I keep in mind that this movie was released in 1965. But in 1962 Sam Peckinpah did Ride the high Country. So don't tell me that it was another time! After watching the extraordinary performance of Isabelle Adjani in Possession of Andrzej Zulawski (1981), Catherine Deneuve doesn't impress me. The movie is nice, Deneuve is nice, everything is good. It is a nice movie, where we can feel the future work of Roman Polanski, especially in The Tenant (1976). Nice movie, nice direction, nice music, great photography and very fun scenario.

This is often known as 'Roman Polanski's Repulsion', so inter-twined is the director and this piece of work. Catherine Deneuve plays listless Carol, a stunning blond who acts like the dowdiest wallflower you could meet. She lives with her sister Helen (Yvonne Furneaux), married boyfriend Michael (Ian Hendry) and is pursued - without much success - by Colin (John Fraser). The attention to minutiae in the dilapidated building is not dissimilar to the location in Polanski's 'The Tenant (1976)'.In fact, that is not the only similarity - Carol could be a relation of the other film's central Trelkovsky character; she even knocks heads with Colin as Trelkovsky does with Isabelle Adjani's Stella in a similar scene in the later film. Equally, her comparable descent from being merely preoccupied to full paranoia to the point of hallucination adds to this exploration into her increasingly fragile mental state.As a shocking tale of someone sliding into insanity, I found this effective, but unfairly, I feel it has dated in a way that 'The Tenant' has not. It is still a persuasive and occasionally unnerving depiction of madness. Deneuve is very good in it, as is the rest of the cast, and Polanski makes the most of her increasing physical and mental isolation.

REPULSION is a psychological horror film about a young woman who is going through her own fears in her dark apartment, rejects her sexuality and gradually loses all contact with reality. This is a film about loneliness and anxiety between two extremes, in which the human tragedy is an inevitable fact.Carol, a Belgian manicurist, lives with her older sister Helen in their apartment in London. She, in contrast to Helen, interacts awkwardly with men. She is sleepy on her job and she continuously refuses her pretty-suitor. Carol hides her head in her pillow against her sister's sighs during sexual pleasure with her lover. It seems that Carol does not like men, moreover, she is trying to run from them. When Helen leaves on a holiday to Italy with her lover, otherwise a married man, Carol stays in their apartment and begins to hallucinate...Mr. Polanski reveals to us a deranged mind, or rather the dark side of the human subconscious, in this film. A young beauty behaves hostile toward men. It is intriguing enough without an eerie background and crumbling of her mind while she is staying in the apartment alone. Of course, we will look for the reasons for her behavior. Mr. Polanski has made a trap, precisely in that part. The reason is, probably, a trauma from her childhood, which is artfully displayed through the eyes of a little girl at a family photo, or is it a case of a "disturbed" sexuality, because the younger Carol is possessively attached to her older sister Helen.The atmosphere, in which objects symbolize the horror, is almost perfect. The characterization is excellent. An eerie sound is very striking.Catherine Deneuve (Carol Ledoux) has offered a phenomenal performance as an infatuated, depressed and eventually obsessed young woman. Yvonne Furneaux (Helen Ledoux) is quite convincing as a free and attractive woman, who knows how to enjoy sexual ecstasy. Ian Hendry (Michael) is provocative as Helen's lover and John Fraser (Colin) is a very tenacious and a bit rude as a suitor.A schizophrenic descent into madness. For me this is a little masterpiece.

As I have written in other reviews, I'm generally not a fan of psychological horror because as a genre it moves too slow. This movie is no exception. I had seen it years ago and remembered that I didn't care for it much, but wanted to take another look-see so I rented it from the local library. I didn't like it in many ways this time around either. The story moves mind numbingly slow with much of the film having no dialog - the watcher is just taken along for the ride when Carol, left to her own devices by her sister, gradually starts losing her mind and ultimately becomes completely unhinged. REPULSION picks up towards the end, but getting there was excruciating for me. I had some difficulty connecting with the lead - watching her lose it wasn't pleasant, but her personality was so incredibly reserved and lifeless from the beginning of the film that I really didn't care about her over the long haul. I'm sure portraying her that way was intentional and I'm still somewhat perplexed regarding why that decision was made. I am aware that I am in the minority regarding Catherine Deneuve's depiction of Carol and that many rave reviews were written about her role in this movie. I also found that I had more questions than answers once it ended, maybe as intended, regarding the lead's familial relationships. What happened to cause a beautiful woman to be so fearful and repressed when it came to men and sexual relationships? The answer is hinted at in the last frames, but is never completely disclosed. In addition, I was a bit confused about the lead's sister - how much did she know about Carol's mental state? Did she care?All of that being said, there are some exceptional things about this film from a technical standpoint - the use of light and shadows is magnificent, drawing the viewer in to Carol's demented world and at times, using close ups to make a statement or to have the viewer look at something specific in the frame. The camera work is amazing. In those regards, REPULSION absolutely stands out. Anyone who has an interest in making a black and white film should take a look at this one if for no other reason than this. The soundtrack is also worth noting, and the symbolism and sound effects throughout the film are quite interesting. The ticking of the clock, the cracking walls, the apartment that ends up in total disarray, etc. are all indicative of Carol's mental state. The hallucinations she has are quite surreal and very well done.If you like psychological horror with minimal graphic violence, this film is considered to be a masterpiece by many. In addition, if you want to watch incredible use of light and shadow and enjoy your movies artful and symbolic, this one is a must-see. However, If you like horror films that move along at a fairly quick pace, this one will likely bore you to death.