Repulsion (1965)

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1965
Running Times: 104 mins
Format: black and white/35mm
Ratio: 1.85:1
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Company: A Compton production 
Copyright: © MCMLXV Compton Tekli-Film Productions Ltd.
Michael Klinger and Tony Tenser present
Produced by: Gene Gutowski
Associate Producers: Robert Sterne, Sam Waynberg

SCRIPT
Original Screenplay by: Roman Polanski, Gerard Brach
Adaptation and Additional Dialogue by: David Stone

DIRECTION
Directed by: Roman Polanski
1st Assistant Director: Ted Sturgis
Continuity: Dee Vaughan

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Gilbert Taylor
Camera Operator: Alan Hall
Stills: Laurie Turner

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Alastair McIntyre
Assistant Editor: Karen Heward

MUSIC
Music Composed and Conducted by: Chico Hamilton
Orchestrated by: Gábor Szabó

SOUND
Sound Mixer: Leslie Hammond
Sound Supervisor: Stephen Dalby
Sound Editor: Tom Priestley
Sound Recordist: Gerry Humphreys
Westrex Recording System

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Make Up: Tom Smith
Hairdresser: Gladys Leakey

VISUAL EFFECTS
Title Designer: Maurice Binder (uncredited)

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: Seamus Flannery
Assistant Art Director: Frank Willson
Props: Alf Pegley

OTHER CREW
Production Controller: Terry Glinwood

LOCATIONS
Locations: London, England, UK
Made at Twickenham Studios, London, England

CAST
Starring
Catherine Deneuve (Carol Ledoux)
Ian Hendry (Michael)
John Fraser (Colin)
Patrick Wymark (landlord)

and Guest Star
Yvonne Furneaux (Helene Ledoux)

with
Renee Houston (Miss Balch)
Valerie Taylor (Madame Denise)
James Villiers (John)
Helen Fraser (Bridget)
Hugh Futcher (Reggie)

Monica Merlin (Mrs Rendlesham)
Imogen Graham (manicurist)
Mike Pratt (workman)
Roman Polanski (spoon player (uncredited))

PLOT SUMMARY

Carol Ledoux is a sexually repressed young Belgian trapped in a meaningless existance in mid-60s London, overly-dependent on her sister Helen. When Helen goes on holiday with her boyfriend Michael, Carol is left alone in her flat and suffers a traumatic breakdown, complete with powerful and disturbing hallucinations.

Brilliantly directed by Polanski (the rape scene, shot in silence except for the relentless ticking of a clock, is quite harrowing) and moodily photographed in a brooding monochrome by Taylor, Repulsion established Polanski as a major cinematic talent. Though that talent has since been squandered on too many unworthy scripts and blunted by too many off-set scandals, it was brought fully to bear on this remarkable film with powerful results. Aided by a fine performance from Deneuve, Polanski paints a convincing and often terrifying portrait of paraoia and madness - at his best, Polanski has proved himself to be the equal of any of the great directors and fortunately, his work in the world of horror has always been of some interest. (Full Review)

Brazil
Video Distributor: Globo Vídeo

UK
Video Distributors: Videomedia/Vampix (HVM1018); Videomedia/Zodiac (HVM4413); Video Masterpiece; Stablecane; Odyssey Video (ODY781)
DVD Distributors: Anchor Bay (ABD4230)

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Royal Films International
Video Distributors: Film Classics Video; Global Media Distributors; Studio Entertainment; Video Dimensions
Laserdisc Distributor: Criterion Collection (CC 1364L)

Finland
Rating: banned in 1965; K-18

Norway
Rating: 18

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: X; 18

USA
Rating: unrated

1965
Berlin International Film Festival, Germany
FIPRESCI Award (Roman Polanski) - winner
Silver Berlin Bear Special Prize of the Jury (Roman Polanski) - winner
Golden Berlin Bear (Roman Polanski) - nominated

1966
BAFTA Awards, UK
Best British Cinematography (B/W) (Gilbert Taylor) - nominated

1965
January
15: UK - rated X by the BBFC (for theatrical release)

June
Day Unknown: West Germany – shown at the Berlin International Film Festival

July
7: West Germany – theatrical release
13: Denmark – theatrical release

September
13: Sweden – theatrical release

October
3: USA – theatrical release

November
5: Finland – theatrical release

1981
May
Day Unknown: UK - video release (Videomedia/Vampix (HVM1018))

1982
December
Day Unknown: UK - video release (Videomedia/Zodiac (HVM4413))

1983
December
Day Unknown: UK - television broadcast (on Channel 4)

1984
September
Day Unknown: UK - television broadcast (on ITV)

1985
October
14: UK - rated 18 by the BBFC (for video release)

1990
December
31: UK - rated 18 by the BBFC (for video release)

1992
October
Day Unknown: UK - television broadcast (on Channel 4)

1993
March
Day Unknown: UK - television broadcast (on Superchannel)

1995
February
Day Unknown: USA - laserdisc release (Criterion (CC 1364L))

August
Day Unknown: UK - television broadcast (on Channel 4)

1997
September
19: USA – theatrical re-release

1999
November
8: UK - television broadcast (on BBC2)

2002
November
17: UK - television broadcast (on BBC2)

2003
August
25: UK - DVD release (Anchor Bay (ABD4230))
29: UK - rated 18 by the BBFC (for video release)

2004
January
22: UK - rated 15 by the BBFC (for archive release)

2005
November
15: UK - video deleted (Odyssey Video (ODY781))

The nightmare world of a virgin's dreams becomes the screen's shocking reality!

Avsporet - Norwegian title
Ekel - German title
Inho - Finnish title
Repulsa - Portugese title
Repulsa ao Sexo - Brazilian title
Repulsión - Venezuelan title
Repulsione - Italian title
Wstret - Polish title

SEE ALSO
Absolutely Fabulous: Fear (1995)
The Driller Killer (1979)
Empire of the Censors (1995)
Eraserhead (1977)
The Hunger (1983)
Iki-jigoku (2000)
Jennifer Is Dead (2002)
Le locataire (1976)
May (2002)
Minority Report (2002)
Ms 45 (1981)
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Pi (1998)
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
Single White Female (1992)
Sisters (1973)

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
100 Years of Horror (1996)
A British Horror Film (2003)

MAGAZINES

Architectural Design vol.70 no.1 (January 2000) pp.32-35 (UK)
illustrated article

Cahiers du Cinéma no.176 (March 1966) p.72
review

Cahiers du Cinéma in English no.4 (1966) p.56 (USA)
review

Cinéma no.93 (February 1965) p.27 (France)
article

Cinéma no.103 (February 1966) p.108 (France)
review

Daily Cinema no.9075 (11 June 1965) p.10 (UK)
review

Empire no.8 (February 1990) pp.86-87 (UK)
illustrated review (by Kim Newman)

Empire November 1994 p.74 (UK)
review

Film vol.19 no.46 (15 November 1964) p.8 (Poland)
interview

Film Quarterly vol.19 no.3 (Spring 1966) p.44 (USA)
review

Film Reader no.5 (1982) pp.37-40 (USA)
article (Codes of Feminine Madness by Gretchen Bisplinghoff)

Filmkritik no.5 (May 1965) p.292 (West Germany)
review

Films and Filming vol.11 no.7 (April 1965) p.51 (UK)
review

Films and Filming vol.12 no.1 (October 1965) p.44 (UK)
credits, review

Filmstudio no.53 (1 April 1967) p.50 (Germany)
review

Halls of Horror no.27 p.26 (UK)
note

Kine Weekly no.2973 (24 September 1964) p.14 (UK)
note

Kine Weekly no.3010 (10 June 1965) p.10 (UK)
review

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.32 no.378 (July 1965) p.107 (UK)
credits, synopsis, review

Movie no.14 (October 1965) p.26 (UK)
review

Sight and Sound vol.38 no.1 (Winter 1968 /1969) pp.14-17 (UK)
article

Sight and Sound vol.34 no.3 (Summer 1965) p.146 (UK)
review

Variety 16 June 1965 (USA)
credits, review

NEWSPAPERS

Diário de Notícias, DNmais 5 December 1998 (Portugal)
review (by José De Matos-Cruz)

Expresso, Cartaz 24 October 1998 (Portugal)
review (by Jorge Leitão Ramos)

BOOKS

The BFI Companion to Crime edited by Phil Hardy pp.287-288
credits, review

Elliot's Guide to Films on Video p.650
credits

Reference Guide to Fantastic Films p.397
credits

Stay Out of the Shower: 25 Years of Shocker Films, Beginning With Psycho by William Schoell p.32
review

OTHER SOURCES

British National Film Catalogue vol.3 (1965)
credits

screen
credits

apartments, depression, hallucinations, insanity, isolation, nightmares, rape, razor blades, sex, sexual repression, throat slitting

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008