Possession (1981 film)
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| Possession | |
|---|---|
 original film poster |
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| Directed by | Andrzej Żuławski |
| Produced by | Marie-Laure Reyre |
| Written by | Frederic Tuten Andrzej Żuławski |
| Starring | Isabelle Adjani Sam Neill |
| Music by | Andrzej Korzynski |
| Cinematography | Bruno Nuytten |
| Editing by | Marie-Sophie Dubus Suzanne Lang-Willar |
| Release date(s) | May 27, 1981 |
| Running time | 97 Mins Edited 123 Mins Director's Cut |
| Country | France West Germany |
| Language | English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Contents |
[edit] Movie Plot
The story tells of a young woman who left her family for unknown reasons. The husband determines to find out the truth and starts to investigate his wife. At first, he suspects a man is involved. What follows is a series of strange, compelling and surreal events in which he finds out her unusual behaviors and habits, that indicate something of a darker nature at work in the woman's psyche.
[edit] Movie Background
Possession is a 1981 cult movie directed by Andrzej Żuławski. It was filmed in Berlin, West Germany. The director has stated that he wrote the screenplay in the midst of a messy divorce. Viewers have found it difficult to properly classify this film, whether as drama, horror, or suspense, but there are elements of all three present in the movie. Some reviewers have interpreted Possession as an intense drama focusing on the effects of marital problems and stress upon children.
The film was very controversial when first released and heavily edited for distribution in the United States. In the United Kingdom, Possession was banned as one of the notorious Video Nasties, although released uncut on DVD in 1999. It gradually developed a minor cult following among arthouse aficionados.
There have been comparisons to David Cronenberg's The Brood (who also produced his film while he was in the midst of a contentious divorce) and Ken Russell's The Devils.
The character Mark (played by Sam Neill) returns home to Berlin to find his wife Anna (Isabelle Adjani) is leaving him for an unclear reason. He initially suspects an affair and snoops on his wife, but he gradually discovers clues that something far stranger is afoot. Instead, his wife leaves him and her lover, Heinrich (Heinz Bennent) for a bizarre experience with a strange creature.
[edit] Controversy
The main item of controversy was that actress (Isabelle Adjani) is seen having a miscarriage in a tunnel. Her performance is harrowing and caused an outcry. In another scene, she is seen making love to an octopus-like creature near the surreal finale. All these scenes contributed to the dark and disturbing nature of the piece.
[edit] Notes of interest
Special effects artist Carlo Rambaldi assisted in creating the tentacle creature featured in the film.
