TL;DR
Paul Schrader's *Cat People* remake plunges into a dark, sensual world where primal urges manifest as literal transformations into panthers, demanding a human sacrifice to return to normal. Nastassja Kinski's Irena grapples with repressed sexuality and the terrifying legacy of her family, while her brother Paul embraces their predatory nature. This isn't your typical horror flick; it's a stylish, atmospheric erotic thriller that prioritizes suggestion and emotion. Dive into a mature exploration of desire, consequence, and the beast within. Discover why this '80s cult classic still holds its provocative power in the full review.
In sultry New Orleans, the orphaned Irena (Kinski) seeks to reconnect with her brother Paul (Malcolm McDowell), whom she hasn’t seen since childhood. Paul (and Irena) are members of a lineage where sexual arousal triggers a literal transformation into a wild animal. Upon intercourse, they transform into panthers, necessitating the killing of a human to revert to their human form. While Irena represses her sexuality, Paul openly embraces his predatory urges and desires. Irena develops a relationship with zoo curator Oliver (John Heard), even as police discover human remains in Paul’s basement, leading them to suspect him of serial killings. Meanwhile, Irena grapples with her burgeoning desires, acutely aware of the devastating consequences should she succumb to intimacy with Oliver.
This film I had not revisited for many years. The original, Cat People (1942), based on DeWitt Bodeen’s novel of the same year, is a film I recall having seen very little of, if at all.
The remake, featuring a screenplay by Alan Ormsby (Deranged) and directed by Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver), reportedly diverges significantly from the original. I first viewed the remake in a Copenhagen cinema. My most vivid recollections include the nude scenes featuring a hypnotically sensual Nastassja Kinski, Giorgio Moroder’s impactful main theme (Cat People, Putting Out Fire) performed by David Bowie (who also penned the lyrics), and a graphic scene depicting a black panther dismembering a zookeeper’s arm.
This might seem superficial at first glance. However, upon reconsideration, it is less surprising given the film’s distinctly surreal and unsettling nature.
The genre descriptor “erotic thriller-horror” often feels vague and inadequate.
While it occasionally serves as a reasonably effective descriptor for certain films, one might consider, for instance, Fatal Attraction (1987). Yet, just as frequently, it appears to be a label hastily applied by marketing teams struggling to accurately categorize or articulate a product’s essence. For Cat People, “horror” is a rather misleading classification, and those anticipating a traditional genre experience will likely be disappointed.
However, it quickly became apparent that this is a film I am perhaps better equipped to appreciate now than during my earlier years exploring Copenhagen’s cinemas in the ’80s, then primarily in pursuit of cult cinema. Indeed, some narratives require a certain maturation of perspective, allowing one to better discern the more profound qualities within Schrader’s distinctive stylistic drama.
The film remains a stylish, intensely sensual, and suggestively captivating work, characterized by a dense atmosphere that appeals to emotion over pure intellect. While it naturally does not possess the same transgressive edge as it did in 1982, a period when societal sensibilities were markedly different, its provocative nature endures.
Unsurprisingly, The National Board of Film Censors deemed it necessary to excise three scenes, citing their “brutalizing and harmfully arousing” content. A total of 1 minute and 11 seconds was consequently removed, ostensibly to mitigate any potential negative influence on Swedish audiences.
The Blu-ray edition is, fortunately, presented uncut, offering a newly restored copy of the film in its original 1:85:1 (16:9) aspect ratio, complemented by audio tracks in Dolby Audio 2.0 and DTS-HD 5.1. Regrettably, however, supplementary bonus materials and commentary tracks are absent.
Stylish, Intensely Sensual, and Suggestively Captivating ’80s Remake
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