CARRIE (1976)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
"Carrie" is geeky horror with its tongue firmly placed on its cheek until the
final reel. That is when an onslaught of violence makes us realize Brian De
Palma's sleight-of-hand at the controls. This is De Palma's most absorbing film,
utilizing his admiration for Alfred Hitchcock in ways he could never manage
later on.
Sissy Spacek is the freckled, extremely shy high school teenager Carrie White,
the butt of all jokes and abuse by her gym class. Her class is full of whiny,
rebellious teen girls, all of whom have great contempt for Carrie. Why? Maybe
because Carrie is too easy to pick on or maybe because they use her as a
scapegoat for their problems. The most rebellious and popular girl in school,
Chris Hargensen (Nancy Allen), wants to get even with Carrie since Chris is
forbidden to go to the prom by her gym instructor, Miss Collins (Betty Buckley).
It turns out the class had taunted Carrie in the shower at school and, now,
everyone has to pay for it with detention. Chris does get even by using her
dopey boyfriend (a very young John Travolta), whom she refers to as an idiot, to
get some...well, you might know where this is leading. The infamous chaotic
climax says it all, and if you have seen this film, you know exactly what I am
referring to.
Carrie's home life should be paradise compared to high school but it is closer to the definition of Hell on Earth. Her mother, Margaret White (Sissy Spacek), is a religious woman who doesn't want her daughter sullied by her high school experiences. If Margaret feels Carrie has sinned, particularly with the observance of her "dirty pillows," then Carrie is to be locked in a closet. There is no way on earth that Carrie could ever go to the high school prom with the most popular guy in school, Tommy Ross (William Katt), if her mother is so inhumanly strict.
Based on Stephen King's novel which put the novelist on the map, "Carrie" is like no other horror film before it. There is nothing Gothic about "Carrie" and there are definitely no inhuman monsters that she has to face. Like "The Exorcist" in 1973, "Carrie" is concerned with the main character and her own personal demons within a realistic setting. She has a rare talent for telekinesis though director De Palma wisely uses a gimmicky horror device sparingly. What I remember most about "Carrie" are its honest depictions of high school life. The volleyball game where Carrie misses hitting the ball starts the film off (not to mention P.J. Soles as Norma, who whacks Carrie on the head with her red hat). The lovingly eroticized, slow-motion sequence of the girls showering after the game while Carrie discovers a typical occurrence in teen girls, her period. The "American Graffiti" moment where Chris is cruising with her boyfriend while listening to Martha Reeves' "Heatwave." The sympathetic Miss Collins consoling Carrie, who can't believe Tommy Ross has asked to her to the prom.
Sissy Spacek makes the most of her compassionate view of Carrie - a bemused girl with a talent few share and an inability to belong. Spacek makes Carrie into a frightened, fierce, sometimes helpless, tormented girl but always showing how human and caring her soul is. Her transformation from helpless and insular to a lovely prom queen to a Satanic, blood-soaked figure of uncontrollable means is thrilling to watch. It is emotionally frustrating for the audience to see that Carrie mistakes the kindness of others for unduly cruelty, particularly during the horrifying climax.
Piper Laurie ("The Hustler") is no less thrilling as the equally tormented and tormenting mother, Margaret, who has no patience for sin. She has a slew of great moments but one that works wonders, illustrating her character's growing madness, is when she sees Carrie's pink prom dress. "You are wearing a red dress," says Margaret. "It's pink momma," says Carrie. It is a moment that still makes me squirm, as does the whole film.
If there are any flaws, it is that De Palma's film could have been longer (reportedly budgeted at the meager sum of 1.8 million). It seems that it skips by so fast that you wish there was more. "Carrie" is the kind of film that could have become a TV series because of its up front view of teen life (it later became a musical). Still, it is the Amy Irving character, Sue Snell, that leaves me wondering about her motives. Firstly, Susan seems to be hateful of Carrie but then she decides to ask her own boyfriend (!) to take Carrie to the prom. It is also clear that Sue is not aware of Chris's plans at the prom, but why the change of heart? Minor flaw but still perplexing.
De Palma has many tricks up his sleeve, and his innovative use of slow-motion and split-screen techniques serve him well since he uses whatever he needs to make his story come alive. But what is most clever is how he has made an almost jokey revenge tale as humane as he has, thanks to Spacek, and then turns the screws from a typical high school tale into a gripping horror film that can dazzle but also scare you into oblivion. The final shot is proof of this.
