Cat People (BFI Film Classics)

Rating:
Summary: Informative & entertaining, though short
Review: The author entertainingly provides interesting historical notes, analytical facts, and personal impressions while he summarizes the film. By choosing to organize the book this way, rather than collating the material into chapters such as "Symbolism," "Lighting", "The Director", etc., the information comes across more like asides which is easily absorbed by the reader. However, for those wanting a more analytical approach, the ideas come across watered down by this method. The author's rhetorical impressions which are in keeping with the book's informal, conversational style adds to a hazy, indecisive feel rather than an analysis with a biting edge. After all, one reads the book for answers, not more questions. Nevertheless, this deceptively easy read, with lots of stills and a few posters, is informative, insightful and obviously a labor of love for the film. I would only want to add my impressions, such as the birdcage-shadows throughout the film, especially in the ship-designing office which is perched high in a building (as Hitchcock does in "Suspicion") where our 2 "lovesbirds" are stalked by the cat woman. Or expand on the fundamental tensions of why the film is worth repeated viewings - how Irena is a tragic heroine destroyed by her own nature which she is aware of and cannot change. Who hasn't felt this kind of alienation? - yet it's ignored in most pop culture. In generic terms, it is the clash between the old country(eastern Europe) vs. the new(America), superstition(original sin) vs. science(psychology), nature vs. nurture.

Rating:
Summary: Average entry
Review: The BFI Film Classics series is a welcome little set of essays on singular films. Some are better than others (Camille Paglias take on The Birds is a hoot.) but this one is right in the middle as a pretty average entry.

Generally they are a trifle light (Night of the Hunter, It's A Gift, etc.) and feel like they didn't undergo too many revisions or feel the guidance of a particularly strong hand. Maybe the editor thought their job was about spell-checking and confirming dates.

Here Kim Edwards relives the films narrative while anecdotally cataloging the film's lore, earlier influences and creative descendants. I would have really enjoyed an overarching text for the film and or a tightly written codex for one strong reading. i.e. Rear Window is a film that has a number of astonishing essays written about it. For me Cat People remains a near-junky pot-boiler that surprisingly has some remarkable sequences.

If there's one thing the 21st Century does not need anymore of though, it's another person describing classic sequences from classic movies (here the pool and Alice walking home sequences) and adding their "Me Too" voice of approval. And for the record I disagree with Stephen Kings remarks in the book. (He finds the nightwalk sequence unfrightening because it's obviously filmed on a fake set.) Realism is nice but it isn't everything.

I return again and again to Cat People, but I wish this book could have helped me mine deeper, more substantive reasons for doing so. It would also be nice to see the BFI books candidly acknowledge the faults of the movies in question (Night of the Hunter is teeming with mis-steps). The individual volumes are a boon for investigating films further with, but insight would really be appreciated and would make me treasure them. In their currrent state they are more something to be passed around to friends, and you're not especially put out if they don't make it back.