CARRIE

Carrie is an obedient and fragile adolescent, trapped between a bigoted mother at home and her bullying classmates at school. But as the film progresses, her terrifying telekinetic powers emerge. Three years after Terrance Malik’s Badlands, Sissy Spacek delivers another brilliant performance, enhanced by her atypical beauty; this time as a guileless adolescent who unleashes a terrible wave of violence.

The De Palma touch is clearly visible in this unorthodox and vividly graphic teen movie. His signature style, reaffirmed from film to film, is particularly rich in images. The wandering camera of the film’s opening, taking in the girls dressing room at the school gym, and the masterfully filmed school prom scene have left a indelible imprint on cinephilia. Carrie also marked the beginning of De Palma’s long collaboration with the brilliant composer, Pino Donaggio, who’s scored more of his films than any other musician.