Review of Cat People (1982) by Al M — 04 Sep 2009
Cat People is one of those rare remakes that shoud be made (see my review of the first Invasion of the Body Snatchers remake). Paul Schrader expands the Val Lewton-produced, Jacques Tournier-directed original from the 40s by turning into an erotic thriller starring the beautiful Nastassja Kinski and the always creepy (at least in those days) Malcolm McDowell.
Scrader's film updates the original by having the cat people only transform into panthers when they are sexually excited. Hence, they can never have a lover without killing them--they can only safely make love in human form with a sibling.
Hence, Schrader turns the Cat People plot into an exploration of desire and its relation to love while simultaneously exploring the most fundamental of taboos: incest. A beautifully shot and well-directed film, Cat People is disturbing, gory at times, funny at other times, and ultimately poignant.
Plus, a David Bowie theme song and a creepy cool electronic score add to the film's ambience in a way that makes it unforgettable.
This review of Cat People (1982) was written by Al M on 04 Sep 2009.
Cat People has generally received mixed reviews.
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