecologists. We follow the brothers as they pursue devilish fancies only to shatter the equilibrium that steadies their bond, sending them hurtling towards a shared deadly fate. Little do some know, the Mantle brothers were based on real-life twins Stewart and Cyril Marcus, who were also accomplished women’s health professionals in New York City until their mysterious deaths in 1975, both aged 45. The sinister circumstances of their deaths served up the perfect recipe for horror master Cronenberg and co-writer Norman Snider, who used their sordid story to effectively paint one of the most spine-tingling portraits of sibling rivalry on film to date.
Some would say they are close with their siblings, but the brothers at the center of Dead Ringers model a relationship that may be a little too close for comfort. This was not a far cry from the characterization of the brothers who inspired the film. Similar to their portrayal in the movie, the Marcus twins led an insular life mainly fixated on their research, making them incapable of forming meaningful connections. The brothers were not identical, but still had an uncanny resemblance to one another, and they may as well have been attached at the hip, as they were always together. They also consistently wore formal workplace attire, wielding a superiority complex above their peers. From the film’s opening scenes, we are shown the Mantle twins in a rendering that keys up the real story: two identical boys, buttoned-up and bespectacled, walking side-by-side, waxing poetic on the sex lives of fish before harassing the girl next door to help them conduct an experiment. We can see trouble laying in wait for these characters, who are incapable of acting as two sympathetic individuals and merely function as two sides of the same coin, their destinies perpetually entwined.
The Rise & Fall of the Marcus Brothers
Before their untimely deaths, the Marcus twins were well-respected in their field, establishing their own successful private practice in the 60s and publishing their ground-breaking research in medical journals. They would also go on to become assistant professors of obstetrics and gynecology at New York Hospital, as well as co-directors at Cornell Hospital’s Infertility Clinic. In Dead Ringers, the twins are also on the cutting edge of their field, operating their own practice and pioneering medical instruments that would become the industry standard in obstetrics.
By the 70s, Cyril and Stewart had become addicted to barbiturates and amphetamines, and their once prospering business floundered. Their superiors urged them to get clean or resign. They attempted to rehabilitate without assistance, but to no avail. In July 1975, the bodies of both brothers were discovered in Cyril’s Manhattan apartment in slovenly conditions, surrounded by trash, soiled furniture, dirty dishes, and food scraps. Among the filth were also dozens of empty bottles of barbiturate. There were no signs of a struggle, leading investigators to initially theorize that their deaths were either of accidental overdoses or an orchestrated suicide pact.
An initial slew of tests was conducted to determine cause of death, none of which pointed to drugs or alcohol, as no traces of illicit substances were found in their systems. A second wave of tests determined it was possible Stewart could have died from withdrawal, but the question remained as to the circumstances of Cyril’s death, which was estimated to have occurred several days after his brother’s. In the official timeline, Cyril was seen leaving the apartment after Stewart’s estimated time of death, leaving many questions still lingering about the manner in which they died and what went on in that Upper East Side apartment turned Hellmouth.
Unusual Circumstances of Death
The unusual and brow-raising deaths of Cyril and Stewart understandably triggered a craze of media speculation. One former patient of the twins, Linda Wolfe, would go on to publish an article in New York Magazine titled "The Strange Death of the Twin Gynecologists," in which she describes the brothers’ behavior leading up to their downfall as odd and erratic. Dead Ringers would draw inspiration from not only Wolfe’s article, but also the sensational 1977 novel Twins by Bari Wood and an article published in a 1976 issue of Esquire written by Ron Rosenbaum and Susan Edmiston. In the same tradition, Cronenberg and Snider saw an opportunity to adapt this twisted tale to the screen, depicting the most haunting notions of what may have pushed the twins to their breaking point.
The Uneven Power Dynamic Plays Out in the Movie as it Does in Real Life
The power dynamic between the brothers in Dead Ringers rings true to the competitive fire between the Marcus twins. Growing up, Cyril’s aspirations and accomplishments would usually come second to Stewart’s. Stewart thrived in the spotlight and was described in their high school yearbook as the twin who was “bound to win.” In the film, Cyril’s equivalent is Beverly, while Elliot is Marcus’s. In his dual performance, Jeremy Irons does an astounding job at portraying these two conflicting personalities, down to the most minute mannerisms. He plays the sly and confident Elliot opposite the meek and gentle Bev, who is resigned to work behind the scenes while Elliot receives the fanfare and adulation of their peers in the medical community. Elliot does not fail to remind his brother that Bev’s existence is nothing without him in it, stating, “You haven’t had any experience until I’ve had it too”. To this end, they frequently impersonate each other when it is convenient for them, particularly when it comes to courting the ladies.
When Elliot tires of his sexual conquests, Bev picks up when his brother is done getting off. This arrangement is put to the test when they meet actress Claire Niveau (Geneviève Bujold) who they find possesses a “trifurcated cervix”, a medical anomaly that throws them into territory beyond the reach of their expertise. In the Dead Ringers version of the Stewart brothers’ story, the twins’ downward spiral is triggered by the case of Claire, who challenges their senses in both the exam room and the bedroom, and plies pills from them to spice up their sex lives. Consequently, the brothers mix drugs and their incessant hunger to play god in the surgery room, which turns out to be a recipe for ruination. This unraveling is fully realized when, in a dream sequence, Claire is shown eating away at a partition of flesh connecting Bev to his brother.
Cronenberg re-imagines the true story of Cyril and Stewart Marcus and uses it not only as an opportunity to present an extreme version of a toxic sibling, but also to serve a cautionary tale of grave medical malpractice. Elliot and Bev, like Cyril and Stewart, used their status as medical professionals to abuse drugs, not only violating their standards of practice, but more importantly, violating the trust of the women in their care.
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