Repulsion

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Repulsion

January 21st 2008 04:01

Let it be said here and now, I’m a huge fan of director Roman Polanski’s oeuvre. Sure, he’s made a couple of clunkers, what director hasn’t? But overall Polanksi’s command of cinema is exceptional. His clever use of mise-en-scene and of sound, excellent eye for casting, an appreciation of the finer points of black comedy, a curious fascination with sexual dysfunction, and taste for the macabre; all these come together in the best of his films.

Repulsion (1965) his second feature, and his first in English, garnered him a lot of attention. Partly due to the film’s provocative subject matter, but also in the way he handled it. Repulsion is a psychological horror wrapped in the fabric of an art film, just as Cul-de-Sac, the movie he shot back-to-back with Repulsion, is a black comedy of errors masking another art film.

Repulsion Yvonne Furneaux and Catherine Deneuve

Helene (Yvonne Furneaux) and sister Carol (Catherine Deneuve)

In fact, most of Polanksi’s movies are art films, and that’s why I love him so. He’s a cinephile, and it shows, but without any kind of contrivance or arrogance. Polanski shoots to tell a story, but he utilises all that cinema can do and employs the stylistics in a subtle way.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the craziest of them all?

Polanksi wrote the screenplay with his semi-regular collaborator Gerard Brach. Carol (Catherine Denueve) is a young woman living with her sister in London. She works at a beauty salon. Her sister Hélène (Yvonne Furneaux) is having an affair with a married man, Michael (Ian Hendry). A handsome man Colin (John Fraser), tries in vain to court Carol. But it seems she is out of reach, even worse, she’s neurotic and sexually-repressed, and her mental and emotional instability is only deepening.

Carol's mind reflects her mess at the salon

When Hélène and her adulterous lover go to Italy for a holiday they leave Carol on her own, reminding her to pay the overdue rent. Carol slides into her own irrational world, her catalepsy and hallucinations becoming more and more frequent. A stranger breaks into the apartment and rapes her … or was it her imagination? Was it her fantasy?

Carol is a few rabbit sandwiches short of a picnic

While she humours Colin’s approaches, she seems to loathe her sister’s lover, repulsed by his toothbrush and shaving gear in the bathroom. Her work suffers also, and after accidentally cutting a patient whilst applying beauty care, she’s sent home. She takes the plated, uncooked rabbit out of the fridge, but absent-mindedly she leaves it in the living room where it starts to go off.

Carol looking at her most glamorously unhinged

Eventually Colin comes to the apartment looking for her, as does the sleazy landlord demanding the overdue rent. But men don’t bode too well in Carol’s world. She’s pretty vacant, with emphasis on both words. But she can weld a straight razor when she needs to.

Repulsion John Fraser and Catherine Deneuve

In a brilliant three-shot Colin (John Fraser), a busybody neighbour, and Carol

Repulsion is utterly compelling. It’s a languidly paced film, but it still pulls you in and gets under your skin. The black and white cinematography by Gilbert Taylor is superb, with lots of handheld, but also some tricky and simple, but effective special effects work achieved in conjunction with the production designer (ie cracks and hands through the walls). And jazz giant Chico Hamilton provides the equally commanding percussive score.

When in doubt, just throw the body in the bathtub

It’s one woman’s descent into madness, told through imagery and sound, there is not a hell of a lot of dialogue in Repulsion, certainly Catherine Deneuve doesn’t have a lot to say, but then those big eyes of hers speak volumes. Symbolism, such as the skinned rabbit, and the cracks in the walls, also the use of camera angles, and, of course, Deneuve’s understated performance, all add to the film’s central themes of insanity blurring reality.

Repulsion Patrick Wymark and Catherine Deneuve

The landlord (Patrick Wymark) demands interest on the late rent

The film begins and ends with an ocular image. The camera slowly zooms out of Carol’s distracted eye at film’s start, and at film’s end the camera slowly zooms into a photograph showing Carol as a young girl, surrounded by family all looking at the camera, yet she’s staring off into the distance a crazed look in her eyes. This nut was fruity from the get go.

The family photograph with crazy Carol in the middle

Repulsion is essential viewing, regardless if you like horror or not. Polanski nails it.

A rare colour still taken on set

Here's the classic original theatrical trailer:

And for those who don't mind indulging into the heart of the matter, here's an extended excerpt depicting Carol deep in her madness:

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

11 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Michaelie

January 21st 2008 07:04

Flick Wit

It's going on my 'movies to watch' list. Which is in my 'to do' note book.

Michaelie

Comment by JohnDoe

January 21st 2008 07:35

Film & TV on DVD

Great review of a fantastic film. One of my favourites from Polanski too.

Comment by Bryn

January 21st 2008 08:48

Horrorphile

Cheers JD ... Yes, a bit of a re-discovery, even though I've seen it a few times ... Great use of sound and image.

Comment by Bryn

January 21st 2008 08:50

Horrorphile

Michaelie, this is pure cinema. See it on the biggest screen you can and relish a master at work.

Comment by Luke

January 21st 2008 12:24

Old Movies
Cane Toad Warrior

Never dug this film. Found it tedious.

Comment by D. Armenta

January 22nd 2008 02:46

The Florida Keys and Everglades
The Black Sheep Chronicles
What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
L.A.M.P.

Wow, what a fantastic clip!! I can't believe this slipped under my horror radar. Thanks, Bryn!
I'm so glad that you do older films as well as the (mostly crappy) newer ones--I might never have heard of this one.

The absence of dialogue made the mad scene very disturbing; Deneuve's eyes said everything.

--And I think I just hit on why I like older films better than I like most newer ones: subtlety. Older films make their statements much more subtly than newer ones; as though the filmmakers assumed you had a bit of intelligence, instead of beating you over the head with the point every few seconds.

Plus I hate CGI. I think I may have said that once before...

Comment by Bryn

January 23rd 2008 05:23

Horrorphile

Luke, many people found/find it tedious ... Personally I love the mood and pace .... cracks slowly appearing ... madness lingering closer ... shadows creeping ...

Armenta, I actually try and avoid reviewing crap movies, you'll notice 80% of my selections are movies I think are excellent, very good or at least above average ... then everynow and again I'll review one that other people rave about that didn't work for me, or I'll review something to bitch about cos it annoyed me so much ... I do agree with your sentiments though on subtlety and CGI

Comment by Damo

January 23rd 2008 19:00

i must see this one day.

Comment by D. Armenta

January 24th 2008 01:12

The Florida Keys and Everglades
The Black Sheep Chronicles
What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
L.A.M.P.

Ooops, oh I'm sorry Bryn!!

That came out wrong..I didn't mean you reviewed crappy movies. I got sidetracked on my own comment--what I meant was I'm glad you review older and newer movies. When I typed "newer" I automatically thought "mostly crappy compared to older" and parenthesised it. Oh, man I feel like such a tool. Re-reading it, it looks like a knock.

Not by any stretch meant to be a slam, Bryn! I love this site.

All apologies...

D.