Possession (1981) Movie Review, Cast & Crew, Film Summary

Possession (1981) Movie Review

Only a small number of filmmakers are ready to go down the path of the genuinely weird. You have to be a filmmaker with genuine conviction if you want to produce movies that can be described as really odd and absurd, movies that don’t follow any of the norms that Hollywood follows. Simply said, your movie will probably be something that would be deemed a hard sell, thus studios won’t want to give you money to create it. Additionally, a studio doesn’t want a movie that they don’t know how to market.

Key Points

So that they can go to work on the marketing campaign right immediately, they want to know precisely who this movie is intended for. Such an unusual film is Possession. It can only be seen at art house theatres or on the festival circuit because it is so unusual, weird, and peculiar. And to be really honest, I don’t mind that at all since it ensures that we at least get to see this type of movie.

movies with a brain but also that startle and titillate. Although I’ll be really honest, there are instances in Andrzej Zulawski’s Possession when you won’t understand what the hell is going on since Zulawski produced this movie for himself in order to drive out his own demons. You see, Zulawski produced this movie while going through a divorce. To be quite honest, this is one of the most clumsy and accurate attempts to depict the final seconds of a relationship when one partner realises they just don’t want to be with the other. The passion and the affection are no longer present.

The narrative of Mark and his wife Anna is presented in the movie. They have been apart for a while, but it appears that they have made up their minds to reconcile for whatever reason. to see if they can resolve the issue for their son’s benefit. It appears that nothing is going well at all. Mark is no longer loved by Anna. Despite the fact that she vehemently denies it, Mark naturally believes that she has been unfaithful to him. He doesn’t think she’s telling the truth, so he hires a private eye to follow her and see what they can find out. As they say, there are times when it’s best to keep some things secret.

Because I just had a breakup following a long-term romance, this movie truly affected me. I’d like to think that I handled the situation maturely and without creating any unneeded drama. I mean, why force it, you know, if things aren’t working out? Sometimes a relationship just ends because individuals and feelings change. I recognise that. Simply learn to go on with your life; remember that nothing ever truly stands still in life; everything is always changing. If you ask me, that’s simply the way life is; you just have to learn to adapt. What you assume will remain the same forever will probably end up altering significantly. Or, if you’d rather, lead a miserable existence. However, Sam Neill’s character in this movie struggles to adjust. He doesn’t handle the prospect of a divorce at all well.

In fact, what I saw in Mark is the exact opposite of who I aspire to be! Mark is a man who absolutely loses it when the prospect of a breakup is brought up. He seems to lose all sense of reality for a period as a result. And by absolutely, I mean completely bonkers! Possession reminded me a lot of Roman Polanski’s Repulsion (1965), in which we follow the protagonist throughout the entire movie only to see their descent into madness. To show Mark’s dementia, Zulawski used strange camera angles, much like Polanski did in Repulsion.

Speaking of Sam Neill and Isabelle Adjani, I must commend both of them for their performances; they accurately captured a marriage dealing with divorce in the most irrational and out-of-control manner imaginable. Possession, I suppose, acts as a kind of mirror to what we should never allow ourselves to do should we ever find ourselves in a similar circumstance. And let’s face it, if you live in this world, there is a good possibility that you will have a painful breakup at some time in your life. If you watch this movie before going through one, you’ll want to handle things in a more regulated and civilised way.

But Zulawski never depicts control in his movies. In actuality, they constantly focus on going too far. about excess. This is the basis for my comparison of Ken Russell, another director who excels at capturing human excess in his films, with Zulawski. Characters fall prey to the worst and most reprehensible aspects of human nature in each of these directors’ movies.

Characters on Possession don’t wish to act appropriately; instead, they act completely against what is thought to be right or normal. They completely err and go wrong. They not only act inappropriately after their breakup, but also Mark and Anna’s child suffers from their selfishness and self-centeredness. They are so consumed with their own feelings and mental condition that they are oblivious to the fact that a youngster is living with them.

This is a really intriguing feature of the movie that follows the characters throughout the progression of the plot. We get to hear the child’s perspective on the events and learn how the parents’ predicament affects him. I thought it was intriguing how the child often hides underwater in the movie, as if to get away from the terrible things he is experiencing. The most of the time, his parents utterly ignore the youngster while they quarrel, yell, and even physically assault one another.

I’ve never seen Sam Neill behave so crazily in a movie; both performers surpass themselves. There are, however, very few instances in which the characters behave in a manner that can be described as “normal,” suggesting that Zulawski intended for them to always act as though they were under the influence of something. The performances in this movie cannot in any way be described as genuine; instead, they are amplified and behave like human emotions taken to the limit by a drug. Only when they are in front of people do they behave normally; otherwise, when they are alone themselves in their apartment, their nasty sides come to the surface, and this is the only side they display to one another.

You’ll understand why Isabelle Adjani received the best actress prize at the Cannes Film Festival and the Cesar Awards after watching this movie. There is a particular incident that shows how emotions and sentiments may cause you to lose it totally and explode in rage. The movie’s title comes from a scene in which Anna absolutely loses it and appears to be possessed. Despite being tedious and drawn out, the scene has an impact. One of the most enduring scenes in the movie is this one. There are more scenes that will astound you, but I’m referring to it as one of the most unforgettable ones.

In the movie Possession, every aspect of a breakup is examined in great detail. It addresses the unease one could experience when confronted with the potential that the breakup would occur as a result of infidelity. Mark makes an effort to learn the truth since he doesn’t think Anna has been faithful. Do you truly want to discover the truth, it queries? The film’s director will respond that, no, you don’t want to know the truth if you ask him that question.

Mark keeps looking further and deeper until he ultimately confronts the truth of the matter. What Mark encounters at the conclusion of his search exemplifies how Zulawski views the third party who may enter a relationship and utterly wreck everything. And this is when the movie’s cosmic terror comes into play, where many people cling to the film’s H.P. Lovecraft inspirations. I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone, but Carlo Rambaldi deserves praise for his absolutely outstanding make-up effects work on this movie. Rambaldi’s contributions to the movie result in one of the most shocking and lasting visuals the movie has to offer.

By the way, the movie’s horror element is unexpectedly introduced in these sequences with tentacled creatures. The movie first seems to be an odd movie about relationships, but it isn’t until the creature angle that the movie truly earns its horror label. It somehow reminded me of David Lynch’s 1978 film Eraserhead. David Lynch hammered home the point that if you don’t want to be a parent, then don’t because it can be a nightmare to have a child and not be ready for that responsibility in Eraserheard by comparing an unwanted child to a horrible disfigured creature that caused nothing but discomfort and problems. Zulawski accomplishes the same thing in Possession, except he focuses on concerns related to infidelity. Giving the source of the suffering characteristics of a monster.

In conclusion, this movie tackles love triangles, how a guy feels when he is rejected, and the fears associated. It also examines divorce and marital dissolution concerns. In one episode, Mark asks Anna’s reasons for wanting to leave him in an obnoxious manner. The impact a love triangle may have on a person’s sanity and how a woman feels when she is torn between two men are both explored in the book. the emotions a woman has when males are violent toward her.

It even touches on issues like whether or not there is a deity and the certainty of death. Sam Neill’s character virtually resists death at one point in order to find the quickest method to pass away. Fantastic movie! But be forewarned—this is not a movie that is simple to see. It has a lot of symbolism, and some viewers might find the exaggerated approach a little bit harsh. But if, like me, you enjoy excess in your movies and weird cinema, then shouldn’t miss this exciting picture.