*A note before we begin: In no way am I absolving Polanski for his transgression, this is a FILM review, not an opinion on Polanski himself*
The beginning credits of 'Repulsion' shows a close up of an eye with words travelling at various angles across the screen while the eyeball flits around following their progress. It is fitting that when the title of the film appears directly over the eye, it is the first of many symbols to come when it comes to the nature of repulsion itself- it's in the eye of the beholder.
Psychoanalysis admittedly is a difficult subject to translate on screen and make it comprehensible, especially when it focuses on the subject of sex. 'Repulsion' is what you could consider an Absurdist Surrealist take on sexuality, social pressure and personal claustrophobia taking place in an earthly metropolic setting.
Young and shy Parisian beautician Carole Ledoux lives with her sister Helene in a cramped modest apartment in London during the 1960's, an era of which gender roles were changing, both in public and behind closed doors. Carole, despite the fact she has a job, is emotionally dependent upon her sister and despises how Helene allows her married lover, Michael, to stay overnight on a regular basis. Every morning she must wait until he leaves just to go to the bathroom because he leaves his grooming tools next to her toothbrush. If this wasn't enough, Carole receives constant attention from the opposite sex, namely from the persistent young buck Colin who is dying to date her, it also doesn't help matters when her job is monotonous. Simply put, Carole is a very, very, VERY repressed young woman living in an unyielding world that is moving too fast and too much for her fragile mind. When her sister leaves on a vacation to Italy with Michael however, Carole's problems are only just beginning...
Mind cracking or shoddy architecture? Either way, not good.
I want to say upfront that prior to viewing this film, I had heard ballyhoo such as "Best thriller ever!" "Polanski's best!", "You haven't seen a movie until you have seen 'Repulsion'", automatically, I get suspicious. Not because I assumed the opposite, but that's the nature of the hype machine- when something is talked up that much, your expectations are talked up with it, but when you see the product for yourself, it may not be all that and a bag of potato chips. Same thing goes for 'Replusion'. Don't get me wrong- this film isn't a failure, nor is it uninspired, in fact, it stimulates the mind and manages to keep you fascinated. The cost is, you need to wait 40 minutes. Before you ask, I have no qualms with slow-burn thrillers- just look at Ridley Scott's 'Alien'- nothing nasty happened for the same about of time, but Scott kept up the atmosphere and steadily and consistently wound the tension until things really took off. In 'Repulsion' however, I was feeling quite drowsy until Carole was left alone in the apartment and to me, that wasn't a good sign. For a movie that "holds you and doesn't let go!", it only held my undivided attention whenever action was occurring onscreen. It's not that I didn't appreciate any of the subtleties that Polanski used, I did, especially when imagery such as distorted reflections and horrors in Carole's increasingly menacing apartment manifested themselves audibly and visually, but I felt Polanski's mind was more concentrated in dream logic more than it's actors.
Hungry? -_-
The symbolism in this film is undoubtedly it's strongest point- I am of the mind that if this film were a picture book, it would still be captivating. Polanski makes common surroundings become pregnant with such monstrosity that it digs into your mind like a splinter. At times, it reminded me of David Lynch's 'Eraserhead' though that involved a different subject matter. It is a shame though that these images out-weigh the actors who co-exist with them. Up until her mind seriously began to unravel, I didn't really care for Carole and her mental problems. For a film that is widely seen as a cautionary tale about the dangers of mental illness and the pressures those afflicted with it suffer, it doesn't take much care in looking at Carole herself, just upon her bulging psychosis. A shame, because the young Deneuve really is quite good even when she is being upstaged by her apartment.
"We're not touching you, we're not touching you, is this bothering you, we're not touching you."
So what am I actually trying to say in this review? Put quite simply, if you are a fan of intelligent cinema, and if you are quite partial to visually stunning films, 'Repulsion' is certainly as good as any to see for yourself. That being said, I advise you not to allow yourself to be swept up too much by it's praises- an older film doesn't equal a classic, no matter how much has been said about it. If you approach this film with a fairly grounded set of expectations, you will probably enjoy this better. Alternatively, if you watch this movie and you don't enjoy it, you won't receive any judgement from me, because quite frankly, there are better movies out there that deal with the problems that Carole has, but at least you can say you have seen one of the stronger contendors.
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