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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A very attractive buy,
By Shamus P. Maxwell "thereverendshamus" (Cambridge, England) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Repulsion [1965] [DVD] (DVD)
This was Polanski’s first English language feature, financed by a company whose previous output mostly consisted of soft porn! It showcases the director’s talent as a creator of menacing atmosphere, following a beautiful young French girl (Catherine Deneuve) as she descends into madness after being left alone in her flat by her sister. The central theme is fear and hatred of sex, but this is a claustrophobic and haunting film, not an academic treatise on female sexual paranoia. Polanski observes the descent into madness because it is an interesting and disturbing thing to watch (at least when seen through his eyes/lens), not because he wanted to make a point about psychology. It has aged well, and during my viewing of it the only bit that seemed dated was the strange sixties music that plays as Denueve is walking round the streets of London. However, even this has its charm and is not off-putting. The masterly direction ensures that the slightly stricter censorship of the day does not diminish the power and horror of some of the more unsettling scenes (I won’t go into details because I don’t want to spoil the plot if you haven’t seen it) The extras are interesting, including some retrospective interviews, which are always nice. Truly, it is disturbing, voyeuristic entertainment at its best.
24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a cinematic masterpiece.,
By Penguin Egg (London, England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Repulsion [VHS] [1965] (VHS Tape)
This film charts the slow descent of a French girl, Carol, played by Catherine Deneuve, into madness and horror. The acting in this film is superb, and especially by Deneuve, who brings to her part a delicate balance of vulnerability and strangeness. Right from the start, there is a sense that this beautiful, introverted, seemingly harmless girl, is not 'quite all there.' Give her a slight push, and she will tumble into total madness. As a performance, it is reminiscent of Anthony Perkins in Psycho.The camera is on Carol all the time, and we see events unfold through her paranoid and schizophrenic mind. We feel her isolation. The mundane is amplified -the ticking of a clock, the sounds of the street outside, the toiling of the bell from the next door nunnery-and made to seem menacing. She is dependant on her sister to such an extent that when her sister goes to Italy on holiday, leaving her alone, she loses her lifeline on which to grasp for human contact. Her isolation is so intense that other people become a threat. Those who are a menace to her, such as her landlord, are treated in the same manner as those who wish her well, such as her boy friend. She can no longer tell the difference. The madness in her mind is made manifest on the screen: Huge cracks appear in the wall symbolising the cracks appearing in her mind. Hands come out of the wall and touch her. Her nightmares torment her with physical contact of men, the one thing that horrifies her, and which are made utterly believable by the vagueness of the camerawork and the silence on the soundtrack-how very much like a real nightmare. The structure of the film is marvellous, as is the cinematography. There is not a shot or a frame wasted as every scene, every shot, builds up to show Carol's loosening grasp of reality. One of the greatest films of the 20th Century. On every level, this film not only works, but works brilliantly. Roman Polanski is a genius, and this film is his cinematic masterpiece.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very creepy,
By
This review is from: Repulsion [1965] [DVD] (DVD)
Even on her good days, Carol lives on the edge of sanity; she stares endlessly at sidewalks cracks, feels things crawling on her body, and doesn't respond to people. But when her sister leaves her alone for two weeks, Carol loses her grip on reality and goes completely mad.
Roman Polanski's first English language film is almost a silent movie with just a bit of dialogue. The action is mostly in Carol's mind, as she sees, hears, and feels the things that go bump in the night, fears many have felt at one time or another, but she loses herself in her horror. Twenty-two year old Catherine Deneuve also made her English language debut in the film and gives a stunning performance. Her fragile beauty contrasts with the ugliness and brutality of her hallucinations and the audience is swept along on her journey. This is not a movie to watch at night if you're afraid of the dark or of being alone. A very effective thriller.
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