Directed by:
Brian De PalmaScreenplay:
Lawrence D. CohenCinematography:
Mario TosiComposer:
Pino DonaggioCast:
Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, William Katt, Nancy Allen, John Travolta, P. J. Soles, Priscilla Pointer, Betty Buckley, Sydney Lassick (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
At the centre of the terror is Carrie (Sissy Spacek), a tortured high-school misfit with no confidence, no friends and no idea as to the extent of her 'secret powers' of telekinesis. But when her psychotic mother and sadistic classmates finally go too far, the once shy teen becomes an unrestrained, vengeance-seeking powerhouse who with the help of her 'special gift' causes all hell to break loose in a famed cinematic frenzy of blood, fire and brimstone that will take you to the very depths of horror and beyond. (20th Century Fox AU)
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Reviews (10)
After many (and I mean many) years, I returned to this film, and I hate to admit it but I noticed some goofs that I hadn’t noticed before. Despite that, it is a film whose creators (as one of the few) did not butcher King's novel. Anyway, Sissy Spacek was brilliant and it's a shame that Piper Laurie didn't get more screen time, I think it would add to the atmosphere. 4-
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DePalma is a demon and his shot composition should be considered a national treasure. In some shots (like the opening prom) he goes from almost a panorama to a medium close-up of a character the shot ends up following, which must be a real art, considering almost everything in that shot is in motion. Sissy Spacek is ingenious, and it's by working together with the director that they are able to create in record time a solid relationship between the main character and the audience such that it’s a wonder they don’t clap along with the audience as Carrie and Tommy become the queen and king of the evening. Not to mention that we all know how it's going to turn out anyway. Otherwise, the De Palma-esque tension here isn't even based on when things break and Carrie wipes out the school, it's based on Carrie losing all illusions and going from feeling absolutely happy to the very bottom, which no one wishes for her. An awesome King adaptation that's only killed by five additional endings (the movie should have ended imho either like the book or, if there's no money, by leaving the prom) and the occasional haha scenes like something out of Grease. Anyway, I'll give it a five for the directorial bravura.
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Stephen King chilled me to the bone with how he drove Carrie towards her magnificent finale without any signs of emotion or understanding, only occasionally peeking into her thoughts and wrapping everything in almost documentary form. Brian De Palma and Lawrence D. Cohen do it exactly the opposite way. Carrie becomes a supernatural being who does not belong to the ruthless and cynical world around her. Her feelings, whether it's anger, astonishment, or joy, are the main driving force of the story, which thanks to its brilliant form, elevates the story almost to a message. The original and the adaptation are ultimately quite different, yet both won my favor easily.
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It’s not really a bad thing that I first watched the new Carrie and only then returned to the original that was created under the wings of a movie legend – Brian De Palma. That’s because the new Carrie only seemed decent before I watched the original. I had no clue just how original De Palma’s horror is. It’s perfect, considering when it was made. It barely mentions telekinesis only to showcase an array of brutal scenes at the end that every one of us has been waiting for. It’s really worth it. I’m taking one star away from the new Carrie just by default. When I realize that this movie is nearly 40 years old and it still has a lot to offer, I’m almost terrified to think what the youth of today, the target audience of the new version, would think about it. You’d hardly find as many original ideas as the original Carrie came up with in a modern horror movie.
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I didn't read the book, but it launched Stephen King's career as a bestselling author, so I have no doubt that it had its qualities and appeal to fans of psychological horror. After all, critics may point out King's work as part of the so-called "lower literature," but his sense of atmosphere, psychological portrayal, expression of emotions, etc. cannot be denied - he was a true master at that. On the other hand, no offense to Brian De Palma, but I don't see the same atmosphere, tension, and sense of capturing emotional dramas in his characters, not even in Mrs. White as Carrie's mother. The only thing that really works well is the casting and the performance of the main character. For the outstanding Oscar-winning actress Sissy Spacek, this was probably the most gratifying role in her otherwise fruitful career. The opening scene set in the girls' locker room is interesting, where Brian De Palma demonstrates his sense of eroticism and the exploration of the beauty of the female body. He had a rather long period when he experimented with how far nudity and sexuality could go in mainstream cinema, and his music video connected to the song "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood on YouTube best illustrates what De Palma was aiming for. Overall impression: 45%.
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