The film is definitely a peculiar experience with its presentation of Carol (Catherine Deneuve), whose performance is captivating yet creepy at the same time. The camera is always framed with close instances of actors, never allowing room to pull out and grasp one's surroundings further reinforcing the enclosed world that Carol lives in. Sexually repressed, with an inherent fear of men, Carol is profoundly alienated as she continues to distance herself from others despite offers of help, where she can never truly feel safe at home with a deepening sense of paranoia.
With increasing hallucinations, a sense of the unhomely and uncanny settles in with distorted compositions and the definitive use of light and shadows, cracks also begin to appear on walls where hands reach out to get Carol. The use of sound definitely contributed to this sensation, with long drawn silences only to be broken with quiet obscure sounds or sudden jumpy noises. Her continual descent into madness is reflected in the environment of the home with rotting meat and deteriorating conditions, where at the end of the film her insanity is truly complete as we are able to examine the abhor state of the house.
Overall, Repulsion was an intriguing watch of a woman's perspective in her descent into madness. All male roles seemingly fail in their character only further deepening Carol's madness whether intentional or not. Its not something I would like to watch again any time soon, but it is undeniably commendable and brilliant in its style and presentation that should not be ignored.
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