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Repulsion is directed by Roman Polanski (Rosemary's
Baby, Chinatown) and stars Ian Hendry, John Fraser, and
Yvonne Furneaux, Catherine Denevue. The film was originally
released in 1965. ***
Catherine (Denevue) is a beautiful young Belgian woman
working in a salon and living in a London flat with her
older sister (Furneaux.) But while she appears to be a normal,
timid girl on the outside, inside she is in the midst of
a personal descent into madness. When her sister and her
sister's lover leave her alone as they embark for a Roman
vacation, Catherine's madness comes full circle, as a series
of horrific visions and events drive her further down the
path to insanity. ***
Repulsion was Roman Polanski's first English-language
film. Prior to this, he had been best-known for a few short
films, as well as the critically-acclaimed Knife in the
Water. Repulsion is an often-overlooked essential title
in the director's filmography. ***
There's no denying the film looks and sounds dated.
This film came out in the mid-1960s, and is very much a
product of its era. The jazzy score (which I actually enjoyed),
the hairstyles, the pacing, the limitations of the censors,
you get the idea. Still, Polanski delivers an effective
film that is as much a horror film as it is a character
study. ***
Repulsion is unlike other horror films in that it has
no true plot, instead just focusing on the day-to-day life
of a young woman who clearly has more than a few mental
issues. Surprisingly, this approach works quite well. Some
audiences might not be able to get over the dated portions
of the film, but those who give it a chance will discover
one of Polanski's underrated gems. ---
Image And Sound:
When it comes to delivering faithful back-catalogue
masters for films, Criterion is number one. When it comes
to Blu-Ray, their few releases to date have been top-notch.
I admit, I have never seen any version of this film on SD-DVD
before, but I can still say this would be an improvement
over any version to date. Detail is strong throughout, and
I was able to pick out minute details that DVD reviewers
will most likely miss out on. This disc presents the film
at its original 1.66:1 aspect ratio. The grain level gets
a bit heavy at times, but I'm glad to see Criterion didn't
take the easy way out and use DNR across the whole of the
transfer. A lossless mono soundtrack suits the film perfectly,
as well. This is a great transfer, and more proof that Criterion
produces the best home video releases out there.
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| Special
Features: |
This release isn't jam-packed with special features
the way some Criterion releases are, but that's most likely
because there isn't much material that exists that they
could have used. But what little is on here is extremely
interesting and will appeal to any fan. A feature-length
commentary with Polanski and the film's leading lady is
featured here, as well as two other main featurettes - an
episode of a French TV series about directors and their
craft, as well as a “behind the scenes” look at the film,
with interviews with the film's cast and crew. Closing things
out is a small assortment of original theatrical trailers.
And like all Criterion releases, this one includes an informative
booklet on the film. There's more than enough content here
to satisfy any fan.
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