“Roman Polanski followed up his international breakthrough Knife in the Water with this controversial, chilling tale of psychosis. Catherine Deneuve is Carol, a fragile, frigid young beauty cracking up in her London flat when left alone by her vacationing sister. She is soon haunted by specters real and imagined, and her insanity grows to a violent, hysterical pitch. Thanks to its disturbing detail and Polanski’s adeptness at turning claustrophobic space into an emotional minefield, Repulsion is a surreal, mind-bending odyssey into personal horror, and it remains one of cinema’s most shocking psychological thrillers.” – The Criterion Collection
As we come to the end of the first 50 films, we end with five titles where their reputation exceeds my personal opinion of them. #51 will start another run with titles from the very top of my personal list and that will complete the Top 100. The argument for Repulsion’s inclusion so high up the list is made by The Criterion Collection. I am glad that I’ll be more enthusiastic after this.
Early Roman Polanski grabs you with a strong undertow. What’s happening on the surface is calm, while underneath you’re being pulled down against your will. It’s an approach that some find boring and because of my reaction to this I put off Knife in the Water for a long time, but that film is a near-masterpiece while this is too subtle on the surface, too clumsy underneath and too naïve psychologically. The sexual exploitation of an innocent young woman who implodes is a strong idea for a Horror/Thriller, but I find this movie to be rambling.
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