Jack Carter
I am sure a few members know I am very much interested in the 'Dark Goings on' of the Human mind (Psychology). The 1965 film, 'Repulsion' is a Psychological film about a Belgium woman,Carole Ledoux (played by French actress Catherine Deneuve!!), who is repulsed by male advances and her own sexual urges.
As a lot of Polanski films do, this film starts off like a normal film, there are only a few hints of the 'terror' that is to come ("I must get that crack mended" and Carole's daydreaming). The very first thing we see is Carole's eye, during the credits (by James Bond's Maurice Binder), the camera then zooms out and we see her daydreaming in a beauty salon, which she works at. Her friend, Bridget, snaps her out of it and soon Bridget and a customer engage in a conversation of men and the only thing they want (sex).
Bridget is currently having trouble with a Boyfriend, but I must stress that she is normal and having a normal relationship, unlike Carole.
Carole is child-like, she daydreams, relies on her sister, Helen (Yvonne Furneaux) and is quite and very innocent looking. In one scene Carole laughs about a Charlie Chaplin film she hasn't even seen, this is also one of her childish traits.
Helen, Carole's sister, is having an affair with a married man, Michael (Ian Hendry) though he seems to be seperated from his wife. Carole doesn't like the fact that Michael leaves his stuff lying around (he seems to have moved in), and Carole even throws his stuff away, and when asked why she just says "I don't like them" (said very childishly). When I, and Carole, say she doesn't like them that is quite true...infact she seems to be obsessed by Michael and his things. On one scene she catches him shaving in the room and retreats to her room and looks rather 'interested' by Michael, on another scene she is going to throw his vest in the bin, but instead she puts it to her face and then drops it and runs off, I think to vomit.
Moving away from Michael and all the other males and indeed women of the film and on to symbolism. There is a lot of Symbolism in the films. Carole sees walls cracking open, this represents her world falling apart and her decent into madness. The growth of her flat may represnt the fact that she feels lost.
Of course this isn't everything in the film, it is a very interesting film and an insight into madness. I must say that the fact that it is Black and white helps this film, it gives it so much atmosphere and makes it feel chilling before anything strange happens.
Roman Polanski went on to make a lot of films to do with Insanity and Paranoia, including 'The Tenant', 'Rosemary's Baby' and many more, but 'Repulsion' I feel is the best representation of it in film history.
As a lot of Polanski films do, this film starts off like a normal film, there are only a few hints of the 'terror' that is to come ("I must get that crack mended" and Carole's daydreaming). The very first thing we see is Carole's eye, during the credits (by James Bond's Maurice Binder), the camera then zooms out and we see her daydreaming in a beauty salon, which she works at. Her friend, Bridget, snaps her out of it and soon Bridget and a customer engage in a conversation of men and the only thing they want (sex).
Bridget is currently having trouble with a Boyfriend, but I must stress that she is normal and having a normal relationship, unlike Carole.
Carole is child-like, she daydreams, relies on her sister, Helen (Yvonne Furneaux) and is quite and very innocent looking. In one scene Carole laughs about a Charlie Chaplin film she hasn't even seen, this is also one of her childish traits.
Helen, Carole's sister, is having an affair with a married man, Michael (Ian Hendry) though he seems to be seperated from his wife. Carole doesn't like the fact that Michael leaves his stuff lying around (he seems to have moved in), and Carole even throws his stuff away, and when asked why she just says "I don't like them" (said very childishly). When I, and Carole, say she doesn't like them that is quite true...infact she seems to be obsessed by Michael and his things. On one scene she catches him shaving in the room and retreats to her room and looks rather 'interested' by Michael, on another scene she is going to throw his vest in the bin, but instead she puts it to her face and then drops it and runs off, I think to vomit.
Moving away from Michael and all the other males and indeed women of the film and on to symbolism. There is a lot of Symbolism in the films. Carole sees walls cracking open, this represents her world falling apart and her decent into madness. The growth of her flat may represnt the fact that she feels lost.
Of course this isn't everything in the film, it is a very interesting film and an insight into madness. I must say that the fact that it is Black and white helps this film, it gives it so much atmosphere and makes it feel chilling before anything strange happens.
Roman Polanski went on to make a lot of films to do with Insanity and Paranoia, including 'The Tenant', 'Rosemary's Baby' and many more, but 'Repulsion' I feel is the best representation of it in film history.