*** Résumé en anglais seulement ***
The original 1943 film that inspired the sexier 1982 Natassja Kinski remake is an intriguing metaphor for sexual repression and anxiety. When a Manhattan ship architect named Oliver Reed (Kent Smith) marries beautiful but psychologically tortured fashion sketch artist Irena Dubrovna (Simone Simon), he has little knowledge of her past other than that she is tortured by myths from her European homeland. His bride fears she will transform into a deadly panther if aroused or angry. Once their passionless marriage deteriorates, and Oliver begins to ponder a romance with his coworker Alice Moore (Jane Randolph), Irena's jealousy and anger begin a series of transformations that threaten her therapist, her husband, and Alice. Director Jacques Tourneur never shows Irena's metamorphosis, usually implying the presence of her feline alter ego through creepy sound effects, ominous shadows, and dramatic camera angles, all elements that effectively generate suspense and fear. This black-and-white mood piece takes its time building up its story, and while Irena's inner panther could easily be interpreted as representing the wrath of a woman scorned, Cat People goes deeper in probing her psychic scars.