Repulsion

From the very beginning of Roman Polanski’s masterpiece in psychological horror, as we watch a close up of an eye flittering erratically to the sounds of a steady, paranoid drum beat, we realise that what we are about to experience is going to take us into the very depths of a title characters psyche. An uncomfortable journey that will allow us to venture dangerously far into the recesses of a disturbed mind, and one that won’t let us escape easily once the film has ended. The psyche of whom we are about to venture in to belongs to Carole, a young French manicurist, played to perfection by Catherine Deneuve. Astonishingly beautiful yet painfully shy and withdrawn, Carole shares a flat with her sister, returning home from work a solitary figure, relentlessly ignoring the romantic advances of a good intentioned male acquaintance and the countless males who comment on her obvious beauty along the way. While this first appears to be a reflection of her introverted nature it becomes more intriguing in the introduction of the sisters boyfriend, who for inexplicable reasons, Carole seems to perceive as an annoyance and sometimes even a threat as she throws away the toothbrush he has left from an overnight stay causing her sister to scold her -‘silly little girl. You don’t understand anything!’ 

 It is at this point that we start to suspect that Carole’s unusual reactions to men may be result of something far deeper rooted than a shyness or insecurity, our suspicions eventually given weight in the final shot of the film, as we zoom in on a still photograph, a picture that manages to convey much more than countless psychological explanations ever could. 

Repulsion marked Roman Polanski’s first venture into English language cinema and the first of his films to be entirely filmed in London, England. Often overshadowed by his later work, such as the terrifying  Rosemary’s baby, Repulsion is a film that is unfortunately much lesser known despite many critical claims that it is in fact Polanski’s greatest film as director, succeeding in creating an atmosphere of absolute tension and unease that no other film, including the aforementioned Rosemary’s baby, has bettered. Left alone, as her sister and the boyfriend leave for Europe for a romantic getaway, Carole’s mental state begins to deteriorate as she sits alone in the apartment, listening to the ticking of clocks and dripping of taps that punctuate the silence, as the food she has been left to eat slowly rots around her. This includes the sinister carcass of a rabbit meant to have been cooked days ago- that begins to reflect the psychological decay Carole begins to slip into and an omen of what is to come. Eventually we realise that we are being shown is in fact a slow descent into madness, symbolised in the phantom cracks that begin to appear in the walls, representing Carole’s fragile mind set and the terrifying visions of sexual attacks she begins to experience, heightening the films prominent themes of sexual repression and sexual repulsion, as Carole reacts to phone calls and visits from her admirer as if he were a axe murderer rather than an attractive man in a business suit. 

  Stylistically, the film is extremely interesting to watch, as the camera is used almost as an invasive device as it follows Carole closely and intently, always keeping the focus on her and feeding the paranoia that begins to build in her character, making us implicit in the horror that unfolds as this paranoia begins to seep dangerously close to the surface.  A brilliant scene of this sort, that is also a highlight of the film, involves Carole walking through the streets of London quietly and passively, to the sound of a gentle yet strange jazz piece in the background. Moments like this are very distinctively Polanski, as well as being extremely accomplished and stylish, worthy of becoming an iconic moment in cinema. Repulsion is truly a landmark of psychological terror and one that is a brilliantly executed experiment into the unease and deep rooted fears and anxieties associated with sexuality. Deeply unsettling, utterly compelling and strangely fascinating to watch, Repulsion deserves to be seen by many and considered one of the most effective contributions to the horror genre.