What would have become of Superman had he been a girl raised by an insane single parent? If we accept that Carrie has suddenly become a ghost, we can be reasonably sure she isnt haunting Sue. By ending with this reference de Palma aligns Carrie with these psychopaths, recasts Carrie simply as a creature haunting Sues unconscious. A weekly newsletter focusing on literature by and about people of color! Curiously, for such a secular movie, this "Carrie" lends Biblical significance to every blood drop spilled. The prom is a masterpiece of mixed-media slaughter, "Hellraiser" by way of Columbine. The camera is static when showing Carrie, in contrast to her victims, this shows that she is now in control. Prom Dress. Sue is drawn to the high school by a strange sense of premonitory dread, suggesting a psychic link between the two girls. Fatal Attraction Works As Entertainment, Fails as Social Commentary, Prime Videos Citadel Traps Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Richard Madden in Played-Out Spy Game, New York Philharmonic and Steven Spielberg Celebrate the Music of John Williams, A Piece of His Fire: Harry Belafonte (1927-2023). Actually, its worth noting Carrie spares Sue that fright. Your email address will not be published. One of the most memorable shots in the film occurs during the prom scene, in which Carrie's vertiginous mental state is depicted with a piece of dizzying camerawork. After getting disgraced by Chris, everyone laughs at Carrie, forcing her to use her powers to burn down the school. However its worth noting that this fear is not of Carrie herself, but of giving birth to Carrie: of having a daughter that takes after (the tormented, suffering and eventually violent) Carrie. Watch, Momma said. Its a striking ending that is consistent with both genre tropes and de Palmas specific vision for Carrie, but not the character of Sue Snell or her relationship with Carrie. that what she witnessed was a natural act? The Best, Craziest, Weirdest Moments From Cannes, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Where Pierces film does diverge from de Palmas somewhat is in its restoration of Sue as a main character. Upon landing the part, Laurie genuinely thought her character was so histrionic and over-the-top that the movie had to be a dark comedy. Carrie had some kind of power. The ability to move objects and control things represented Carries desire to control her life. Carrie is a novel that brings themes of vengeance, pain, and suffering into the life of a young girl who should have never experienced the torment she received from everyone. On getting crowned as prom queen, Chris exerts her revenge on Carrie; this makes everyone burst out laughing and mocking Carrie, who had horror written over her face. Sue remains firm. Sue screams, jolting the viewer back to reality and to Sues living room, where she is writhing and wailing while clutching at her wrist. As Sue walks away, Carrie feels a hand clap her on the shoulder. Prom was great. RELATED: Every Carrie Movie Ranked, Worst To Best. On discovering she got denied going to prom, Chris swears revenge on Carrie, which is one of the major themes in Carrie. Carries powers rise to the surface precisely because Chris is so monstrous, and yes those powers are wrought for evil purposes. With Julianne Moore, Chlo Grace Moretz, Gabriella Wilde, Portia Doubleday. Her story is just beginning. After you claim a section youll have 24 hours to send in a draft. Peirce has turned "Carrie" into dark, sick take on a superhero origin story, complete with wide-angle lenses and God's-eye-view shots and poetic sound effects (when Margaret is near, Carrie "hears" her before she sees her, thanks to a high-pitched whine that's like a dog whistle). The reader will see that most of the people in the story that were in the town of Chamberlain talk about Carrie White as if she were a monster. He would have scored Carrie as well but passed away in 1975. Carrie (2013) - IMDb Frankly, though, it reads less like a thoughtful addition to the rest of the film and more like a half-hearted capitulation to the genre dictate to end on a scare. The sequence was filmed, but the effect of the rocks did not result in De Palma's liking, so the ending was changed. Ellis from "Die Hard." Playlists - The time is now (Carrie 2002) - Prom King and Queen (OST Carrie 1976)- The Dirge (OST Sorority Row)- Fire/Bombing London (OST 28 Weeks Later)- S. Still, Laurie would often erupt with laughter during takes as she found the character so ridiculous. In this version, Sue comes to Carries rescue and resuscitate her after Margaret tries to drown her. Carrie White is, famously, a victim of bullying and abuse, but in Kings hands she isnt a perfect victim. One thing Carrie wanted was to have revenge on the people who tormented her. It's like the horse head in The Godfather or the silhouetted flying bike in E.T. However, Chris sets her plan into motion. Carrie Analysis - eNotes.com The novel dived into the life of an ostracized girl, Carrie, who had no friends since she was little. Unlike in de Palmas film, there is no indication that the gravestone shattering moment exists in the context a dream: Sue doesnt even see the stone shatter, only the audience does. King also ensures that Carrie isnt an angel. 2023-2030, Prom Dresses Market Size : Understanding the Scope of Your The iconic prom scene in Carrie took two weeks and roughly 35 takes to create. There is a heavy use of cross cutting between Sue who is getting kicked out of the prom (the gym teacher assumes she is there to sabotage Carrie), Carrie and Tommy who are on the stage receiving praise from the audience. This kind of horror story suits a spooky or bloody twist ending; it may even demand one. There is a sonic flashback of Carries mother stating theyre all going to laugh at you on a loop, (previous things her tormentors have said are also in the sonic flashback) this reveals Carries motive for her revenge. If we accept that Carrie has suddenly become a ghost, we can be reasonably sure she isnt haunting Sue. (Stephen King's source novel sold one million copies when released in paperback in 1975.) The first adaptation ended with stones raining on Carries house, killing her and her mother. There is a rich use of figurative language inCarrie.From describing her mother to describing her power and those she hated, there is a rich use of Simile and Metaphors in the novel. Its not an entirely faithful adaptation of the original end of. When Carrie spares Miss Desjardin from the prom rampage, lifting her off a dance floor that she's about to fill with corpses, it's one of the most perversely touching gestures in a movie filled with them. Piper Laurie also scored an Oscar nod for her performance as Margaret White, Carrie's abusive and religiously fanatical mother. There is also diegetic sound present but it can barely be heard due to the score, ambient noises of people clapping and cheering for Carrie is contrasted to the slightly frantic score. Chris decides to ruin Carries life and follows her boyfriend to a farm where they kill pigs and drain their blood into a bucket. The script has Chris be exaggeratedly "evil" when it serves the plot, but life-sized elsewhere. Whatever the genre. Chris is the sinning woman that Carries momma should be praying for. Three adaptations. As Sue walks away, Carrie feels a hand clap her on the shoulder. The first "Carrie" was horror. Sue is instinctively able to communicate telepathically with Carrie: (whos there) And Sue, without thought, spoke in the same fashion: (me sue snell).. It belongs to the culture. When. The novel ends with an Appalachian woman writing to her sister about her daughter, who exhibited telekinetic powers. The iconic prom scene in Carrie took two weeks and roughly 35 takes to create. March2Madness: Carrie | Psychology Today The epistolary style of writing adopted by Stephen King madeCarrieeerily realistic as Stephen King used different peoples perspectives to narrate the events of Carries life and death. The universal agreement seems to be the story is about a repressed young girl blossoming into womanhood with a vengeance. This is a form of exposition which shows the bullies plans for Carrie. Mentioning Stephen Kings classic 1974 horror novel likely calls to mind one of two iconic scenes: Carrie getting her period for the first time in the school shower and being pelted with tampons as her classmates scream Plug it up! or Carrie wreaking fatal havoc on a gym full of students after being drenched in pigs blood just as she was crowned prom queen. Whatever the book. Rather than engulfing the White abode in flames, for which a miniature model was used, the original ending of Carrie was meant to be much different. Carrie goes home to face her mother, who believed she got possessed by Satan. An editor is a horror story of isolation and abuse about a girl with no safe haven and no one to understand her. 10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About The Making Of Carrie (1976) - Screen Rant Hermotives are frequently mixed but she interrogates them more than any other character in Kings novel. He slows the scene down, lingering on Carrie's smiling, oblivious face, and the wide-eyed gazes of the cool kids plotting to take her down as the melodramatic music swells. Its also not Pierces original ending. After that, they were thrown out of the garden of their innocence, or ignorance; each counterplot or attempt to make amends is a doomed attempt to return to the garden. Pino Donaggio filled the role, composing a four-note string arrangement that is nearly identical to an overage in Herrmann's Psycho score. Suddenly, a bloody hand emerges from between Sues legs. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. This interpretation is supported by de Palmas comments that the final scene of his film was inspired by the 1972 thriller. Its a striking ending that is consistent with both genre tropes and de Palmas specific vision for. While bathing, Carrie discovers blood oozing out of her body and freaks out; this causes a group of girls to laugh at her and bully her. Though Sue tried desperately to atone for her sin and make Carries life better, she ended up making her life worse; this made Sue a passive antagonist in Carries life. But films have represented and adapted wordless communication in a variety of interesting, effective ways. It is a motif in that you see it quite a bit. Carrie desperately used everything she learned to fit in. King crafts a lean, chilling, and insightful story that has at its heart a pair of complicated teenage girls who resist easy characterization. Carrie Film Analysis - 1019 Words | Internet Public Library Analysis of 'Carrie' - Infinite Ocean But you can only push someone so far. The words Carrie White burns in hell appear again here, this time scrawled in red paint across Carries actual gravestone. It did not go well. Her gawkiness is internalized. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. The diegetic sound of Carrie gasping can be heard, this marks the first diegetic sound of the characters. Sue kneels down to lay the bouquet at the foot of the sign, when suddenly a bloody hand springs up from the earth and locks onto Sues wrist. The lighting changes to a dramatic red which connotes blood, which then is alluded to the idea of violence. When Norma falls to the floor writhing in pain, the reaction is 100% authentic. The story of Carrie begins in a locker room after a young teenage girl, Carrie, finishes attending gym class. In high school, Carrie begins to experience what being a woman was about as she got her first period in the shower room after gym class. She may have been tempted by the Antichrist.. Blood represented an entity that Carrie knew she was never going to escape. The character of Norma (P.J. Some girls, led by Christine Hargensen, start throwing tampons at her. The speed of the editing is incredibly fast and is hard to absorb and begins to feel subliminal, the association between the shots is often the eye line matching. In this ending, there is no investigative hearing and no voiceover explaining the reasons behind Carries break. Sue still places the flower on the grave but this time, she reaches for her (obviously pregnant) belly and screams in pain. The movie was directed by Brian De Palma in 1976, but . Carrie Summary and Study Guide | SuperSummary Nothing can stop what's coming. When Carrie was released on Blu-Ray, it came with an alternate ending, one of the few pieces of cut footage released to the public. This girl Carrie isn't another stereotyped product of the horror production line; she's a shy, pretty, and complicated high school senior who's a lot like kids we once knew. The high-school in the film is named Bates High after Norman Bates in Psycho. Carrieis an exceptional novel whose story got propelled by Stephen King intricately. One story. Carrie Study Guide: Analysis | GradeSaver The disaster climax of the original 1976 Carrie is like any top-tier, truly unforgettable scene in cinema so well-known that you don't even have to see it to know. The scene flashes to one of her in the delivery room, still screaming, and asking again and again Is this normal? as objects begin to fly around the room. The version of Sue in this film is a slightly smoothed-out version of Kings character not quite as cruel or derisive in her worst moments but Pierce does maintain Sues complexity and the connection between her and Carrie. Soon, the vote for the prom king and queen begins, and because of Chris rigging the vote, Carrie and Tommy get crowned prom king and queen. When it came to printing the image, the shot was reversed and run in slow-motion to make it appear slightly off-kilter. Where Brian DePalma's 1976 version of Stephen King's novel was a teenage girl's nightmare as seen through the eyes of a straight male voyeur, this one looks through a wider lens, and strikes more universal notes of sympathy. The decision came as a shock to De Palma, who kept insisting on the use of a body double. The use of cross cutting creates a chaotic atmosphere as the tension swells as the hazy lighting blurs the focal points, this serves as the climax. Carrie (2013) - Prom Scene - YouTube This adaptation was intended as a backdoor pilot for an ongoing. Later, Miss Desjardin punishes the girls who bullied Carrie. Screaming for help, she attracted the attention of all the girls in the shower room, who began laughing at her after discovering she was on her period. They should really put a sign up: "Don't flush tampons down the toilet, or throw them at each other ." Importantly, though, Sue is the only one who seems to feel bad about it. Its about the horror of being alone in the dark. , but not the character of Sue Snell or her relationship with Carrie. The editing is slow and deliberate, for example the camera tracks Sues eye line to show the audience the bucket of blood. Psychokinetic retribution. Her mother freaks out, claiming that she is a sinner. Whole sequences have a Clark-Kent-in-Smallville feeling. Carriebrings out the best of horror from a relatable teenage perspective; this made the novel popular among young adults. Critics panned the Pierces adaptation and called it unnecessary given its similarity to the still-iconic de Palma film. This adaptation ofCarrie maintains Sues prominence and the connection between the two, but makes both more palatable, comfortable characters. She doesnt stand up for herself. Then the scaffolding propping it up. A primary fault for Carrie being a social reject in her school was her mother, who was a religious fanatic. But Kings novel is more than just a pair of bloody bookends. Carrie gets home and asks her mother why she hid the truth of menstruation from her, but instead of explaining, her mother begins quoting false scriptures, and when Carrie tries protesting, her mother locks her up to pray in a tiny closet, which freaked her. After all, mothers dont like to their daughters. Unlike in de Palmas film, there is no indication that the gravestone shattering moment exists in the context a dream: Sue doesnt even see the stone shatter, only the audience does. In a story steeped in the horrific feminine from Margaret Whites sexualized abuse to Chris Hargensens vicious bullying to the bloody terror Carrie wreaks on the town Sue and her last-minute vulnerability to Carrie is one of the few examples of imperfect, but ultimately compassionate womanhood the story offers has to offer. Sue is forced to truly bear witness to the pain Carrie has suffered and gets the opportunity to offer Carrie a moments succor with no ulterior motives. I will be focusing on the iconic prom scene which serves as the climax of the film, as Carrie takes revenge on her high school bullies after constantly being tormented. International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct,London, EC1A 2BN, United Kingdom, 2023 Book Analysis. Blood reinforces the horror part of the genre. Carrie gets a measure of peace, dying knowing that at least someone didnt mean to hurt her. A shy girl, outcast by her peers and sheltered by . Director Brian De Palma's mastery here isn't in satisfying our expectation for teenage-psychic carnage. The 10 Best Brian De Palma Movies, Ranked (According To IMDB). Ironically while the rest of the cut footage was rumoured to me much more consistent with Kings novel, this ending borrows significantly from de Palmas film, with Pierce doing him one better on the shock front after all, whats more horrifying that someone haunting you from beyond the grave? Brian de Palmas 1976 film is is the first, most famous, and most widely-praised adaptation of. Though the story is fictional, its elements of realism push the mind of its reader to the extreme. Rather than focusing on the blood per se, consider who is always there in concert with the blood, using it to taunt poor Carrie. A bucket of pig blood is pulled and it covers her and her date, Tommy. Sue screams and then briefly sees an image of a blood-soaked Carrie cradling her infant. The change of pace serves as a suggestion that the tone of the film is also going to alter, this is also done by the score which has now introduce a bass which swells as Sue is getting kicked out of the prom, this lets the audience know that the climax is going to arrive. Carrie walks to the roadhouse where she was conceived and destroys it, killing Billy and Chris. De Palmas film also reduces the role Sue plays in the story and the depth of her characterization. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. This guilt eats away at her for the whole novel. Now she's ready because "the devil has come home" (2.733). Suddenly Margaret is standing behind her, croaking sin never dies. Carrie jolts awake and finds herself in Sues car. A state of emergency is declared in Chamberlain as the death toll reaches four hundred. Sue lays down her rose. Its after this point that things take a turn for the nonsensical. A Senior List Writer covering a wide array of topics who has been with Screen Rant since September of 2019, Jake Dee has written movie news and reviews since 2008, working primarily with OMG Horror (IGN), JoBlo.com, and Arrow in the Head as a freelance reporter based in Los Angeles. Long before the blood arrived. Carrie gets dressed up nicely for prom, but it is done in a realistic way. 'Spoiler-Free' Summary of Carrie She had hopes and she had fears. You can help us out by revising, improving and updating Sue Snell in Carrie | Shmoop Its Carrie who inspires Sues first transgressions against the social order: Sue rebels against the cruel, popular Chris Hargensen by accepting her share of the punishment for abusing Carrie and flouts the expectations of her peers by sending Carrie to prom in her place. The gruesome nature of the novel made Stephen King feel disconnected from the main character as he could not fully indulge in Carries mind. In the final scene of Pierces theatrical cut, Sue is interviewed by an investigative committee, the only extant footage of the White Commission. Blaming themselves for the incident, Desjardin resigns. She doesn't fit the traditional role of femininity that is often sought out in high school. The music slowly begins to pick up its tempo when Sues realisation becomes apparent. In the story, Carrie longed for revenge. Spacek also examined the body language ofthose stoned to death for their sins. Carrie's prom scene serves as a climatic eruption of revenge. In the penultimate scene in Carrie, De Palma opted to create an eerie visual effect by filming a shot in reverse. Sneaking into the prom hall, Chris and her boyfriend set the buckets of blood above the stage. 10 Differences Between Carrie Remake & Original 1976 Movie. Following her performance, Spacek was nominated for Best Leading Actress at the 1977 Academy Awards. Carrie: 13 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About The Classic Stephen King Movie The silence also serves as a cooling point for the audience after the frantic build up to the climax. The story gets euphoric when Carrie begins to unleash terror on her classmates, and even though the reader feels bad for the innocent people of Chamberlain, they get forced to side with the main character who suffered the most. Chris is beyond evil. The novel ends with a cliffhanger suggesting that Carries powers still existed and that a young girl inherited them. This ending is a significant departure from all previous version of the characters, which makes sense for a film exists not so much to adapt Kings book but to provide an origin story for a new series. Carries mind was far from innocent; this made her feel like a terrible sinner as part of her mothers fanatism was present in her. Carrie is not the monster; she is Carrie the good Christian girl. Privacy Policy, https://bookanalysis.com/stephen-king/carrie/summary/. Sexton, Timothy. Carries rage extends to all of Chamberlain as she delivers a telepathic message to Chamberlains citizens and then rains hell on them by destroying buildings and killing people. Even after the blood comes in the locker room, Carrie remains innocent. In screenwriter Bryan Fuller and director David Carsons adaptation, no one gets haunted by Carrie, either literally or figuratively, because Carrie doesnt die. And we pushed her. She stabs Carrie in the shoulder. Miss Desjardin, the gym teacher, places the girls on punishment, and after their leader Chris protests, she gets banned from prom. Bad dream? Sue asks, before her face is transformed into that of Chris Hargensen. This is a good impulse, but the movie doesn't properly follow through on it. The effect of the slow editing teases the audience as it builds the suspense, the use of slow motion makes the viewer anticipate what Carries reaction is going to be like. Chris Hargensen is a nice person. See if I dont!, We should have taken those rags and stuffed them down her throat.. , but for the most part it is consistent with the spirit of Kings ending. The clip Ive chosen to analyse begins with close up shot of Sue Snell (one of Carries tormentors, although she is a more sympathetic character and genuine towards Carrie), she looks up to the podium and sees the rope which is connected to the bucket holding the blood. And though you know what's coming, the scene still works fantastically. The 2002 made-for-television adaptation of, offers another ending for the story that differs dramatically from the novel and the film adaptations and for good reason. Although Carrie can be seen as a horror film, it is dominantly a "Coming of Age" story due to the conflicts that are presented against Carrie. Sues insecurities and internal conflicts are verbalized and mirrored back to her in a scene with the cruelly perceptive Chris. I will be focusing on the iconic prom scene which serves as the climax of the film, as Carrie takes revenge on her high school bullies after constantly being tormented. Summary and Analysis - Carrie The sonic flashbacks end and a new non-diegetic score is introduced, the tone is eerie and it plays only one melody the entire time. Cohen: To keep the prom action continuous, I agreed with Brian to excise an interlude [Stephen King] had created after the blood fell in which Carrie fled the gym, ran across the school's front . Getting elected as prom queen was the worst event of Carries sad life as she got forced to experience the brutality of how no one cared about her. It's a product of her horrid home life, and the knowledge that she has undefined powers that make her different from other kids, and that they're flowering along with the onset of puberty, and that her mother Margaret (Julianne Moore) sees them as signs of evil, rather than world-changing human potential. Carrie movie review & film summary (2013) | Roger Ebert In the final pages of the novel, it got revealed that Sue was late on her period; this leads to the conclusion that she was indeed pregnant with Tommys child. Carrie finds Chris and Billy on the road and drives their car through a wall, killing them. Carrie just happens to be the weakest so she bears the brunt of the evil which explodes forth from Chris. Its not an entirely faithful adaptation of the original end of Carrie, but for the most part it is consistent with the spirit of Kings ending. So too is the Bates Packing meat-plant seen later in the film. Carrie 's climactic scene (which runs a little over 20 minutes in its entirety) follows the title character, socially naive outcast Carrie (Sissy Spacek), as she goes to her first school. Pino Donagios quietly unsettling score teases the audiences as they await the prank, but after the climax of the scene the score turns manic as Carrie exerts her powers. On prom day, Carrie and Tommy have a good time as she meets his friends and talks with him. Stories change in the telling, though, and as they do, so do endings. CARRIE's Prom Scene: An Oral History (Part One) Sue decides to meet her as she hears the telepathic message. Pierces original aim was to to be a reinterpretation of Kings novel; there are rumoured to be 40 minutes of cut footage, including filmed versions of many of the White Commission. The music compliments the slow motion as they both slowly drawl out the process of Carries prank, when the editing becomes more fast paced so does the score, this indicates the approaching terror. The movie links Carrie's burgeoning power to creativity, watching her develop her gifts until, at the end, she is assured enough to preside over a combination Grand Guignol play and art exhibit.