My Horrible Idea
(Using Horror Movies to Teach English)
  • How to Use Monsters in the Classroom
    • What Can Monsters Teach Us?
    • Rhetorical Problems of Purpose, Audience, and Genre
    • Doubt: A Parable
  • Literary Stuff
  • Guest Blogs
    • SCARY MARY: A STUDY OF TONE
    • Horror Movie Survey
    • First Dates and Wisecracking Werewolfs
    • Rachel Tucker: A Master Gardener's take on The Purge
    • Janice Cheng: Horror & Logic
    • Zach Butler: Why All the Horror?
  • Movie Lists
    • MEAT IS MURDER: MY TOP FIVE LIST OF CANNIBAL MOVIES
    • CHRISTMAS HORROR MOVIES
    • TRIBUTE TO MR. VINCENT LEONARD PRICE, JR.
  • Archives
    • MONSTER MOVIES >
      • DRACULA (1931)
      • THE MUMMY (1932)
      • KING KONG (1933)
      • THE WOLF MAN (1941)
      • CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954)
      • THEM! (1959)
      • THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES (1959)
      • THE WASP WOMAN (1959)
      • THE DEADLY BEES (1966)
      • PLANET OF THE APES (1968)
      • EMPIRE OF THE ANTS (1977)
      • THE SWARM (1978)
      • THE BEES (1978)
      • ALIEN (1979)
      • THE ATTIC (1980)
      • CUJO (1981)
      • PREDATOR (1987)
      • DEAD ALIVE (1992)
      • CONGO (1995)
      • JAWS (1975)
      • DEVIL DOG: THE HOUND OF HELL (1978)
      • LEGION OF FIRE: KILLER ANTS (1998)
      • DEEP BLUE SEA (1999)
      • OPEN WATER (2003)
      • THE HIVE A LOOK AT LITERARY ENTOMOLOGY (2008)
      • THE REEF (2010)
      • THE GREY (2011)
      • SHARKNADO (2013)
      • WER (2013)
      • THE BABADOOK (2014)
    • HONORED DIRECTORS >
      • SHIVERS (1975)
      • VIDEDROME (1983)
      • THE FLY (1986)
      • DEAD RINGERS (1988)
      • CHRISTINE (1983)
      • THE THING (1982)
      • PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1987)
      • THEY LIVE (1988)
      • IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS (1994)
      • REPULSION (1965)
      • THE TENANT (1976)
      • THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS (1967)
      • ROSEMARY'S BABY (1968)
      • FRANKENSTEIN (1910)
      • THE OLD DARK HOUSE (1932)
      • THE INVISIBLE MAN (1933)
      • BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935)
      • SALEM'S LOT (1979)
      • THE FUNHOUSE (1981)
      • LIFE FORCE (1985)
      • POLTERGEIST (1982)
      • THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974)
      • THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (1972)
      • THE HILLS HAVE EYES (1977)
      • A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984)
      • SCREAM (1996)
    • KOREAN FLICKS >
      • 조용한 가족 (aka The Quiet Family 1998)
      • 소름 (aka SORUM 2001)
      • 세이 예스 (aka SAY YES 2001)
      • 폰 (aka Phone 2002)
      • 령 aka DEAD FRIEND aka THE GHOST (2004)
      • 거미슾 (aka SPIDER FOREST 2004)
      • 분홍신 aka THE RED SHOES (2005)
      • 레드 아이 (AKA RED EYE 2005)
      • 스승의은혜 (AKA TO SIR, WITH LOVE 2006)
      • 신데렐라 (aka Cinderella 2006)
      • 아파트 (aka APT 2006)
      • 두사람이다 aka VOICES (2007)
      • Alone (2007)
      • 므이 (aka MOUI 2007)
      • 헨젤 과 그레텔 (aka Hansel & Gretel 2007)
      • 추격자 (aka The Chaser 2008)
      • 외톨이 (맘 LONER 2008)
      • 고死: 피의 중간고사 (aka DEATH BELL 2008)
      • 불신지옥 (aka POSSESSED 2009)
      • 요가학완 aka YOGA CLASS (2009)
      • 베스트 세러 (aka BEST SELLER 2010)
      • 악마를 보았다 (aka I SAW THE DEVIL 2010)
      • 고양이: 죽음을보는 두개의눈 (aka THE CAT 2011)
      • 기생령 (aka GHASTLY 2011)
      • 무서운이야기 (AKA HORROR STORIES 2012)
      • 더웹툰 예고살린 (AKA KILLER TOON 2013)
      • 뫼비우스 (aka MOEBIUS 2013)
    • THRILLERS >
      • DEAD OF NIGHT (1945)
      • STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (1951)
      • REAR WINDOW (1954)
      • THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY (1955)
      • NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)
      • THE BIRDS (1963)
      • STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER (1975)
      • BODY HEAT (1981)
      • CAT PEOPLE (1982)
      • JAGGED EDGE (1985)
      • BEDROOM WINDOW (1987)
      • NINE QUEENS (2000)
      • WHAT LIES BENEATH (2000)
      • THE DESCENT (2005)
      • THE EXPERIMENT (2010)
      • YOU'RE NEXT (2011)
      • 의뢰인 (aka The Client 2011)
      • ABRAHAM LINCOLN VAMPIRE HUNTER (2012)
      • TOAD ROAD (2012)
      • FEAR LIVES HERE (2013)
      • 런닝 맨 (AKA RUNNING MAN 2013)
      • GRAND PIANO (2013)
      • HOURS (2013)
      • BLUE RUIN (2013)
      • HOUSE OF GOOD AND EVIL (2013)
      • THE PURGE (2013)
      • 더테러라이브 (aka The Terror Live 2013)
      • THE HUMAN RACE (2013)
      • DAYLIGHT (2013)
      • HOUSEBOUND (2014)
      • THE GUEST (2014)
    • PSYCHOS >
      • DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1931)
      • ROPE (1948)
      • 1950's AWESOMENESS >
        • ROCKETSHIP X-M (1950)
        • THE MAN WHO CHEATED HIMSELF (1950)
        • WHAT THE BUTLER SAW (1950)
        • THE FLYING SAUCER (1950)
        • ROBOT MONSTER (1953)
        • PHANTOM FROM SPACE (1953)
        • TARGET EARTH (1954)
        • THE SNOW CREATURE (1954)
        • KILLERS FROM SPACE (1954)
        • IT CONQUERED THE WORLD (1956)
        • THE MOLE PEOPLE (1956)
        • THE GAMMA PEOPLE (1956)
        • THE LAND UNKNOWN (1957)
        • THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS (1957)
        • I WAS A TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN (1957)
        • THE NIGHT THE WORLD EXPLODED (1957)
        • THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN (1957)
        • THE GIANT CLAW (1957)
        • KRONOS (1957)
        • LA CRAVATE (1957)
        • THE THREE FACES OF EVE (1957)
        • THE MONOLITH MONSTERS (1957)
        • I BURY THE LIVING (1958)
        • THE MONSTER OF PIEDRAS BLANCAS (1959)
        • TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE (1959)
        • ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES (1959)
        • BEAST FROM HAUNTED CAVE (1959)
        • I EAT YOUR SKIN (1964)
      • LES DIABOLIQUES (1955)
      • PSYCHO (1960)
      • WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE (1962)
      • TAXI DRIVER (1976)
      • ¿Quien Puede Matar a un Niño? (aka WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? aka THE ISLAND OF THE DAMNED 1976)
      • THE SHINING (1980)
      • FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980)
      • MISERY (1990)
      • CAPE FEAR (1991)
      • THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)
      • SWOON (1992)
      • DEATH AND THE MAIDEN (1992)
      • RESERVOIR DOGS (1992)
      • SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993)
      • NATURAL BORN KILLERS (1994)
      • THE CELL (2000)
      • SEXY BEAST (2000)
      • ONE HOUR PHOTO (2002)
      • MONSTER (2003)
      • WRONG TURN (2003)
      • WOLF CREEK (2005)
      • SIN CITY (2005)
      • HARD CANDY (2005)
      • THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND (2006)
      • MR. BROOKS (2007)
      • THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)
      • SKYFALL (2012)
    • THE SUPERNATURAL >
      • NOSFERATU (1922)
      • CARNIVAL OF SOULS (1962)
      • LET'S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH (1971)
      • THE CHANGELING (1980)
      • THE EVIL DEAD (1981)
      • ANGEL HEART (1987)
      • HELLRAISER (1987)
      • CHILD'S PLAY (1988)
      • THE SIXTH SENSE (1999)
      • AUDITION (1999)
      • END OF DAYS (1999)
      • STIGMATA (1999)
      • Richard Matheson Tribute: A STIR OF Memories
      • THE GIFT (2000)
      • THE RING (2002)
      • THE GRUDGE (2004)
      • THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE (2005)
      • THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (2005)
      • DARK WATER (2005)
      • SILENT HILL (2006)
      • PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (2007)
      • LAKE MUNGO (2008)
      • DRAG ME TO HELL (2009)
      • INSIDIOUS (2010)
      • WE ARE WHAT WE ARE (2013)
      • MAMA (2013)
      • CARRIE (2013)
      • OCULUS (2013)
      • THE CONJURING (2013)
      • LATE PHASES (2014)
      • THE TAKING OF DEBORAH LOGAN (2014)
      • JESSABELLE (2014)
      • ANNABELLE (2014)
  • Psycho Hall of Fame
  • Crimson Peak
  • An America Terror
  • The Beat Goes On: Horror Franchises

Repulson (1965)

5/5/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
PictureThe beautiful Catherine Deneuve as Carole
I tell my students that identifying phallic or yonic symbols isn’t doing psychoanalytical interpretation unless you can connect their being in the narrative for some reason. In Roman Polanksi’s 1968 film Repulsion, they are definitely there for a reason. We’ll be talking about phallic symbols in this interpretation so let’s begin with what that is exactly.


Picture
A phallic symbol is any object that broadly represents the male penis or any of its functions. The literary connection to the phallic symbol is to impart a symbolic representation of power. In horror films it’s usually connected with knives, machetes, and yes…even chainsaws because of their intrusive, violating powers. Yonic symbols are those representing the female vagina and its functions.


Picture
In Repulsion, I feel this is a film about the violation of boundaries. Carole, our protagonist, seems on edge from the beginning where we get a long close-up throughout the credits of her open eye. In typical Polanski attention-to-detail fashion, we also end on a close-up of Carole’s eye, but when she was a child. We’ll get to that later.

Carole appears to be disturbed, on edge. We attribute this to her not being able to sleep. The first two lines of the film to her are “Have you fallen asleep?” and “Hey, are you asleep?” The problem with not sleeping is that it leads to hallucinations. So this calls into question some of the things we see in the film as either hallucinations or dreams. We’re not sure which and in fact may also be realities or memories. It all begins in the bathroom.


Picture
Carole comes home from work and sees her sister’s boyfriend Michael’s toothbrush and razor in her cup. She removes them. Toothbrush and razor are both phallic symbols as the cup is a yonic symbol. It’s also the first of many representations of violation of boundaries in the film. She even asks her sister, “Why does he put his toothbrush in my glass?” We may not see this as sexual at first, but our first introduction to the boyfriend shows that he is a very sexual being. He pinches his girlfriend’s butt upon his first entrance. So while Carole seeing him as a sexual threat may be an overreaction, it is not a groundless association as later in the same scene he violates her boundaries physically by pinching her on the cheek. She immediately flees. Michael violates another boundary when he suggests that Carole see a doctor and Helen defends her as just being sensitive.

Picture
Boundaries are being invaded throughout the film. Even when Carole is in the safety of her own bedroom, the sounds of her sister enjoying sex with Michael invade her space and she cannot block them out. Men are completely unaware of their boundary violations in this film, but when Carole accidentally enters the bathroom and sees Michael shaving, she immediately apologizes. When Carole goes to work, her friend Bridget is crying because of her boyfriend and a broken promise.

While in a pub (the safe haven for men in society) Colin, the man who is interested in Carole, has two friends who badger him about details of his relationship with Carole. One crass man even asks how his dinner went. Colin replies, “She had dinner with her sister.” To which the crass man replies, “Well, maybe you should try the sister.” No respect for boundaries at all.

Carole’s reaction towards men may be rooted in many things. At one point, a few men in a bar even suggest that she may be a lesbian. There’s a scene in Colin’s car where he is trying to find out what is wrong with her and he tries to kiss her. She pulls away. He tries again and she lets him kiss her. This is followed by the image of him violently putting out his cigarette in the car ashtray. It’s a very sexually violent image with the phallic symbol penetrating the yonic symbol. After seeing this, Carole flees the car.

Once at home, she wipes her mouth and brushes her teeth. She takes Michael’s razor and opens it up. Once again, it’s a very phallic image of a penis coming to erection. She sees Michael’s dirty T-shirt on the bathroom floor, picks it up, smells it, and then becomes violently ill. By now, we’ve been given enough clues to signal some association to the title of the film. For some reason, Carole has a repulsion to men or at the very least sexual associations with men. At one point her sister asks her, “You really don’t look well. Is it a man?”


Picture
Colin finds himself in the pub again where the two men once again talk about Carole as if she were property to be shared. When Colin fights back, the crass man grabs him and says it’s all just good ole fun and kisses Colin on the mouth proving that men indeed have no respect for boundaries…masculine or feminine.

Colin’s second attempt at seduction comes soon after and he says to Carole, “Relax. Take it easy. Enjoy life.” But again Carole flees and this time he pursues her and forces his way into her room by breaking down the door. The violent breaking of boundaries is rewarded by Carole bludgeoning him in the head with a heavy candlestick…another phallic symbol of male power. She hides his body in a bathtub (yonic symbol of female power).


Picture
Every time she tries to sleep, there’s a rape scene. It’s filmed very strangely with no sound but the ticking of a clock each time, so we’re not to be sure whether this is dream, memory, or hallucination, or indeed…reality. It happens several times throughout the film. There’s also some heavy symbolism with cracks in the walls going on. I associate the cracks in the walls and floors with the cracks in her fragile sanity. There’s also a decomposing dead rabbit symbolizing this as well. But back to the phallic stuff!

The landlord comes by and again forces his way into the apartment. He collects the rent money, but sees Carole’s vulnerability and tries to take advantage of her and is rewarded by being slashed to death with Michael’s razor. Again, Carole uses the phallic symbol of maleness (razor for shaving) and uses it against a male attempting to force himself on her. The razor slashes across his neck in a kind of castration image. After his death, Carole turns the couch over on top of him, once again a yonic image cradling the dead man.


Picture
Carole also receives a post card from her traveling sister and on the postcard is the leaning tower of Pizza…yet another phallic symbol. By the end when the neighbors are discovering the dead bodies, we see the post card crumpled up segmenting the tower making it look impotent. There’s an interesting moment after she has killed the landlord. She is in the bathroom and puts on lipstick. A definitely feminine act right before she goes to bed. It’s as if since she has appropriated the male power by killing with the razor, she feels like the dreams of rape will not come. She has overcome them; however, they come anyway and she is violated again.

There’s never any explanation given for Carole’s behavior or her violent acts beyond self-defense in the case of the landlord. But the final shot gives us everything we need to infer the answer to that question. It’s a slow close-up of a family picture where a young Carole stands looking at a man in the photo, presumably her father or an uncle as it was established earlier in the film that this is her family. As the camera closes in on Carole’s young face, we see two eyes filled with hatred staring at the man. It’s the final close-up of her child’s eye that ends the film. We are left to interpret this final shot any way we wish, but for me it is the one sign or explanation that there was some childhood trauma caused by the male figure in the picture that has scared her for life, most likely sexual in nature.


Picture
It’s a very Freudian belief that our personalities as adults are deeply rooted in childhood experiences. Carole’s childhood trauma is merely alluded to in the photo, yet what we see is a film about her repulsion to sexuality, especially in what she perceives to be violations of her boundaries. While most people deal with these traumas through repression or rationalization, Carole develops defense mechanisms and reaction formations or projection and displacement. It’s also compounded and triggered by the sexual symbolism she is surrounded with. By the end of the film and through many bizarre hallucination scenes (the hallway of hands was my favorite) she takes the final refuge left to her…regression. She is carried out by Michael who still, even in this regressed state leers at her in his arms.

Well done, Mr. Polanski! It’s easy to see why your first English language film is a classic.


0 Comments

    PYSCHOANALYTICAL CRITICISM


    How do  symbols inform interpretation?

    Archives

    May 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.