(8 out of 10 stars)
The new version of Carrie is out in theaters. It is directed by Kimberly Pierce and stars Chlöe Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore. This was a great movie and I would recommend it to anyone who likes the horror genre. Both Ms. Moretz and Ms. Moore delivered solid performances. Ms. Moretz gave a convincing performance of the innocent and tortured teen. While, Julianne Moore was divinely wicked in the twisted motherhood performance. Portia Doubleday, as Chris, was devilishly good as the slighted popular girl out for a bit of revenge. This movie was a bit shorter than the original. Shorter, you say? How could that be? It is a simple explanation. Kimberly Pierce made a great choice in using a quick cut editing style giving the movie a faster pace, almost break-neck compared with the original. It was like watching a wildfire blaze through a dry field. Brian De Palma loves using long, sweeping cuts giving the movie an epic feel that when done right, adds a dramatic sometimes even a romantic mood. In the case of the original Carrie, it was a slow burn; like watching the dying embers of a campfire fade away.
Now, when I say new version, I mean to say re-imagining. The original film was released in 1976. The basic story is the same, but it is brought up to date. The updated changes provide a different movie experience.
If you have not seen either of the movies, then I urge you to read no further. Get out to the theater, and at the very least see this version of Carrie. You will not be disappointed.
Warning: Spoilers ahead!
Just to dispel any belief of prejudice, I did see the original Carrie first. However, it was a while ago; enough so that this current iteration seemed like a new movie. I did view the original again, right after seeing the re-imagining.
The movie’s plot unspooled in a number of action sequences that were changed just enough to envelope the viewer and manipulate the experience. The beginning saw Carrie and the girls engaged in water volleyball. Just slightly different from the court volleyball game in the original. It blends two sports together updating the gym activity and speaks to the modern tendency of fusion to bring new and innovating things to the market. Then, Carrie’s panic attack in the shower was recorded using a cell phone adding an extra layer of torment to Carrie’s predicament as well as a small new subplot. The cell phone plot line creeps up in the middle of the movie to form an interesting twist and then, blows up at the climax.
The final battle in the movie proved more intense as Carrie slammed the car that is aiming to run her down to a full stop. This happened while she was standing in front of that car. The car appeared to wrap itself around an invisible pole making for a spectacular visual effect. In the original, the car swerves out of the way and then rolls a few times, which is still impressive and exciting. However, that is where the original sequence ends. The 2013 version shows Carrie manipulating the controls of the assaulting car with telekinesis. She propelled it from a full stop and accelerated it into a gas pump. The car ignited the fuel and caused a devastating explosion. Next, Carrie is framed before the fireball looking like some demon of death rising from a lifetime of hell on earth for a vengeful purpose. This segment illustrates the full extent and development of the telekinesis she possesses giving her a brief, cathartic moment. She looks around and the camera switches to show her point of view. As the camera panned around, it displays a tragic scene of violence and destruction.
As one takes in the scenery it is revealed to be brighter and more vivid in this new movie. Not through the medium being digital or in high-definition. None of that played a part in the production. Brian De Palma went with muted lighting and darker set colors for the original, which, to his credit, worked for the movie to give it that creepy feel. The whole house was lit by candles as if Margaret shunned electricity perhaps thinking it was the work of the devil. Kimberly Peirce gave the new vision a brighter set, contrasting the under-lying dark story. The house here was run by electricity; only the prayer closet was lit by candles. When later in the movie, the plot shifts to the dark side, it is almost a subliminal surprise and in its own right a moving experience. The prayer closet, again, is much more claustrophobic in the new version with more instruments of pain lying around than in the original. It serves to bring out Margaret’s true character as an insanely, loving mother, who believes the world can be purified through pain.
Margaret’s character and many of the others in this movie evolved to fit the times. In the reimagining, Chris wasn’t just a teen looking to play a practical joke to get even. She was a rotten egg to begin with and wanted to do anything it took to bring Carrie down. Portia Doubleday made sure you saw the fire in her eyes. A demon was in the driver’s seat as she snatched the reigns spitting commands and whipping her boyfriend, Billy, around. One could almost see the smoke puffing from her nostrils. In the original, Chris was portrayed more passive and seemed like a bossy, teenage snob.
Margaret White was another to have changed to fit the times. Instead of pedaling bibles from door to door, she worked in a Laundromat/Dry-Cleaners where she saw first hand the filth of the town. There she was able to cleanse their clothing and try to purge their souls when they came to collect. Though she is still the same religious fanatic, it is more evident in the way she sings along with the radio which is blaring the familiar Christian tunes. Also, it is shown in the self-inflicted punishments she metes out when she fails to get her message across. On screen Ms. Moore radiated a tarnished halo and seemed possessed by the dark conviction of a misguided saint when portraying Margaret. In the original, Piper Laurie, came across as the typical ranting preacher both misunderstood by the general public and disliked.
With so many tweaks to the original story, it is a wonder that it is not an entirely different entity. In a certain light, it is a new and different experience. However, it is at its heart the same story of a tormented girl who discovers that she is special and unleashes that gift to exact revenge. It is a basic story that speaks to everyone at a certain time in their life; not necessarily in the teenage years. Though the teenage years are well know for the many awkward moments, the clumsy missteps, and even the jabs at the clothing or hairstyles, these trying times are the only time when one can feel lonely, picked on or ostracized. This was chosen probably because of the fact that everybody has gone through those years and is thus easily relatable. Over-all, the re-imagining of the classic scores high in my book. I recommend this to anyone that has seen the original so that they too can experience the tragic tale updated for the modern era. Even if one has not seen the original I highly recommend it for the haunting and moving story. I will be eagerly awaiting this title to be released to home video so that I may watch it religiously.
Erich is the author of the soon to be published thriller, Is Love Everlasting? He has a BA in Communications from Colorado State University. He lives in Arvada, Colorado with his cat, who always tries to help him with his writing. He enjoys watching movies, writing poetry, or reading a great book. Follow Erich on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/
About Erich Appelhans
Erich is the author of the thriller, Is Love Everlasting? He has a BA in Communications from Colorado State University. He lives in Arvada, Colorado with his cat, who always tries to help him with his writing. He enjoys watching movies, writing poetry, or reading a great book. Follow Erich on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/erichswritingspot. Get his book at Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/410406
About Erich Appelhans