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 (3)
Plots(1)
In 1974, Stephen King published his first novel, the story of Carrie White, a troubled young girl, bullied by her peers and daughter to a fanatical fundamentalist mother, who discovers she has telekinetic powers. In 1976, it became the first of his works to be adapted for the big screen and, to this day, remains one of the very best. (Arrow Films)
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Reviews (10)
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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The first King’s film adaptation turned out to be quite good, great, in fact (which is something you can’t say about most adaptations of his books, but let’s be happy with the few good ones – and when the stars align, they can be great). For most of its runtime, Carrie is a drama rather than horror, but the tension escalates with every minute and and it keeps you expecting something unpleasant coming. The story is quite predictable (and it must have been so even in the 70s), but that’s well compensated by the psychology of the characters – the mother is especially good. PS: At least one and a half stars go to Sissy Spacek, she’s great in the role.
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I found it hard to rate this film, it’s subtle and precise as a drama, effective and terrifying as horror. Perhaps deliberately, perhaps unintentionally, De Palma completely abandoned King's mystery style and his story of a high school girl tormented by her mother and ridiculed by her classmates is an example of the kind of slow build-up of tension we know only from Kubrick's The Shining. Some of the scenes and the characters' actions may seem silly, predictable and tedious, but what we actually have here is a well-served teen drama that has everything in the right place, and the occasional glimpse of supernatural horror seems to prepare us for the impending climax. Sissy Spacek is absolutely fantastic in her role and her deranged and fanatical mother exudes a hearty aura of fear and madness thanks to Piper Laurie's performance. The last half hour is masterfully directed and perfectly reflects the unpleasant atmosphere that builds up during the film. Carrie probably won't bring modern audiences to their knees, but compared to today's would-be horror films, it has enormous charm. 75%
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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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Absolutely brilliant in its direction, Brian De Palma's style is incredibly progressive and purposeful, at times, it feels like being on a roller coaster. It starts with a phenomenally shot scene in the showers, continues with several silent scenes (only music and image), and ends with the division of the screen into several frames and the sped-up voices of the actors. Insane, but incredibly daring. Some of the script tricks are hard to understand, but the story itself is relatively simple. However, it is the director's skills that truly stand out on this relatively flat and straightforward film. Sissy Spacek is not particularly terrifying, and even the final scene did not make me cover my eyes – although it is impressive, no doubt. However, there are several significantly better adaptations of Stephen King's books that easily overshadow the slightly above-average Carrie.
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