I have tried to watch this movie over and over. I finally got to the end after 4 attempts. So where can I start? This is a black and white Polanski movie from the mid 60's. I have watched Polanski movies before and with the exception of 'The Pianist' and 'The 9th Gate', I have never been a big fan.
This movie starts incredibly slowly following a beautiful young woman called Carole who lives and works with her even more attractive (IMHO) sister Helene. Carole is a very quiet, withdrawn girl, unlike her sister. She seems to be constantly distracted as if her mind is always somewhere else. It is clear from quite early on that Carole has issues with integration into society. She seems to rely heavily on her sister in all areas. Helene is in a relationship with a man called Michael whom Carole hates with a passion. She possibly feels he is a threat to her comfy arrangement with her sister. The simply habit Michael has of putting his toothbrush in Caroles glass in the bathroom, enrages her, rather than a normal reaction you'd expect of irritation.
We see several examples of Caroles difficulties with integration, including her awkwardness and problems with going on a date with a young man who pursues her. As difficult as she finds life as the movie starts, the more excrutiating things get when her sister goes on holiday with her boyfriend, leaving Carole alone.
Left to her own devices, Carole starts a long descent into madness, paranoia, claustrophobia and agoraphobia. The latter half of the movie sets to document these from the viewpoint of the sufferer. I'm probably going to come across as a movie hillbilly here when I say, I don't go in much for art movies and this is exactly what this movie is. There are some very intense sections in this movie and I'm not thick enough to not understand what they're trying to do and how they're trying to achieve it, but it didn't work for me.
When I saw it didn't work, I don't mean they didn't achieve what they set out to do. They definately did convey all the feelings I would imagine they set out to. What they failed to do however was to make the movie interesting and entertaining for a normal viewer. I'm not in the habit of watching a movie to pull it apart and analyse its imagery or to applaud its complexities. I watch movies simply to be entertained. If the movie manages to be clever, high brow and full of hidden meanings and complexities as well, marvelous, but if it doesn't entertain me, then it's a bit of a waste of time for me.
So while the movie may be great to look at and may have the critics singing its praises (100% on Rotten Tomatoes!!! I didn't know that existed!), it didn't do it for me. I most definately won't watch it again. Not bad enough to suggest you 'avoid' but I won't be 'recommending' it either.
