Beginning Roman Polanski's trilogy of apartment thrillers, Repulsion is a moody descent into the mad mind of protagonist Carole, played with absent perfection by Catherine Deneuve. After seeing this and Belle De Jour recently, Deneuve was clearly a master of being a compelling blank slate for her directors in the '60s. The film is Polanski doing what he does best, creating a unique and fully hypnotizing atmosphere that draws you in deeper and deeper as it continues onward.
What starts off as a seemingly simple tale of a young girl who doesn't want to be alone turns into a frighteningly surreal and violent rationale for why exactly she doesn't want to be. The majority of it takes place within the confines of her apartment, establishing a claustrophobic and inescapable terror, but more accurately the whole thing takes place within her mind. Polanski places us directly into the perspective of the beautiful young girl and we are stuck in a terrifying world where determining what's real and what isn't ceases to become an option. Instead we are left with a surreal nightmare where the walls reach out for us and the potential for haunting fear lies around every corner.
I do have to admit that it dragged a bit for me at times, but the final act was a thrilling conclusion. I loved the symbolism of the walls cracking as Carole's mental state literally cracks within itself. I also really loved the sound techniques within the film, causing something as simple as a phone ringing to be as brutally terrifying as a violent bloody struggle. This is Polanski at the peak of his atmospheric game, a strong compliment given that he may be the finest director since Hitchcock when it comes to establishing a hypnotic, complete and absorbing tone.
What starts off as a seemingly simple tale of a young girl who doesn't want to be alone turns into a frighteningly surreal and violent rationale for why exactly she doesn't want to be. The majority of it takes place within the confines of her apartment, establishing a claustrophobic and inescapable terror, but more accurately the whole thing takes place within her mind. Polanski places us directly into the perspective of the beautiful young girl and we are stuck in a terrifying world where determining what's real and what isn't ceases to become an option. Instead we are left with a surreal nightmare where the walls reach out for us and the potential for haunting fear lies around every corner.
I do have to admit that it dragged a bit for me at times, but the final act was a thrilling conclusion. I loved the symbolism of the walls cracking as Carole's mental state literally cracks within itself. I also really loved the sound techniques within the film, causing something as simple as a phone ringing to be as brutally terrifying as a violent bloody struggle. This is Polanski at the peak of his atmospheric game, a strong compliment given that he may be the finest director since Hitchcock when it comes to establishing a hypnotic, complete and absorbing tone.