Classic

Rating: 8/10 (18 May 2011)

In the 1976 movie Carrie, the main character, Carrie White is portrayed by Sissy Spacek. Carrie is abused by her mother, Margaret White (played by Piper Laurie), and bullied by kids at school. Carrie gets angry and uses her telekinetic powers to burn and kill everyone who has been complicit to her pain.
Carrie's last name is the first hint to the audience of Carrie's purity. Her appearance and mannerisms continue this image. Carrie is innocent and naive, despite the prevalent culture of the 1970's. Margaret White wears clothing that is reminiscent of early Puritans. However, her voluminous red hair fits the image of a witch more readily than a Puritan.
The setting of this movie could be any town in the U.S. There are really no distinguishing factors to the location. In a horror movie, this generic location is important. Viewers must feel that something similar could happen right around the corner, or even to them.
Most of this movie is shot from a third-person perspective. There are a few close-ups that could be seen as a change in perspective so that the viewer is looking through Carrie's eyes; when Carrie and Tommy vote for themselves as Prom King and Queen, and when Carrie is reading about telekinesis. At the end of the movie, the viewer is shown a kaleidoscope view through Carrie's eyes of people laughing. This view is meant to show the viewer that Carrie has had a mental break; she is no longer in touch with reality. The viewer can see that Carrie thinks everyone is laughing, when most are not.
The religious symbolism is everywhere in Carrie's home, from the basic architecture of the home to the pictures on the walls. Scenes shot inside the home of Carrie are dark, even the scene where Carrie walks in to find hundreds of candles burning. The only scene in the house that is not dark is when Carrie's mother is planning to kill Carrie. The lights are suddenly turned on in this scene. The movie makes frequent reference to blood and a red hue is used extensively in the final scenes. Along with menstrual blood comes power: the power to control things, the power to attract men, the power to control men, power to compete with other women, power that attracts negativity from other women, and lastly great power of destruction. The protagonist, Chris, is sexually promiscuous and frequently licks her lips at the thought of blood. Carrie is pure and the blood scares her.
The scene where Carrie is dancing with Tommy makes use of interesting camera angles. The camera looks up at the two of them, elevating them in the viewer's eyes. The camera spins as do the dancers. The effect is almost fun-house. The viewer is brought more into the movie and made to relate more to what Carrie is going through at that moment. She is so happy that it is dizzying.
Every time Carrie uses her telekinetic powers, there is a sound in the background that is reminiscent of the noise in Psycho before someone dies. This allusion to Hitchcock continues with the back-lit image of Chris' hands on the rope. The technique that is used is clearly the same as is used in the shower scene of Psycho.
The combination of incredible acting, meticulous sets, great dialog and character development make this a classic film. The issues that it raises are still relevant today.