Repulsion [DVD] [1965] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

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.

This film helped make the brilliant director Polanski and actress Catherine Denueve worldwide stars.

Set in 1960's London (Kensington?) the film deals with a beautiful but unbalanced young lady's (Denueve's Carol) descent from depression into madness. She becomes mentally unhinged when her sister leaves her alone for a week in a flat.
Even though this film is relatively low budget and does not have many special effects, the directors skill ensures this is a tense and often terrifying critique of madness.

Polanski does not waste a shot. He uses a number of interesting techniques to convey to the viewer the warped imagination of Carol and her isolation.

Denueve herself looks stunning. I have never seen a more beautiful actress then Deneuve in this film. Oh, and she is brilliant actress as well! There is not much dialogue in this film, but the viewer is kept interested by the intensity and reality of her acting.

1960's London and fashion in this film also look fantastic.
For me, it is a perfect film. I can find no fault in it, and I can not recommend it high enough. It is well worth five stars.

If you like this film, you should also watch Polanski's also excellent 'Rosemary's Baby' which has some similar themes.