While Ollie (Kent Smith) is visiting the zoo, he meets a lovely Serbian lady named Irena (Simone Simon) doing sketches of the panthers. It's "love at first sight" for both parties. After some time goes by with little physical affection between the two, Ollie begins to wonder if there's more to Irena than meets the eye. She'll do whatever it takes to keep her monstrous secret from coming out. I heard a lot about this one before finally seeing it, and it seems to be a general consensus among fans that this Simone Simon owns this film. I'll agree with that, but it isn't because I find her beautiful or entrancing. She's awkward and a bit off, and it works perfectly for the self-doubting and insecure character. Perhaps this is why the fantastic pool scene works so well within the storyline. The viewer has learned to sympathize with this fragile woman's plight up until this scene, when we're given a sign that maybe we shouldn't trust her. At this point, I was of the opinion that Ollie made a better couple with his female pal coworker and began rooting for him to ditch Irena and get with her. That is, until Simon won my sympathies over again a few scenes later!
"Cat People" is a film that the phrase "less is more" is often ascribed to, but this doesn't just apply to the horror angle in the film. There's so much subtext going on here about relationships, female sexuality, and gender roles that couldn't be more blatant in the storyline because of the cultural mindset of the era. The few horror scenes that are in the film are done incredibly well with beautiful cinematography and use of shadows and light. My favorite part of the film is that eerie pool sequence, which is on par with the creepy "walk through the sugar cane field" segment in "I Walked With a Zombie." Tourneur really knew how to get under an audience's skin. Overall, this is a gorgeously photographed film with more going on than is on the surface. And it's a total heart-breaker.
"Cat People" is a film that the phrase "less is more" is often ascribed to, but this doesn't just apply to the horror angle in the film. There's so much subtext going on here about relationships, female sexuality, and gender roles that couldn't be more blatant in the storyline because of the cultural mindset of the era. The few horror scenes that are in the film are done incredibly well with beautiful cinematography and use of shadows and light. My favorite part of the film is that eerie pool sequence, which is on par with the creepy "walk through the sugar cane field" segment in "I Walked With a Zombie." Tourneur really knew how to get under an audience's skin. Overall, this is a gorgeously photographed film with more going on than is on the surface. And it's a total heart-breaker.