The art of representing a vision of an idea through the lens of a camera is cinema. In the era of OTT platforms, visual representation of a story plays a vital role in engaging the audience. Unlike many genres, horror and paranormal gives the thrill and goose bumps of the words in the story. A good horror movie is not only about jump scares. It is also about how well we connect with the characters of the story. Based on the book written by Stephen King, Carrie is one of King’s early works. King’s fourth novel but first book to make it on big screen.
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About the Movie:
The story revolves around Carrie White and her discovery. Living with a strict mother, she has little control over her own life. Constantly bullied in school, things take an interesting turn. She soon discovers her telekinetic powers. As the movie progresses, we see her becoming confident and expressive. She shatters the restraints and fights backs.
In 1976, Carrie was adopted in the movie. Brian De Palma, the director, received immense popularity after it’s release. Horror Classic, an example when a direction is as good as the story writing. The movie, though adapted from a book, was written by Lawrence D Cohen. This trio led in making one of the successful adaptations of the book. This is rare when the book has an intricate storyline. Mario Tosi, the cinematographer, used different techniques to shape the movie in its final form. Other three adaptations of this movie are also there. However, none of them was close to the first adaptation. The Carrie movie was a blockbuster hit. It collected $33.8 million.
Subtle Themes:
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Unlike usual horror movies, this film has more to offer. With the horror element, we also see an emotional war in the movie. A young girl is abused and bullied in her house and school. She is desperate to seek help but is under conflict. Her mother’s manipulations and lack of support results in embarrassing situations. Her help comes in the form of supernatural powers. Also, her mother considers it ‘unholy’ and ‘evil’. This creates a bond between Carrie and the audience. We sympathise with her. However, when we see the movie by Tommy Rose and Sue Snell’s point of view, we realise the truth. These two characters are good in the movie. When Carrie finally exacts her revenge, our sympathy turns into horror. We see a girl who is fed up with her surroundings seeking revenge. The movie captures the essence well.
Its Sequels:
The second adaptation, The Rage: Carrie 2 reveals the origin of Carrie’s father. This sequel focuses on the life of Carrie’s half-sister Rachel who has similar powers. Last two adaptations are original storylines with a new outlook. In the third adaptation, we have a different ending. Don’t worry, we won’t reveal it for you. In the final adaptation, the idea of cyberbullying and teenage cruelty. It is a new concept and captures well the essence of bullying.
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Behind the scene:
Sissy Spacek plays the role of Carrie White.. In 1977, she got nominated in the Academy Awards. Her dedication can be understood from the fact that she alienated herself on sets to fully grasp the role of Carrie White. It is worth noting that the end scene features Spaeck’s hand. The prom scene took a week to film, in part, because the blood poured all over Sissy Spacek proved problematic. It dried under the hot lights, forcing filmmakers to hose down their lead actress to achieve the right consistency. Spacek would sleep in the fake blood to ensure the visual continuity of the movie remained intact. Also, Makeup artist punched Spacek to make her makeover believable!
The plot of the movie is simple yet powerful. Several upcoming movies re-created its famous scenes. Some of these scenes are Prom scene, Graveyard Scene, Prank Scene, Pig blood reference etc. For instance, the Cult Of Chucky ending scene is similar to Carrie’s. The Simpsons also feature the famous Prom Scene. The Riverdale also has many Carrie movie references when Cheryl Blossom plays the role of Carrie. These were few Easter eggs that featured in many movies.
The ending of this movie is different from the actual book. This was a surprise to author Stephan King. He remarked it was truly shocking and tragic. Also, he believed that the movie ending was better than the book’s ending.
Why is Carrie movie a horror classic?
One of the few things this movie showed was the Menstruation scene. This one of the first films to graphically represent periods. This movie also used several Reverse shots. This movie also draws attention to bullying and emotional conflict. It makes us sympathetic towards Carrie’s character. It is unusual in the story for readers to sympathise with ‘Villain’ or ‘Anti-hero’. As the movie progresses, we can see the trauma of the young girl and finally its repercussions. The actual book was banned in the US due to violence and schools didn’t keep it in the library. If you love horror movies, Carrie (1976) is an absolute delight.
Quoting words of Rosalind Russell, “Moments. A couple of moments that people remember, that they can take with them, is what makes a good movie.” Carrie movie is filled with many iconic moments that capture the breadth of the audience. If you haven’t watched this movie, we recommend you add it on your binge list.
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