Repulsion is a perfect example of how you don’t always need to employ blood and gore to create a scary film. It centers around a paranoid and isolated girl named Carol (Catherine Deneuve) slowly unravelling alone in her apartment. When you’re alone your mind plays tricks on you. I can shamelessly admit to peeking into a closet or behind a shower curtain, more than once!
Though the music and dialogue are sparse when they are used they are extremely effective. Polanski also uses very creative camera angles, slow panning shots, closeups and really simple special effects to make it not only chilling but truly unique and ahead of it’s time. As a symbol throughout the film a dead rabbit continues to deteriorate paralleling Carol’s descent into madness. Without giving too much away, lets just say shit goes down and Carol doesn’t like men; especially when they’re alive! BOO!
“Looking at the color of her world, nobody ever knows a girl…” -Electric Light Orchestra
