Picked this up from netflix due to it being mentioned in the Black Swan thread. A very fascinating film, I loved the camera work, as there are several hand-held shots and long shots that give it a Cinéma vérité feel. Catherine Deneuve is a wonder to watch, at first so sympathetic as she plays aloof and mysterious, then horrifying as she resorts to violence to avoid anything that doesn't fit into her quickly narrowing world.
I have to admit I did not understand the entire thing. I'm suspecting that childhood trauma led Carol to become so introverted. I also love that the film doesn't make any judgments. The final scene, in which a crowd of people refuse to help a catatonic Carol, and even encourage each other to not touch her, works as a microcosm for her entire life. If someone had been able to reach her...
True nightmare material here, with the walls literally cracking around Carol and hands grabbing at her. I was surprised at the violence and sexuality for the time period, but I suppose Polanski was always breaking boundaries.
