Showing @ Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Sat 02 Feb Only

Roman Polanski / UK / 1965 / 105 min

Featuring scenes of rape, murder, and terror, Roman Polanski’s analysis of sexual repression, violence and mental illness, Repulsion is a film that cuts fast and deep. Set in 1960s London, and following the quiet and seemingly traumatised Carole (Catherine Deneuve) whose beauty and innocence mask her inability to deal with men and desire, this psychological thriller delves deep into the human psyche to reveal the complexities of the mind and trauma.

Seen as part of Polanski’s so-called ‘Apartment’ trilogy, Repulsion’s strength and power doesn’t lie in the film’s moments of violence but in its quieter scenes. The split second of unexpected terror that elevates the film from simple thriller to masterful horror. While it soon becomes clear that Repulsion’s setting of an unassuming yet rundown London flat is a metaphor for Carole and her fractured mind, Polanski’s decision to set it there is vital. The film is not just a comment on mental illness, but also of the loss of community; where residents of a building don’t know each other, which has only become more pronounced with the passing of time. Eerie, frightening and unforgettable, Repulsion is an often overlooked reminder of Polanski at his most unsettling and most unnerving.

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