Platicsco
Good story, Not enough for a whole film
TaryBiggBall
It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.
Geraldine
The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
thedarkknight-99999
The use of nightmarish visual imagery for effect, and the reliance on the setting to illustrate Carol's mental state made me think that Repulsion is a film adaptation of one of Alfred Tennyson's poems directed by David Lynch! I'm not a fan of movies that rely so much on allegory. However, I loved Eraserhead and Mulholland Drive. But to be honest, I wasn't invested in these movies as much as I should. Nevertheless, I found Repulsion very engrossing, and I was deeply invested in the character of Carol.Polanski managed to evoke an atmosphere filled with dread and fear. but to make it more disturbing, he used another atmosphere that's quiet different and contradictory to the main one he used to depict Carol's paranoia. This contradictory atmosphere is actually very similar to the one that's used in french new wave films. Yes, it's already seems very weird and creepy! Almost every hallucination scene leaves you with a chill in the spine.Catherine Deneuve gave a very accurate, precise, and unsettling performance. Carol Ledoux could have been monotonous, and tedious due to her tepid nature. Instead, and thanks to Deneuve's captivating performance, Carol turned out to be so sympathetic and relatable that I felt for her. As for issues, I think the first act was longer than it should be, and the movie took a long time to reach the climax of its plot, but it was never boring, and built up tension very well.
From the tracking shots to the use of the unsettling sounds, you can see that Repulsion has a big influence on Aronofsky, especially his most recent, and most controversial work, mother! Also, the closing shot of this movie must be up there with the closing shots of The 400 Blows, Fight Club, Inception, Seven Samurai, Stalker,.....
As a matter of fact, Repulsion's final shot isn't just beautiful, profound, or thought-provoking, but it's very important and absolutely necessary to complete Carol's character arc.(9/10)
trishaade
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.
Theodore Zuckerman
The flat that the very shy, retiring Carol, lives in with her self-assured and "sexually active" sister, is a rather ugly flat, but it least it is neat and clean. However when Carol's sister goes on a little holiday with her boyfriend, and Carol is left alone, Carol imagines hands coming through the walls to grope her and also makes a horrid mess in the apartment. Now it is a very MESSY flat as well as a rather ugly flat. No conflict, no story, just Carol being afraid of everything and making a mess. Her only attempt at straightening out the mess involves ironing a shirt - using an electric iron without plugging it in. Really, she makes a horrifying mess of the apartment. Carol's sister comes home and is duly horrified by the mess. Tedious.
eagandersongil
"Repulsion" is an invite Roman Polanski madness, invitation that which is undeniable, with a psychological horror as few, the film bothers, we follow here the story of Carol Ledoux (Catherine Deneuve), a young woman who feels an aversion to sex male, aversion that which makes you have forced sexual fantasies, total disregard and indifference to everything around him, and an apparent psychopathy to be alone at home, madness takes force, the course of the film it gets worse, it's amazing how Polanski builds the apartment of Ledoux sisters in an insane asylum with small details, test the phone, the refrigerator, the drops of tap water in the sink, all the sound mixing is perfect, and leaves a terrifying aspect with simple things, the work of Deneuve is also very good, and beautiful, you feel your indifference to all this in his eyes his voice, with a black and white photograph, already very outdated for the time, was probably the choice of director for budgeting purposes, it does not comes to harm, the script contains holes, but nothing to spoil the film, the soundtrack is excellent, with simple arrangements, which demonstrate the loss of sense of our protagonist, "Repulsion" is a film for lovers of psychological terror, and even not to short the genre, it gives conferred on film.
