Cat People (1942) Review
“To Kiss Her Meant Death By Her Own Fangs and Claws!”Synopsis: An American man marries a Serbian immigrant who fears that she will turn into the cat person of her homeland’s fables if they are intimate together. | ![]() Watch now on Amazon |
Calamity Brains:
Cat People falls into the category of “lesser-known but still famous.” Movie buffs are likely to recognize the name, but not necessarily the average viewer – which is a shame, since it’s quite well done.
This Val Lewton-produced flick focuses heavily on ambiance to build tension. As the romance between Serbian immigrant Irena (Simone Simon) and her American beau (Kent Smith) plays out against a backdrop of jealousy of fear (largely thanks to Tom Conway and Jane Randolph), the urgency rises. Best of all, between the slow build and the unfamiliar nature of the folkloric plot, the audience is kept guessing until the very end of the movie. The main characters are all sympathetic and troubled, and the audience is easily drawn into their plight.
But the true saving grace of Cat People is how little money Lewton had to put it on. The movie could easily have become cheap and laughable with bad effects, but budget forced effects to be kept to a minimum. Heavy use of noise and shadow suggests danger, but doesn’t overexploit it. And therein lies a true strength of the movie: we as the audience are left to fill in the gaps with our own imagination, based on what we know or can guess.
Cat People is not your standard horror movie. Those looking for the usual beasts/blood/babes trifecta will be disappointed here. This is a thoughtful, longing piece, and it’s noteworthy not only because it’s so different from your average horror, but because of how it draws in the audience regardless.
Calamity Brains’ Rating: B+
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