This movie provides a good demonstration of how you can still generate good suspense without violence seen on-screen. Director Jacques Tourneur and producer Val Lewton liked these kind of film presentations. This was Lewton's first film, by the way. Viewers either seem to really be for this slower classic style, or totally turned off by these kind of films. It depends, I suppose, on what you are expecting and what kind of movies you like. If you are looking for an action-packed film, with some bloody or horrible scenes, skip this film. It will just bore you to death.
If you prefer the implied violent acts, horror, and even sexual stuff , then this is your cup of tea. It's very "moody."
Simon Simone does well in the key role of "Irena Dubrovna." Animals fear her and she fears getting attached to someone, such as "Oliver Reed" (Kent Smith) who comes along and there is mutual attraction. What happens to those two, and others I won't say. The film is only 72 minutes so why divulge what's in it? Just know what to expect. This is a far cry from today's horror films.
Cat People
1942
Action / Fantasy / Film-Noir / Horror / Thriller
Cat People
1942
Action / Fantasy / Film-Noir / Horror / Thriller
Plot summary
Serbian national Irena Dubrovna, a fashion sketch artist, has recently arrived in New York for work. The first person who she makes a personal connection with there is marine engineer Oliver Reed. The two fall in love and get married despite Irena's reservations, not about Oliver but about herself. She has always felt different than other people, but has never been sure why. She lives close to the zoo, and unlike many of her neighbors is comforted by the sounds of the big cats emanating from the zoo. And although many see it purely as an old wives' tale, she believes the story from her village of ancient residents being driven into witchcraft and evil doing, those who managed to survive by escaping into the mountains. After seeing her emotional pain, Oliver arranges for her to see a psychiatrist to understand why she believes what she does. In therapy, Dr. Judd, the psychiatrist, learns that she also believes, out of that villagers' tale, that she has descended from this evil - women who change into great cats like panthers in passion, anger or jealousy - and that she will turn into a such a dangerous big cat upon being kissed in turn killing her lover and others who have betrayed her. This belief is why she has resisted falling in love before she met Oliver. Learning this information from Irena, Oliver wants to do whatever needed to help her as does Dr. Judd. But Irena's beliefs may be tested when Oliver's friendship with a co-worker named Alice Moore may become more than just friends...
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Sometimes The Less You See, The Better
Great at setting a scary mood, but also a rather silly plot
If this movie had been given higher production values (such as "A-list" actors and a large budget),I might have scored it a 7. However, given the film's very modest budget and pretensions, it was an extremely effective film.
The movie stars the French actress Simone Simone as a strange Serbian woman who falls for nice-guy Kent Smith. While she is quite cute and pretty, she is also a woman who is either mentally ill or fated to be cursed to turn into a leopard when she is jealous or sexually intimate! Through much of the film, the director and writers did an excellent job of keeping the exact nature of Simone's problem uncertain--you never really knew for sure what's going on until about the last 10 minutes of the film.
The actors all did a fine job. Simone and Smith were very good, as were Tom Conaway (George Sanders' older brother, by the way) and Jane Randolph. For second-string actors, they all proved quite capable. The writing, direction and camera work were also excellent--proving that smaller budgets CAN still result in great films.
Influential and holds up terrifically well
Cat People is one of the horror genre's most influential films, it's one of the first psychological horrors or at least one of the first to play on the fears of the audience. But Cat People is more than just an influential film, it's also a great one and holds up terrifically well.
It's very well made, with beautiful cinematography and great and effective use of shadows and shadowy lighting. The sets are also hauntingly sumptuous. Cat People has a haunting music score and a very intelligent script that has a good amount of tension as well as a bit of subtle wit. The story, and the atmosphere it has, is one of the main reasons why Cat People works so well, this is more than a monster/ghost feature, this is more a psychological horror that relies on suspense and playing on the audience's fear. Both of which Cat People does splendidly, the suspense in the best parts is positively nerve-shredding and the whole film has a constant eeriness that makes it creepy without resulting to cheap shocks, jump scares or gore. For me the two most effective scenes have always been with the pool and the walk through the park, the latter being justifiably famous and contains a very clever "false shock". It's beautifully directed by Jacques Tourneur, the characters are interesting and the acting is mostly solid if not the best, with Simone Simon being superb. Simon brings a sensuality, menace and poignancy to her role, that makes her presence chillingly mysterious but at times moving. Tom Conway does just fine too.
If there is anything to criticise, Kent Smith is very stiff here. Other than that Cat People is great, both of its genre and as a film in general. 9/10 Bethany Cox