Tags
1960's, Apartment Trilogy, Catherine Deneuve, Horror, Psychological Thriller, Repulsion, Roman Polanski
Film Title
Repulsion
Director
Roman Polanski
Cast
- Catherine Deneuve as Carol Ledoux
- Yvonne Furneaux as Helen Ledoux
- Ian Hendry as Michael
- John Fraser as Colin
- Patrick Wymark as Landlord
Commonly seen as one of the best examples of psychological horror, Polanski’s Repulsion still remains an unsettling tale of one woman’s descent into mental ruin. Atmospheric and horrific in equal measure, it is a film that leaves a deep impression on the viewer and makes them ask many questions when the film has finished. Polanski has fashioned a film that takes the place where most people feel safe, the home, and turned it into a nightmare of the senses. The use of this is eerily effective and makes the whole film more plausible and supremely chilling.
Carol Ledoux is a young manicurist from France who lives with her sister in a London apartment. Although highly attractive, she is sexually unaware and repulses all men for an unexplained reason. She practically day dreams her way through the day, barely making conversation with anyone and rejecting the gestures of her suitor. When her more confident sister ,Helen mentions she is going away on a trip with her smarmy boyfriend, Carol is filled with panic at the thought of being left alone. Dismissing her sisters worry as her being merely sensitive, Helen leaves Carol by herself. What ensures is a shocking disintegration of Carol’s mind, as her fears become a reality in the squalid apartment and she slowly but surely starts to crumble in a macabre fashion.
A young Catherine Deneuve is heartbreaking and pitch perfect as the repressed, withdrawn and frigid Carol. Her character does not talk much, but her face and body shows every confused and emotional thing she is going through and makes her startling performance both frightening and intense. The whole film is anchored by her portrayal and keeps the viewer glued as she sinks deeper and deeper into a delusional mental state. She is most effective when her face is almost catatonic and her eyes don’t betray what she is feeling, this makes the audience wonder what is really going on in her head. The camerawork should be praised, the way it follows Carol like a stalking predator adds to the paranoia she suffers and the unsettling feeling she feels around men in society. The music used is interesting because of its piercing changes in tempo and sound that give only subtle insights into the troubled and confused mind of Carol; many other uses of sound are used to add to the isolation such as an unanswered phone ringing and the sound of bells from the nunnery behind the apartment taking on a sinister tone before the midnight hour. Everyday objects such as a crack in the wall and the constant ticking of a clock become forms of torture as she continues to crumble into a catatonic state and hallucinate about the thing around her.
A genuinely chilling story of delusion, repression and isolation that slowly builds its way up to a violent climax, Repulsion is psychological filmmaking at its best. If you enjoy this film, then you can’t go wrong with the rest of Polanski’s Apartment Trilogy, consisting of Rosemary’s Baby and The Tenant. These films continue with themes similar to Repulsion and make for nerve shredding viewing.
sati said:
Awesome review! I’m so glad you liked it – I agree Deneuve was fantastic and the camera work was amazing. I also are The Tenant and Rosemary’s Baby.
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vinnieh said:
Thanks for the comment, it really is a psychological thriller at its best.
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citychickcountrylife said:
Ohh sounds like my kinda movie I need to watch this!
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vinnieh said:
Hope you get the chance to see it.
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Cavershamragu said:
Spot-on Vinnie – it makes for gut-wrenchi8ng viewing but it is made with such brilliance that you just can;t look a way, which is very much Polanski at his best. Also provides a fascinating outsider’s view of London at its most swinging 60s
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vinnieh said:
Thanks for the comment, I agree with you about it showing an outsider’s point of view of Swinging London.
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Terry Malloy's Pigeon Coop said:
Great review Vinnie. Not caught this yet but I liked Rosemary’s Baby so will try and catch this at some point.
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vinnieh said:
Thanks I hope you get to see Repulsion.
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mistylayne said:
Never seen this – sound brilliant!!
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vinnieh said:
If you like psychological horror I’m sure you’ll like this one.
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fernandorafael said:
Great, very detailed, review. Will try to check this out as I’m a big fan of Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby.
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vinnieh said:
I hope you enjoy it.
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TBM said:
I’ll have to check this one out. How in the world have i not heard of it.
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vinnieh said:
I hope you get round to seeing this one.
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tribeprincess said:
I’ve watched Repulsion already and I liked it, too! I like Catherine Deneuve here. Have you watched her yet in Umbrellas in Cherbourg? She’s a darling there.
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vinnieh said:
Thanks, no I haven’t I’ll have to check that one out.
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AndyWatchesMovies said:
I want to revisit this one after watching Rosemary’s Baby. Great write-up!
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vinnieh said:
Thanks, hope you get to rewatch this one.
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Emil said:
I agree with pretty much all of what you said. It’s a great film, and one that really took me by surprise when I saw it. The scene where Carol barricades herself into her bedroom was truly chilling stuff.
Nice write-up!
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vinnieh said:
Thanks for the comment, that was chilling stuff. Also Carol’s catatonic gaze near the end.
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Chris said:
At the moment, Repulsion is my favorite Polanski film, but I haven’t seen Rosemary’s Baby in years, so maybe it’s a tie.
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vinnieh said:
Thanks, they are both highly effective films.
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Steven Flores said:
Excellent work. This is truly one of the great horror films ever.
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vinnieh said:
Thanks for the comment, it certainly is one of the most effective horror films I’ve ever seen.
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beetleypete said:
Marvellous. Deneuve can do no wrong in my book. And even though Polanski goes off the boil frequently, this is a true classic.
Cheers, Pete.
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vinnieh said:
I love how much Deneuve can say without speaking a word, her eyes are so expressive.
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beetleypete said:
And she looked so fit when she got older too. Always a bonus!
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vinnieh said:
Pete, you’re a dirty devil.
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beetleypete said:
Only sometimes…
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Alex said:
I was just talking about this movie to a friend — I suggested she watch it because she is majoring in psychology. LOVE when the hands come out of the walls – glad to know someone else in the modern world has seen this movie!! I am surprised it has not been remade yet, yeah??
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vinnieh said:
My taste in film spans decades, movies from all eras are great.
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