Repulsion: Criterion Collection – Blu Ray Review

The Film:

It was in the mid-late 1960′s that Catherine Deneuve cemented herself as much more than a pretty face. Prior to Repulsion‘s release, she appeared in Jacques Demy’s wonderful The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, whom she would again collaborate with in 1967′s The Young Girls of Rochefort. In the same year as the latter film, Deneuve would work with the highly acclaimed Luis Bunuel in one of his most famous films, Belle de jour. Although she may not be a household name to a casual American audience, I think it’s safe to say that she is one of the greatest living actresses in the world.

In Roman Polanski’s Repulsion, Deneuve plays Carol, a Belgian immigrant working as a beautician in London. Through an old family photograph, we can gather than Carol was always a bit strange and reserved, perhaps even the victim of abuse at the hands of her father. She’s timid and sexually repressed, completely disgusted by men and the bourgeois middle-aged customers in her salon.

When her older sister, Helen (Yvonne Furneaux), goes on holiday for a couple of weeks, Carol’s isolation drives her to insanity. Her apartment becomes an organic being – hands emerge from the walls and grope her, and improbably deep cracks form in the plasterwork. A rotting cooked rabbit and sprouting potatoes rest on the kitchen counter. When a pushy suitor, Colin (John Fraser), breaks into the apartment in order to see her, I don’t think I’m spoiling anything by saying that he doesn’t escape.

The film works because of how restricting it’s setting is. Almost the entire picture takes place inside of the apartment and in Carol’s mind, and this allows for a tremendous focus on the inner turmoil of the woman. Her descent into madness is a natural progression – we’re kept at an arm’s distance from the beginning, and therefore as observers we have no emotional connection or deep understanding of the subject. This means that she doesn’t necessarily go through a “transformation” in a conventional sense, but rather we witness her unveiling the many layers of repressed memories and macabre fantasies.

Repulsion has often been compared to Hitchcock, and in 1965 Kenneth Tynan even remarked that it’s Psycho turned inside out. We see the double murder through the eyes of the killer in Polanski’s film, whereas we see the murders through the eyes of the victims in Psycho. The visual style of the film is definitely Hitchcockian, as is the methodical pacing that creates an unrelenting discomfort and suspense. Repulsion now looks better than ever in a fully-restored print by the Criterion Collection, and it should certainly be a welcome addition to any DVD or Blu-ray collection.

The Blu-ray:

Audio/Video: The transfer is nearly flawless. There are never noticeable artifacts, and the contrast is astounding. Grain is present throughout, but it adds to the look of the film. The audio track is also very good with audible dialogue and a startling dynamic range (the first jump scare nearly sent me up the wall).

Audio Commentary: This track originally appeared on the laserdisc release of the film, and it’s by Roman Polanski and Catherine Deneuve. Unfortunately, like a lot of the Criterion laserdisc tracks, the interviews weren’t recorded at the same time, and therefore you don’t get the charm of a natural conversation. Nevertheless, it’s extraordinarily informative and adds a lot to the film.

Trailers: The disc includes two trailers for the film – one American, and one British.

A British Horror Film: This is a very educational 24-minute documentary on the film. It covers a lot that is mentioned in the audio commentary, so it serves as a good companion piece. Simple features like this are what most DVD releases are missing – it’s quick, but informative and insightful, and it adds to the film.

Grand ecran: I really enjoyed this piece. It’s a documentary from 1964 with behind the scenes footage of Polanski and Deneuve while filming “Repulsion”. It’s a very intimate look at the film-making process, and we get to eavesdrop on philosophical conversations between Polanski and Deneuve regarding Carol.

Conclusion: I give a very strong recommendation for this one. This was my first time seeing the film and I really loved it. The transfer is as good as anything put out by Criterion this year, and although the supplements aren’t lengthly, they’re informative. I’m not much of a blu-ray whore myself, but this is one to spoil yourself with as it looks marvelous in 1080p.

The Film: Rating:
The Blu-ray: Rating: