The film Carrie was directed by Brian De Palma and released in 1976. The movie is based off a novel written by Stephen King. According to Anton Bitel, writer for Little White Lies, Carrie was “…Based on Stephen King’s first published novel, from 1974, and in fact the first cinematic adaptation of that well-read author, Carrie dramatises all manner of first times, as Carrie gets her period, falls in love, and is ultimately penetrated, killing – and maybe dy(e)ing – in deep, deep red. ” I was confused when I read the deep, deep red, however, after watching the film this statement makes sense. Carrie is a supernatural horror film starring Sissy Spacek. The film opens with Carrie showering in the girl’s locker room after gym. Although all of the girl’s are in the locker room getting dressed Carrie is in the shower by herself. When she drops the soap the camera pans closer to Carrie’s thighs showing blood dripping down her legs. It is at this time she notices the blood and starts to scream running up to all the girls asking for help. The girls respond to Carrie by humiliating her, backing her into the shower, and throwing several tampons and pads at her. Carrie’s gym teacher, Miss Collins, arrives to stop the girls and support Carrie. It is at this time the camera shows a close up of Carrie’s eyes as the same time the light above the shower shatters. It is clear to the viewer at this time that Carrie has telekinetic powers. 

Carrie’s mother is played by Piper Laurie. She plays a great role as the controlling, Jesus-loving, somewhat unhinged mother. She almost seems as if she didn’t want Carrie to start her period because ‘the blood brings the boys.’ Carrie’s father is no where to be seen or mentioned throughout the film. It is apparent early in the film that the mother has a strong belief in Jesus. When Carrie came to her and told her she started her period she dragged her into a little closet and told Carrie to pray. Carrie then lit a match and showed a creepy Jesus statue. At the end of the film there is a close resemblance between this statue and Carrie’s mother.

The movie continues and it is clear that Carrie is different. The scene that this movie is known the most for is the prom scene. Carrie turns down Tommy Ross, played by William Katt, several times when he asked her to the prom. She finally gives in but when she tells her mother about it her mother gets extremely angry. Carrie sticks up for herself and ends up going to the prom. It is here that her fate has been decided. Actress Nancy Allen plays Chris, a popular and mean girl who dislikes Carrie very much. Her and her boyfriend, played by John Travolta, kill a pig and store the blood in a bucket above the main stage at the Prom. They are able to manipulate the votes for Prom King and Prom Queen resulting in Carrie White and Tommy Ross winning. When Carrie takes her spot on the stage they pull a string which dumps the bucket all over Carrie. According to Cinephilia & Beyond “It should also be said that the film instigated an escalation in the career paths of young talents like John Travolta, Nancy Allen and Amy Irving. ” 

This scene could be considered one of the scariest scenes in a movie at that time.  After the blood is spilt on Carrie, she uses her “powers” to lock all the students in the gymnasium. She tortures them with powerful water hoses, power going out, and eventually fire. It was very odd to me that during this time Carrie attacked Miss Collins also. I felt that her and Miss Collins had a really good relationship. A dossier written by Serafina Kent Bathwick states, “Miss Collins’ special punishment for the blood-thirsty Chris—forbidding her to attend her own prom—brings on the final catastrophe that eliminates the senior class. Thus these two seemingly opposite women must share responsibility for the Hellish night. ” It was at this point that I understood why Carrie did not show her sympathy…she blamed the teacher for this happening to her. 

At the end of the movie Carrie returns home to clean up and confront her mother. It is clear that Carrie just wants her mother to support her and love her. Carrie knows that her mother was right when she claimed that “They are all going to laugh at you.” When Carrie’s mother finally seems semi normal she thrusts a knife into Carrie’s back. Carrie is able to escape from her mother by throwing knives at her using her telekinesis. Their house starts to rock and shake as if Carrie’s whole world fell down around her when her mother died. Regardless of her being dead, Carrie manages to drag her mother into the little closet as the house caves in upon them. The end of the film shows Amy Irving walking up to the ruins of Carrie’s household to put some flowers on her grave. As she arrives to the grave an arm pops out of the ground. This was by far the scariest part of the film. Brian De Palma said, “You know, it’s actually Sissy’s hand that reaches out from the grave. They put her in a box under the ground. I planned on using someone else. I mean, who would know if it was her hand? But she wanted to do it.” 

This is a film that ages like the best French wine, four decades later standing out as one of the most capably crafted horror films of all time was how Cinephelia & Beyond described this film. I have to say that I strongly disagree with this statement. It is almost comparable to The Exorcist or Rosemary’s Baby. Maybe people thought/think this movie is so scary because movies involving spiritual psychological themes were not very prominent back then. Bathwick wrote, “De Palma’s subjection of women to the ravages of their physical-physiological natures is also articulated in the ways by which he structures the film around the opposition of two institutions which influence and ultimately control the adolescent Carrie. ” I think this statement is a bit harsh. It seemed as through most of her article she is constantly bashing on De Palma. I just don’t agree with her statement because De Palma was just the director while Lawrence D. Cohen was the screenplay, and it originated by a novel done by Stephen King. 

from Jump Cut, no. 14, 1977, pp. 9-10 
copyright Jump Cut: A Review of Contemporary Media, 1977, 2004 

Four decades later, Brian De Palma’s ‘Carrie’ stands out as one of the most capably crafted horror films of all time