Repulsion: Exploring the Claustrophobia of the Female Experience

10/10/2024

Kate Mulraney (she/her) examines the theme of claustrophobia in Roman Polanski's psychological horror 'Repulsion'

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By Kate Mulraney

Roman Polanski's Repulsion (1965), his first English-language film since leaving Poland, tells the haunting story of Carol (Catherine Deneuve), a Belgian manicurist living in South Kensington with her sister Helen (Yvonne Furneaux). Through a chilling blend of suspense and artistry, the film explores how Carol is slowly consumed by the oppressive male world around her, leading her into a spiral of paranoia and cruel isolation.

Claustrophobia is a central theme of the film, manifesting in Carol's intense repulsion towards men, especially when they touch her. The recurring motif of hands underscores this discomfort, while the confined, suffocating apartment setting further intensifies her sense of entrapment, especially as the film is told almost entirely from her point of view. Following the release of Repulsion, Polanski extended his ‘Apartment Trilogy’ with Rosemary's Baby (1968) and The Tenant (1976), two other chilling horror films largely set within the confines of apartments. Across these works, Polanski manipulates the nature of reality, deliberately blurring the lines between what is real and what exists within the minds of his characters.

Repulsion intensifies psychological terror by vividly portraying the corrosive effects of escalating delusion, both physical and symbolic isolation, and the harrowing aftermath of a woman's deeply heightened sensitivity to her environment. It is an ugly representation of the horror that oftentimes seems inherent in being a woman.

However, I must preface this article by discussing Polanski’s sexual abuse case. In response to claims that he drugged and physically abused Samantha Geimer (now Gailey), then 13 years old, at actor Jack Nicholson's house in 1977, Polanski entered a guilty plea. The filmmaker fled to France while on probation and before the case could be decided. It is essential to acknowledge how context shapes our engagement with art, rather than simply detracting from it. The fact that the creator of Repulsion is a convicted rapist may, in a tragic way, serve to accentuate the film's impact as a depiction of the darker, painful aspects of being a woman. Repulsion was already a significant work in this regard, but this context may add another layer of unsettling resonance to its themes.

The presence of a female killer in the film is somewhat unique. It delves into Carol's disgust with sexuality and her admirers' attention toward her, until she feels she has no choice but to kill them. Though we cannot fully diagnose Carol or identify the specific traumas she has experienced, the film gives us a profound sense of how the male-dominated world views her. This understanding compels us to sympathise with her, even when it conflicts with our own rationality. Whether through violence or archaic, almost farcical attempts at seduction, almost every man who enters the frame treats the outwardly submissive Carol with a troubling form of sexual aggression.

Carol serves as a portrayal of the deep inconsistencies and duplicity that characterise the societal ideals of womanhood and female sexuality. Carol perceives sexuality as something foreign, even alien to her, an expression of masculinity she cannot reconcile within herself. She has internalised the notion that she must embody innocence and purity. Externally, Carol presents a youthful, blonde fragility, epitomising a classic Western feminine stereotype. One that, at the time, most closely aligned with the "Hitchcock blonde" of popular culture. However, her dream world is one full of obscene wickedness, where she is capable of violence. This bizarre contrast draws attention to just how incredibly flawed this societal ideal is.

Many of the hallucinatory sequences evoke the uncanny feeling of a nightmare, though achieving this effect is far more complex than it might seem. Without plot momentum, Repulsion is just a collection of brilliant set pieces punctuated by moments in which Carol performs somewhat deranged versions of her everyday routine. The only thing that gives this comfortable, if macabre, homely balance any kind of propulsion is the intensification of her fantasies; each time she kills a man, she appears to feel more comfortable expressing her sexuality in her dreams. Strange events appear and vanish without explanation, boundaries become porous, and the sense of personal space is constantly violated by unseen, prying eyes.

As Aforementioned, hands also serve as a central motif in this work. Throughout the film, hands regularly emerge as psychological symbolism or physical expressions, emphasising Carol's rising anxiety about violation and loneliness. They stand in for the controlling, obtrusive men in her life who frequently touch her inappropriately and exacerbate her detachment from reality.

The scene where Carol is plagued by visions of disembodied hands protruding from her apartment walls is one of the most memorable and unsettling sequences in the film. This scene, which marks a significant turning point in the story, graphically depicts Carol's turmoil. Instead of providing security and safety, the walls become intimidating and penetrable, as even the most dependable aspects of her surroundings become antagonistic. The enclosed environment heightens the claustrophobia and adds to the psychological terror. Her apartment, once a sanctuary, transforms into a nightmarish prison, stripped of its sense of safety and refuge.

Some of the central themes of Repulsion may particularly resonate with aspects of the female experience at university. Gender influences how we perceive and navigate the world, shaping our reality at every level, and the university experience is no exception. Women frequently have more anxiety about their personal safety than men do, particularly when moving to a new place. Anxiety can stem from factors like living in shared settings where boundaries may not be obvious, walking alone at night, or the possibility of harassment. Despite efforts to create safe campus environments, universities remain spaces where sexual harassment and assault can be all too common. Female students may struggle to navigate both social and academic settings due to the concern over these threats, especially when living away from home for the first time.

Repulsion is an extreme portrayal of themes surrounding the female experience, remaining a visually striking film that delves into deeply unsettling subjects; sexual trauma, isolation, and the fragility of the human mind. I would really recommend giving this film a watch, not only because it is an interesting, yet challenging point of discussion, but the visuals of Polanski’s direction are sharp and imaginative. His entire ‘Apartment Trilogy’ has left its mark on the world of modern horror, and its influence cannot be overstated.