Slightly flawed. But Carrie is a must-see

Rating: 8/10 (21 February 2007)

Carrie was the first novel to be written by Stephen King. Although I'm not sure if it could really be called a novel because its so short. 240 pages which is not very long. Carrie is a story that would have looked better in a novella. But since it was King's first story, it was forced to stand alone. And a compelling page turner it was too.
The story of a lonely, sheltered and emotionally stunted girl who after years of being bullied by her classmates and tormented by her religious fanatic mother develops telekinesis when she gets upset. The book took a third person viewpoint made up mostly of interviews and documentaries, but the film takes a more standard approach from Carrie's POV.
The film begins in the girls locker room. After being humiliated in a game of volleyball, it gets worse when Carrie has her first period in the showers. The girls being the complete bitches that they are show no sympathy at all.
Carrie gets no support from her mother either. Margaret (a larger than life Piper Laurie) is a devout Christian who believes sex is forbidden and all men are evil. When she learns of her daughter's first period, she believes its a sign of evil coming out in Carrie. Margaret forces her beliefs onto her daughter in bizarre ways like shutting her up in a cupboard, and making her pray to a grotesque shrine of Our Lord's crucifixion.
Carrie's inner turmoil gets to the point where she can move things with her mind. Director Brian De Palma is careful the way he shows off her developing power. Small touches like Carrie forcing a kid off his bike and making a mirror shatter (although De Palma has an annoying habit of using a Psycho-like musical score during these moments) are early signs of bigger things to come.
Nancy Allen is a revelation as Chris Hargenson, the bitchy ringleader of all the girls who torture Carrie. When she gets forbidden from attending the Senior Prom because of what happened in the showers, she's the one who comes up with the ultimate humiliation. On the night, Chris rigs a bucket of pigs blood to be dumped on Carrie in front of everyone. The moment where she unleashes her power in all its fury.
For the most part, the film version of Carrie is a largely successful rendering of the book. De Palma's direction is solid and efficient and also has some nifty flourishes too. One set-piece that stands out in my mind (moreso than the Prom) is the very creepy scene when Carrie and Margaret are having dinner in front of a painting of The Last Supper. The cinematography bathes the room in complete darkness, illuminated only by their presence.
Also De Palma does a quite superb job of setting up Carrie's eventual humiliation. Starting with the shower scene. Which in turn leads to one of the girls regretting her actions, and setting up her boyfriend to take Carrie to the Prom. While at the same time Chris is working out her own malicious scheme. And its all perfectly capped when it seems Carrie has finally got what she's always wanted. Acceptance. Which is all shattered in an instant when Chris plays her hand.
The film wouldn't be half as effective as it is without superb acting, and generating real sympathy for Carrie. And it has to be said Sissy Spacek was a real find. She makes you really feel for Carrie and her torments. And the way her extraordinarily bright eyes communicate volumes about her pain makes her performance all the more impressive.
Piper Laurie is not far behind. She gives total conviction to what is essentially a raging lunatic. When she's giving speeches about God's plan for us all, she sounds like she really believes what she's saying. Its a role that borders on parody but somehow Laurie convinces us.
Carrie does suffer from a few flaws though. Although the Prom scene is the one moment everybody talks about, I felt it was a little rushed. Its supposed to be a culmination of years of pain and torment being unleashed, and its surprisingly over in a matter of minutes. Not to mention the fact De Palma can't resist shooting the scene in split screen which is only distracting. It doesn't add anything.
Carrie is also a film that looks very dated. The fashions and hairstyles had me in hysterics at times. The scenes with light, bouncy 70s music just don't work at all, and doesn't fit the tone of the film. And the ending falls into clichÃ© more often than not. It resembles a few too many slasher movies. The idea of Carrie's home falling into a fiery pit of her own creation is innovative. But that final scene is a bit hackneyed and doesn't make much sense. Even though its a genuine shocker.
But I still recommend Carrie. It may have dated over time. But it still holds a certain power. And anyone who's ever felt like an outsider will find much to admire.