Date reviewed:
Reviewed by: David Nusair
There’s more to Carrie than pig’s blood.
In one of the most famous sequences in movie history, a gawky and shy high school student is on the receiving end of an incredibly cruel prank – a bucket of pig’s blood is dropped on her head, just as she’s accepting an award. But if that’s all you know about Carrie, you’re definitely in for a treat.
Sissy Spacek stars as Carrie White, a socially awkward young girl whose mother is a raving religious lunatic. Unpopular at school, she’s often teased by her fellow classmates and even little kids in her neighbourhood (“Creepy Carrie! Creepy Carrie!”)
The movie opens with a sequence: Carrie’s gym class has just finished a game of volleyball (a game which, not surprisingly, Carrie manages to foul up) and the girls retreat to the showers.
In one isolated corner, Carrie is showering alone. Serene music plays while Carrie washes herself in slow motion, when blood appears. Turns out Carrie’s never had her period before, and is confused and frightened by this unexpected gushing of blood. As she lunges forward in search of help from her fellow classmates, the scene turns ugly – with the girls chanting “plug it up” and tossing feminine products at her.
The remainder of the story essentially follows Carrie as she struggles to come to grips with her psychic abilities, she is telekinetic, along with her preparations for the senior prom.
It’s a simple tale, told briskly and effectively by director Brian DePalma. Of course, it wouldn’t be a DePalma film without some extraordinary camera tricks – the bulk of which appear during the scenes set at the prom.
And while he may go a little overboard with the split-screen effects, this is still an incredibly compelling and effective sequence.
DePalma is a master of suspense (no offense, Hitch), and he’s at the top of his game here.
Acting-wise, Carrie is almost perfectly cast. Sissy Spacek’s interpretation of this wounded spirit is very impressive, given the sorts of characters she’d played before (and since).
Likewise, the rest of the cast is equally good (though none are terribly convincing as teenagers; John Travolta looks as though he’s in his mid-20s!)
Carrie is certainly a winner all around, with the virtuoso directing by DePalma and a star-making performance by Spacek. Check it out.
Conclusion: Carrie is one of the few adaptations of King that actually works. And this is a package that’ll easily appeal to both fans and newbies alike.