Repulsion

I'm still without Internet at home - that's been nearly a week now! I don't like it!!

Anyway, I would have liked to review this film straight after watching it, as it was certainly quite disturbing. I felt the gradual decline of Carol into madness was brilliantly depicted through the use of the changing shape of the rooms, and the weird camera angles - sometimes you felt like you were spying in on her, especially when the camera was down really low on the floor. At times the house seemed to take on a life of its own, with mouth-like gaping cracks appearing as if getting ready to bite her, and the walls becoming soft and flesh-like, sprouting grasping hands.

The use of the rotting rabbit and the sprouting potatoes were a clever way of both showing the passing of time, and introducing a really disgusting atmosphere to the room...you can just imagine the smell coming off that rotting, maggoty flesh.

Although obviously sexually repressed already, her mental state is not helped by the constant chattering of her work colleagues, referring to men as being disgusting and dirty. This just helps cement the idea in her head that men are to be feared and avoided at all costs. However, as the film goes on, she seems to become more and more masochistic, pushing herself through the groping hands, and smearing on lipstick and waiting for the 'rapist' of her fantasies to appear at night.

I've noticed that some people have described Carol as being a bit dim-witted - I think that she defiantly was mentally 'fragile' from an early age, judging by the look in her eyes in the family photograph, and if she existed these days, she would no doubt have a vast array of social workers on her case. You are left question how and why she became like this - was she abused as a child perhaps, or is it a mental condition she has always lived with?
I would recommend watching another Polanski film ' Rosemary's Baby' - this film is I think even creepier, and Mia Farrow (Rosemary) plays the part of the tormented mother-to-be brilliantly !