Read Roger Ebert's Great Movies essay on Cat People, answer his question: Does this movie still work today? Explain your answer with details from the film.
In a second paragraph, what are some techniques Jacques Tourneur uses to develop suspense? Describe with evidence from the film.
Although Cat People was effective at the time, I don’t think that it would work today. Back in the 1940s, horror was just beginning to become mainstream and cinema wasn’t as high-budget as it is today. A lot of the technology to create crazy special effects didn’t exist, so the response was to have several in-camera effects. Of course, these have dated themselves over the years. Additionally, the type of horror that is enjoyed changes over time. In 1941, the general fear was fear of the disfigured or different that resulted from WWII and the warfare used during it. This is represented with people who apparently turn into cats in the film. Despite this being the main fear of the 1940s, modern fear can be seen as more psychological rather than physical. This being said, audiences likely wouldn’t take to the movie in the same fashion that they had upon the film’s initial release. Also, as horror movies evolved, audiences became much more accustomed to films that films that explicitly show gore, or at least some sort of threat. Though the idea to avoid actually showing Irena as a cat was brilliant, the same idea wouldn’t work as well with modern viewers. The film isn’t scary or horrifying, but it is easy to see how it would have been when it was released.
ReplyDeleteJacques Tourneur builds suspense by using lighting and sound to imply what the viewers likely already believe. For example, when Irena is following Alice home, we experience it from Alice’s perspective. Alice can hear footsteps following her, but they halt at the same time she does. When Alice turns around, there is nothing behind her except for darkness. Similarly, she hears rustling in the bushes next to her, but the audience’s view is obscured just as Alice’s is. After observing Irena’s frustration with Alice’s relationship with her husband, the viewer is left questioning whether or not Irena will actually attack Alice. It could go either way, and experiencing terror from Alice’s perspective gives it an edge of suspense. Additionally, once Alice finally gets to the pool and goes swimming, she is clearly in a vulnerable situation. This unknown thing has been stalking her, and now physically has the higher ground as Alice awaits her fate in a dark, shadowy room. The only way out is illuminated by the light from upstairs and yet that is where the predator is descending from. Alice is trapped, and dives into the pool. The lights are all off, and whatever source of light remains reflects on the pool to create even more shadows on the walls and ceiling. Everything is uncertain and unknown, and Alice could be attacked at any moment. This, combined with the sound of a growling cat, alerts the audience that this is Irena’s doing and that Alice is at her mercy. It is suspenseful.