Piper Laurie explains why she was baffled on the set of ‘Carrie’
The 1970s was a revolutionary time for horror. Hollywood censorship had previously limited the amount of blood, guts and gore allowed on screen. However, by the end of the ‘60s, censorship became much more lax, making way for considerably more graphic – and frankly terrifying – horror movies.
The ‘70s allowed for more violent movies, indicated by the rise of slashers, and the supernatural horror sub-genre prospered. These kinds of films were popular in the ‘60s, but the following decade allowed for directors to incorporate more graphic visual content. Works like The Exorcist and Carrie are some of the best examples, blending supernatural themes with visceral, sometimes stomach-turning visuals.
Directed by Brian De Palma, Carrie remains one of the most celebrated horror films of all time. It features a star-making performance from Sissy Spacek, who plays the titular character – a teenage girl who is routinely tormented by her peers. It opens with Carrie’s shock as she begins her period while showering with the other girls at school. Blood becomes a recurring theme; I mean, who can forget the iconic prom scene in which Carrie is drenched with pig’s blood? It has been replicated in countless movies and television shows ever since, making the film one of the most influential horrors ever made.
However, the bullies are unaware that Carrie has telekinesis, and soon, she sets the whole school gym ablaze, killing many people in the process. The movie also stars Piper Laurie as Carrie’s incredibly religious and abusive mother, who believes her daughter is a witch. The actor gives a terrifying performance as Margaret, revealing how dangerous the depths of religious fanaticism can be.
Laurie’s performance is incredibly unsettling, especially the scene in which she stabs her daughter in the back, subsequently walking down the stairs with a wild look on her face. As Carrie tries to shuffle her body away, Margaret wields her knife, drawing an imaginary cross in the air with it. She looks absolutely deranged, unknowingly about to succumb to Carrie’s telekinetic powers.
Interestingly, Laurie didn’t understand that Carrie was going to be a full-blown horror flick. Due to her character’s absurd and over-dramatic behaviour, she assumed De Palma was making a black comedy or “satire”. During an interview, she revealed that she almost disregarded the script at first, telling her then-husband that she “thought it was a comedy and not very good… I thought it was just stupid”. Yet after her husband explained that De Palma’s movies often contain elements of humour, she re-read the script and agreed to meet the director – although she still thought it was going to be a “satire”.
Laurie also added that she thought her character was “hilarious”. Thus, the actor couldn’t believe it when she ended up earning an Oscar nomination for her performance – after all, she hadn’t acted on the big screen in over a decade. She didn’t win, but she continued acting again, becoming known for other iconic roles, such as Catherine Martell in Twin Peaks.
