Review of Repulsion (1965) by Spangle — 23 Jan 2017

Repulsion is a classic psychological thriller, but it did not work quite as well as I had hoped. The first entry in director Roman Polanski's Apartment Trilogy, Repulsion pales in comparison to his tremendous follow up in the trilogy, Rosemary's Baby. Polanski's instincts guide him reliably into creating a hypnotic and claustrophobic environment, but the film itself lacks polish. It is clear that this is his second feature-length film because it feels as though it lacks that bit of umph to make it a truly impactful and mesmerizing psychological thriller. However, a killer score and claustrophobic direction certainly make up for this and create an often terrifying experience.

Compared to Rosemary's Baby, Repulsion is less scary. That said, this is a very different film, even if it is a part of the same trilogy. Taking place in an apartment that often doubles as the mind of Carole (Catherine Deneuve), this film is haunting in its portrayal of mental disease. Blending reality with dreams and leaving the audience guessing as to which is which. This is honestly horrifying to watch unfold and is where Polanski finds the most success. This suspension of reality is really thrilling to watch unfold and is accentuated by Deneuve's performance. Though he is mostly quiet in the film, she really does capture this descent into madness suffered by her character incredibly well. Polanski himself finds considerable power in these moments as well, with walls cracking and her insanity given a sort of demonic appearance to the audience. This really drops us into a world of the unknown as both us and Carole are shocked and disturbed by what is occurring on the screen.

However, Repulsion takes a bit long to get to the good bits. The first hour or so is a little too subtle and off-the-point to truly be effective. It starts hinting at Carole's repulsion and issues with men and their possible sexual intentions with her. It hints and sets the table, but it feels like a meal that takes too long to cook. You set the table and keep waiting for the food to actually cook. You check every five seconds to see if it is ready, but the damn thing just does not look cooked. This is Repulsion at the beginning. The meal is delicious once it hits the table, but the long prep time takes some of the buzz and satisfaction out of the meal. This is really Repulsion's major issue.

Yet, even when it really buzzes, the film lacks the punch of his later works. It is clearly his second film and it suffers from his inexperience. No shame there, but the film lacks the polish and it is not because it is fuzzy. It is hard to describe why, because there are so many good elements here. Carole's descent into madness, the fuzzy and cheap looking camera actually really benefits this film, as it makes it feel even creepier and unsettled. Yet, I feel as though I was let down by this one a bit, but it what interesting nonetheless to see its clear influence on other films, such as Brian De Palma's Sisters (plot, look, and feel) or David Lynch's Eraserhead (look, feel, and style). The latter was a bit of surprise, but during Carole's descent, having hands fly out of the wall and the jarring and grainy black-and-white camera feel a lot like watching a Lynch film, specifically Eraserhead.

Overall, Repulsion is a pretty good film with a huge legacy. It is possible it was just not for me, but even then, its power is often hard to deny. Featuring a terrifying score, a strong lead performance, and a harrowing portrayal of madness, Repulsion is a compelling psychological thriller that really laid the ground work for many films by other directors and the work of Polanski himself.