Reviews

Half the fun of watching "The Leopard Man" is trying to figure out the plot structure. If you haven't seen it yet, don't read the rest of this review. It's a good creepy little film, and that's all you need to know.

For those who have seen the film, here are my thoughts on it: A symphony traditionally contains four movements. This is the structure of "The Leopard Man". After an attention-grabbing introduction, in which the main theme (clattering castanets) is introduced, along with the main characters (Jerry, Kiki, Clo-Clo, and the escaped leopard), we are treated to four movements.

1st movement: Probably the best of the four parts, we begin with Clo-Clo playing her castanets while walking down the street. She picks a card to receive her fortune, and it's the card of death. This sets an ominous tone when we are suddenly introduced to a completely new set of characters--a poor Mexican family. The daughter is sent to buy some cornmeal, and we have a wonderfully suspenseful scene where she fears an attack by the leopard. The movement climaxes with her death, a perfect combination of visual, audio, and (especially) what's left to the imagination.

2nd movement: We once again have a brief encounter with the main characters and a reminder of the castanet theme. Then we are introduced to a whole new set of characters--a young girl, her family, and her off-camera lover. Another creepy scene takes place in a graveyard, and it also climaxes with the young girl's death.

3rd movement: We are again reminded of the main characters, but this time we begin to follow their stories to completion. The third movement focuses on Clo-Clo, and the castanets, though present, are used sparingly. This completely develops the death card story which was foreshadowed earlier in the film. Once again, this section climaxes with the woman's death.

4th movement (the finale): Up until now, due to selective camera shots, we haven't been entirely certain whether the killings have been the result of the leopard or someone else. The escaped leopard's story is concluded by finding its dead body. The remaining cast's story is also carried out to the end. The true murderer is revealed--once again with the aid of the castanets--and killed. The climax of the entire film is the death of "the leopard man".

In all of his films, Val Lewton played with the idea of life vs. death, and this film is no exception. The castanet music throughout the film helps us to experience the dance between life and death. The deaths are always shocking, and they initially seem to have the final word. But the final scene actually shows the victory of life. Jerry and Kiki walk off together, determined to make the most of their lives together.

We don't know how long we have on this earth, so we should cherish every moment. And only through death can we appreciate the gift of life. This is the message of Lewton's and Tourneur's thrilling, beautiful, and sometimes unsettling symphony.

In my review of "Cat People", I said that it's a film that you have to appreciate on its own terms, and the same is true of its sequel. If you're wanting a rehash of the first film, then you will be disappointed. While the first film was dark and creepy, this film mostly replaces those primal fears with awe and childlike wonder (though there are certainly some creepy elements as well). Both films are essentially psychological studies told through fantasy, but they play out very differently.

This film relies heavily on the talents of the child star, and Ann Carter delivers as the little girl Amy. She wants friends, she wants to please her parents, she wants to use her imagination, and she wants to enjoy her life. All of these desires are very normal for childhood, and most of us spend our lives looking for these desires to be met.

The first film focused on Irena and her fears about herself. She desperately wanted friendship and affection, yet feared that if she became too passionate about anything, her inner self would be manifested as a vicious beast. And this fear ultimately led to her demise.

In "The Curse of the Cat People", Amy desperately wants friendship as well, but instead of withholding her affections (as Irena did), she reaches out to people--her parents, her peers, and the Farrens. Sadly, these gestures of goodwill are often misunderstood or rejected, and she is practically forced into her own fantasy world. (The only exception is Mrs. Farren, but she practically lived in a fantasy world herself, so she provided no help.) While Irena's life became darker and darker as she withdrew into herself, Amy's life in most aspects becomes brighter (literally--with beautiful sets that really capture a sense of awe and wonder). However, the film never settles for easy answers. Amy is generally happier in her fantasy world than in the real world, but she never seems fully satisfied with it either.

I listened to part of the commentary track on the DVD, and the film historian noted that Val Lewton "double cast" himself in the film. On the one hand, his childhood was very much a fantasy world like Amy's. On the other hand, Mr. Lewton also saw himself as Amy's father Oliver Reed (played by Kent Smith), who strongly discourages Amy's imagination. The film never wholeheartedly endorses either character. In never quite sympathizes with a life of pure imagination, but it is also reluctant to embrace an imagination-less life.

At the end of the film these two views finally seem to reach a happy co-existence.

For those who have criticized the Farren mother-daughter characters in the film, they really represent the whole meaning of the story. Mrs. Farren, a former stage actress who is constantly imagining and living in someone else's story, represents the dangers of living completely in a fantasy world--to the point that she rejects her own daughter. With her we see that fantasy has its dark side, and we could well imagine Amy growing up to become like her if she forever stayed in her own fantasy world. On the other hand, the daughter Barbara Farren (the mysterious Cat Woman in the first film) represents cold reality. She is constantly trying to pull her mother out of her fantasy world, never giving an inch, and she feels rejected because her mother doesn't recognize her. Her life is not any happier.

When Mrs. Farren dies, in a sense the last part of Amy's fantasy world dies as well. But she also uses the fantasy world--seeing Irena in place of Barbara Farren--to bring peace to Barbara. Ultimately, this brings friendship to them both.

The father-daughter relationship between Amy and Oliver ends similarly. She and her father agree to be friends, and he meets her halfway by "seeing" Irena with her. Perhaps the message of this movie is that we all need an equal balance of fantasy and reality. We need the maturity that faces life as it really is, but we also need the joy of our childhood dreams to carry us through.

If you're willing to explore these issues--coping with rejection, the balance between reality and imagination, fear of the unknown, and the desire to dream--all from a child's perspective, "The Curse of the Cat People" will give you plenty to think about. But if you want to see another film just like "Cat People", watch "Cat People" again.

I love horror movies--old and new, black & white and color, silents and talkies--and I have made it a point to see all the major films in the genre.

Almost ten years ago, I found a copy of "Cat People", and I'm sorry to say that I was bored. I expected to see some cool transformations like Lon Chaney in "The Wolf Man" (or at least something hokey like "Captive Wild Woman"). There were clearly some good scenes in the film, but it felt like it never really gave a good pay off.

Well, after reading a few reviews from people who admired the film and almost a decade of maturing in my film tastes, I decided to give it another chance and watch it with a different perspective. Upon a second viewing, I must say that I was really impressed with this film, and I think it ranks right up there with many of the other classics.

Don't watch this movie with a 21st century mindset, expecting to see all sorts of crazy cat transformation special effects. If you do, you will certainly be disappointed. What makes this film so excellent is how well it establishes a mood. This film is not about shock and horror, but about a slow and steady feeling of dread and fear.

This movie taps into basic fear: Irena keeps everything to herself, holding back her affections and her fears (that she is a cat person). She holds all of these things back from everyone, even the person closest to her, her husband. Most of us have experienced something along these lines--we are afraid to reveal too much about ourselves, because we fear that there is something wrong with us, and we don't want to be exposed for who we are. We would rather be isolated than honest. Most of us eventually realize that it's better to be open and forthright, but before we are ready to take that step, there is that nagging question: What if our fears were right? What if we dare to live life, express our emotions, feel deeply, reveal who we are--and what if this exposes something terrible about ourselves? At different points in the movies, the three main characters struggle with this basic fear in various ways. Perhaps the movies is saying that, ultimately, we have to face our fears and come to terms with who we are, even if it kills us.

If you want to watch a special effects stravaganza, this is not the film for you. But if you want a creepy, thoughtful film--and if you're willing to meet it on its own terms--this movie will not disappoint.