CARRIE
Paris, 2013, 100 minutes, Colour.
Chloe Grace Moretz, Julienne Moore, Gabriella Wilde, Judy Greer, Portia Doubleday,
Directed by Kimberley Pearce.
Carrie was a surprise hit film of 1976, both at the box office and critically, with Oscar nominations. It made a star out of Sissy Spacek and marked Piper Laurie’s later career as successfully dramatic. It was the first cinema adaptation of the Stephen King story.
As with so many re-makes, fans of the original ask why a re-make is necessary. Perhaps it is not necessary, but it can offer an interesting opportunity for a re-interpretation. This film is an arresting re-working of the story and characters, but, on the whole, the fans were critical, especially of Chloe Grace Moretz considered too pretty to portray Carrie.
The film has been directed by Kimberley Peirce, who was successful in directing Boys Don’t Cry. She brings a strong female perspective to this film and a strong empathy towards Carrie and an understanding of her mother. To that extent, it is a re-interpretation, placing a great emphasis on bullying at school, as well as religious physical and psychological abuse at home. The girls at school are quite callous in their torment of Carrie, at sport, in the school corridors, in the shower block after she experiences her first period and does not understand it and experiences bewilderment and pain, and the girls call out mocking her, throwing tampons at her, filming her plight and then posting it on Facebook.
Chloe Grace Moretz is a very good actress and gives an interesting interpretation of Carrie. And Julianne Moore is very strong as her mother. Judy Greer has a good role as the sympathetic teacher.
Audiences familiar with Stephen King’s story will follow the prom night development, Carrie reluctant, Sue feeling guilty about her role in the torment of Carrie, urging her boyfriend Tom to take Carrie to the prom, his initial reluctance, his charm, the limo, his gentlemanly behaviour towards Carrie at the prom, urging her to dance. It seems ironic that he should die in the fiasco of the prom.
Gabriella Wilde is the more sympathetic Sue. Portia Doubleday is calculating malice as Carrie’s tormentor.
Of course, those familiar with the story are waiting for the prom and the scene with the bucket of pig’s blood. There is a build up as we see the malicious girl killing the pig and the collection of the blood, her watching from above the proscenium to wait for the moment to pour the blood on Carrie. Once carry is drenched, she becomes an icon of vengeance with her telekinetic powers, creating mayhem in the hall, death and destruction, as she moves her arms and hands as if she were conducting an orchestra.
Finally, Carrie confronts her mother, who has often put her daughter in a cupboard filled with religious pictures and crucifixes, where, at one stage, Carrie sees blood flowing on a crucifix. As her powers are exercised on her mother, she transfixes her to the cupboard door like a crucifixion.
There is some slight respite at the end as explanations are given in a courtroom scene. Then Sue goes to the cemetery, to Carrie’s grave. Because this is a remake, it would have been appropriate to repeat the great shock sequence, so often imitated since, at the end of the original. The same point is made here, but in an ever-so-slight way, which is disappointing. But the film is an interesting re-make.
1. The classic status of the 1976 original, the strong cast, direction by Brian De Palma? The Stephen King story?
2. The necessity of a remake? The re-framing and reinterpreting of the original? The female perspective, the female experiences? Physical, sexual, psychological, religious? The new cast?
3. The 21st century adaptation, representing young people and their mores, the status of religion, of technology, of bullying?
4. The portrait of Carrie’s mother, the initial scream over the credits, on her bed, thinking she had cancer, ready to die, her attitude towards God, the sudden birth of the baby, the scissors, the threat, keeping the baby, loving the baby? A strong sense of religion, equating sin with sexuality, handing this on to Carrie? Her control, Puritan outlook, protecting her daughter? Home-schooling, picking her up from class, her sewing the dresses, the asceticism in pricking her leg, her desperation, the end, talking about Carrie’s father, her own sexual behaviour, and liking it, the sin, putting Carrie in the cupboard, Carrie putting her in the cupboard, the blood as she tried to get out, Carrie trying to kill her, the image of the crucified on the door, with knives and scissors, Carrie letting her down, the end and her death?
5. Carrie, her age, timid, the experience of home-schooling, lack of skills in relating to others, at school, the swimming pool and her awkwardness, the volleyball and her hitting the girl, the relief of the shower, the sudden experience of the period, her fear, the hurt, the girls mocking her, her desperation, their throwing tampons at her, the teacher, the intervention, the girl filming it and posting it on Facebook? The teacher hitting Carrie, helping her, taking her to the principal for discussion?
6. Sue and Tom, their sexual relationship, the pregnancy, Sue and her repenting? Her dissociating herself from the other girls and their mockery? Agreeing with the teacher to continue running and not be suspended? Her apology to Carrie? With Chris? The idea for Tom to take Carrie to the prom, her going and standing outside, feeling the danger, shut out, trying to help, carries attitude and saving her?
7. Chris, her malice, bullying, at the pool, with the volleyball, filming the episode, throwing the tampons, encouraging the others, posting the scene, technology and bullying? Confronting the teacher, refusing to comply, her being suspended? Going to Billy, with the other girls, trying to persuade Sue and failing? The plan, the pigs, her choice, killing the pig, collecting the blood? The malice at the prom, with the pig’s blood, a moment’s hesitation, pouring it, the escape, Carrie and the pursuit, the car, Billy being killed, Carrie lifting the car, Chris’s face in the glass, her death?
8. The other girls, their mockery, the showers, in the corridors, laughing at the prom, the experience of deaths, destruction and mayhem?
9. The prom, Carrie’s mother, not wanting her to go, Carrie and the shop, buying the material, making the dress, her mother’s thinking the dress immodest, the hesitation with Tom, agreeing, the flower, Tom’s arrival, the limousine, his charm, his friends, the table, talking, Tom and his coaxing Carrie to dance, the vote for king and queen?
10. The vote, read, the announcement, going to the stage, crowned?
11. The blood, over Carrie, Tom spattered, his death?
12. Carrie as an icon of vengeance, her hands and orchestrating the destruction, the visuals, the pursuit of the car of Billy and Chris?
13. Her return home, her mother, the bath, the confrontation, the crucifixion, letting her mother down, her death? Carrie dying?
14. The court scene, Sue and her explanations? Going to the cemetery, the crack in the gravestone? (And the contrast with the shock of the hand in the
original?)
