Biography Wikipedia
Wikipedia:
Repulsion is a 1965 British psychological horror film directed by Roman Polanski, based on a scenario by Gérard Brach and Roman Polanski. It was Polanski's first English language film, and was filmed in Britain, as such being his second film made outside Poland. The cast includes Catherine Deneuve, Ian Hendry, John Fraser and Yvonne Furneaux. Polanski himself makes a cameo as a spoon player among a trio of street buskers.
Plot
Carol Ledoux (Catherine Deneuve) is a young Belgian manicurist who lives in Kensington, London, with her sister Helen (Yvonne Furneaux). Carol seems shy and interacts with men awkwardly. When Helen leaves on a holiday to Italy with her married boyfriend, Michael (Ian Hendry), Carol appears distracted at work, refuses to leave her apartment, leaves a raw, skinned rabbit out to rot, and sees hallucinations, first of the walls cracking, then hands reaching out to grab and attack her, and repeated nightmares or hallucinations of a man breaking into her bedroom and raping her.
When Colin (John Fraser), a would-be suitor whom she has rejected, breaks into the flat, she bludgeons him to death with a candlestick and dumps the body into the overflowing bath. Later, the landlord (Patrick Wymark) arrives for the late rent. Carol pays him and at first just sits on the sofa, staring into space, as he remarks on the state of the apartment and gives her water to drink. But when he tries to force himself on her, she slashes him to death with a straight razor.
When Helen and Michael return, they discover the dead bodies. Michael runs for help, instructing Helen to stay in her room where Helen, nearly catatonic herself, finds Carol hidden under the bed. Carol appears catatonic. Neighbors arrive and seem curious, concerned and genuine but do nothing until Michael returns and carries Carol out. A family photograph on the mantel shows Carol as a child looking with fear toward a male figure at the other side of the photograph.
Cast
Catherine Deneuve as Carole LedouxYvonne Furneaux as Hélène/Helen LedouxIan Hendry as MichaelJohn Fraser as ColinPatrick Wymark as LandlordRenée Houston as Miss BalchValerie Taylor as Madame DeniseJames Villiers as JohnHelen Fraser as BridgetHugh Futcher as ReggieMonica Merlin as Mrs. RendleshamImogen Graham as ManicuristMike Pratt as WorkmanImagery
Repulsion is the first of Polanski's "apartment trilogy" (the other two being Rosemary's Baby (1968) and The Tenant (Le Locataire, 1976).
The film is shot in black and white, increasingly adopting the perspective of its protagonist. The dream sequences are particularly intense.
Awards and Reception
At the 15th Berlin International Film Festival in 1965, Repulsion won both the FIPRESCI Prize and the Silver Berlin Bear-Extraordinary Jury Prize. The film paved the way for Polanski's entry into the cinemas of Western Europe and drew attention to Catherine Deneuve with her performance.
Repulsion is widely considered a classic of the psychological thriller genre. On the Rotten Tomatoes website, the film currently holds a 100% rating among critics and 86% among the audience. On the Metacritic website, it holds a 91/100 rating based on reviews by 7 critics, and a 8.1/10 rating by the audience. The film is available on DVD as part of the Criterion Collection. Film critic Bosley Crowther of the New York Times stated in a review of the film "An absolute knockout of a movie in the psychological horror line has been accomplished by Roman Polanski in his first English-language film." Jim Emerson included Repulsion to a list of "101/102 Movies You Must See".
