The original 1942 film of CAT PEOPLE is as understated as its 1982 remake is overstated and neither of these things benefit either film , though to be honest at least with the remake you know what's happened , what is happening and where it's all heading , you really do need to concentrate on what's going on in the original to understand it
I wasn't around in 1942 so I've no idea how the audience in those days took to it but I do hope they were very sophisticated in knowing the difference between love and lust . You see the plot centres around sexual jealousy and euphemisms . When Irena Dubrovna gets emotionally aroused she becomes dangerous to the person she is with . See what I mean about euphemisms ? When I say " emotionally aroused " I mean " sexually aroused " so her marriage to Oliver Reed ( An unfortunate character name but it sometimes happens in movies ) is through necessity a celibate one
Typing the above paragraph I've just realised what a human and powerful story this is but unfortunately what you could and couldn't insinuate in movies back then is entirely different from today ( Has any present director any knowledge of the word insinuate ? ) which means the movie seems somewhat twee rather than subtle when viewed today and it's not helped at all when through the years it's been described as a horror film or a chiller when in fact it's more of a psychological drama with a subtext of sexual resentment/jealousy . But despite the flaws I look forward to seeing THE CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE when/if it's broadcast on television
I wasn't around in 1942 so I've no idea how the audience in those days took to it but I do hope they were very sophisticated in knowing the difference between love and lust . You see the plot centres around sexual jealousy and euphemisms . When Irena Dubrovna gets emotionally aroused she becomes dangerous to the person she is with . See what I mean about euphemisms ? When I say " emotionally aroused " I mean " sexually aroused " so her marriage to Oliver Reed ( An unfortunate character name but it sometimes happens in movies ) is through necessity a celibate one
Typing the above paragraph I've just realised what a human and powerful story this is but unfortunately what you could and couldn't insinuate in movies back then is entirely different from today ( Has any present director any knowledge of the word insinuate ? ) which means the movie seems somewhat twee rather than subtle when viewed today and it's not helped at all when through the years it's been described as a horror film or a chiller when in fact it's more of a psychological drama with a subtext of sexual resentment/jealousy . But despite the flaws I look forward to seeing THE CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE when/if it's broadcast on television