Analysis Of Roman Polanski's Film Repulsion

Roman Polanski’s 1965 thriller film, Repulsion, follows the character of Carol Ledoux, a single manicurist living in London with older sister Helen. The film captivates Carol’s transition from a serene woman to a psychotic who falls victim of insanity Her illness causes her to break apart from reality, endure personality changes, and experience hallucination all leading up to the death of two men. Through the arrangement of mise-en-scene, visual elements, the film helps filmmaker’s captive audiences. The specific combination of acting, sound, and lighting in Repulsion work together to construct tension and terrorize audiences. Carol’s characters is first introduced as a serene manicurist. Her feminine appearance is striking; hair combed and pleasantly dressed. She does not appear bothered by the chaos at work or busy streets of London. For a protagonist, Carol’s character is very timid and shy. During brunch with her admirer, Colin, she avoids eye contact and struggles to
After realizing that Colin is dead, Carol eyes open in disbelief and a shriek discomforts viewers. Both silence and sound, like in this scene, is used throughout the film to create tension and emphasize terror. During the beginning of the film, music is lively and upbeat. At the salon, nondiegetic sounds of a flute and jazz paint a peaceful scenery. As Carol walks home, viewers hear traffic sounds and live band music. During the day birds are chirping, airplanes fly overhead, and the elevator door is heard frequently. At night, sounds which were once peaceful turn unpleasant. The church bell that strikes at midnight awakens Carol from her sleep, it becomes louder and louder as if taunting her when suddenly everything goes silent. The silence encourages viewers to listen closely. Helen’s moans and breaths are softly hear across the room but like the church bells, they intensify and mock