Simply Perfect

Good movie but grossly overrated

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

"Possession" is a film that transports the linear between reality and pure madness, with dozens of allegories, metaphors, sublime performances and precise direction, the Polish Andrzej Zulawski does almost a cinematic / psychological experiment. Focused on a screenplay, which in the foreground looks something very mundane, the film develops with a psychological apprehension, seen the depression of the character Mark and his lack of moral sense that is created when he discovers that he is being betrayed, soon in the first minutes of film, and on the other hand we have Anna, who is completely out of her mind, and with the course of the film is only getting worse, with psychotic deaf, bipolar syndromes, etc. The family drama at first is what causes the horror in the film, until we discover the monster to which Anna relates, and when the supernatural element comes by surprise in the film, in the best Stephen King style, you start to question and make reflections about everything that will already come here in the film. The monster can be interpreted as the materialization of the relationship of the couple, the deaf can be interpreted as the duality of thought in the head of the woman, between being a mother or indulging in pleasure, since Anna's character is apparently nymphomaniac, little-quoted but present, we have the social context of Germany in the early 80's, which ultimately influences the film and even make the viewer conjecture bizarre theories, since the wall was still standing. Technically the film is great, and the first thing that makes the most attentive viewer to film in the film is its Camera angles, with many long planes, and even the sequential planes, the camera direction of this film is perfect, even moments at which the film is harmed by repetitions of ideas is saved by the beautiful camera framing, always aiming to show the environment, with open or closed plans, exploring the loneliness or madness of each character, another notable point in the film is its track sounding, sneaky but perfect, it does not come to bother or scare, as the track of a good horror movie should do, but the trail helps to punctuate the mood of the film. Isabelle Yasmine Adjani and Sam Neil are more than perfect, they are perfect, they captivate, enchant, denubland and live with passion and finesse their characters. "Possession" is not a perfect movie, it tries to create mysteries and makes references within its idea that often go unnoticed at first glance, in addition to a gore half trash for a serious movie, but anyway, "Possession" by Andrzej Zulawsk is a little commenting film, but it is an excellent artistic expression of cinema

This is an amazing film. This movie is heavy. It's tough, it's disturbing, it's violent, and it's intense, but it's really good. I had to stop for a second afterwards because I was like, "Uh...I think I got it." The ending is very open, but I think there's a clear meaning to it. It has got to be one of the best, if not the best, endings I have ever seen to a film. The last fifteen minutes I didn't stop making noise. I was yelling at my projector, nearly jumping out my seat, and more. This film is an amazing experience. The performances are absolutely outstanding. I could feel every situation. The breakdowns, the arguments, the fights, everything was so realistically done and I was very impressed in that regard. The best piece of acting is the tunnel scene. I was shocked at how disturbing that scene was, but Isabella Adjani carries that scene so perfectly and that's what makes it more difficult to watch. These characters are very flawed, so I think each cast member understood how the emotion should be in each scene. I think every actor understood their character, specifically Isabella Adjani, she is excellent. The tension is outstanding. The way each scene is built up is intense and I found myself sometimes darting my eyes across my projector because I was eager to follow the action. The intensity reminds me a lot of a David Lynch film, specifically the ending. The ending is very comparable to the last 40 minutes of Mulholland Drive, being that it is open-ended and you can analyze it in different ways. Again, the ending is my favorite part of this film. That's why if you're expecting this film to be an easy watch - it definitely isn't. The ending challenges you to think. This film is a lot to digest for sure. I noticed a certain shot that Andrzej Zulawski chose to use three times, but in different circumstances. The shot I'm speaking of is one where a character is sitting down or kneeling and is touching another character's bare back for whichever reason in the situation. The framing is the exact same shot in every scene it is used in. If you have watched this film, you'll understand what I mean.I'm going to give my thoughts on the ending. If you have yet to see this film, stop reading now. The final few scenes (which are simply magnificent btw) are so important to keep track of in order to analyze and understand the ending. Mark's doppelgänger is brought upstairs by Anna, who presents him to Mark. The two are soon shot by police and the doppelgänger escapes after having a strange encounter with the woman. He goes to the apartment where Helen is with Bob. Bob keeps repeating not to open the door for him. She sees the doppelgänger, but doesn't acknowledge him. There are suddenly noises outside of mass destruction and the shot highlights her glowing eyes. My thoughts on this are - Helen is Anna's doppelgänger, just as this man is Mark's. The two of them are just green-eyed versions of our main characters. I think the glowing eyes are supposed to show that she is causing this destruction and this possession is now causing possibly the end of the world. It is revealing that it didn't die with Mark and Anna. Wonderfully executed ending. I was on the edge of my seat constantly. I can't understand why this film is banned from being played in my region. It's blocked on nearly everything I tried to view it on until I finally found something. Yes, it's disturbing and incredibly violent, but I don't find it any more disturbing than The Exorcist.

One of the most deranged, disturbing & devastating works of horror in existence, Possession is an absolutely harrowing portrait of a disintegrating marriage that brims with a sense of discomfort from its opening moments, gets more n more erratic, unnerving & manic as the plot progresses, and is catapulted to a higher level by the downright deranged performances of its cast, that may have been stoned beyond measure throughout its production.Possession tells the story of an international spy who returns from his espionage mission, only to learn that his wife wants a divorce from him. Going ahead with her wish at first, he is unable to stop himself from obsessing about her & keeps returning to her apartment with hopes of reconciliation but every subsequent encounter between the two only results in her exhibiting increasingly disturbing behaviour, following which he hires a private detective to track her whereabouts.Co-written & directed by Andrej Żuławski, this French-German production is as unhinged as it is surreal and features a cleverly structured, deftly layered & skilfully executed premise that stays in hyper mode at all times. An air of uneasiness is evidently felt during its opening segment and the director does well to keep this tense & mysterious ambiance alive for the remainder of its runtime, and even manages to ratchet things up by a few notches with sudden outbursts of unrestrained madness.The script addresses the themes of guilt, shame, infidelity, obsession & sexuality in a metaphorical manner while enigmatically exploring the stressful & traumatic effects of staying in a dysfunctional relationship. Żuławski penned the screenplay in the midst of his own divorce and in many ways, his film is an allegory of it. The story does work when approached as a straightforward supernatural horror but it is more satisfying & rewarding when one is able to read between the lines & discern the context within the content.The technical aspects are expertly carried out and work in tandem to further amplify its disquieting tone n feel. The overcast conditions & cold colour palette assist in establishing a sinister aura that refuses to settle down. The camera keeps its movements smooth & stable to capture the unfolding chaos with crisp clarity, Editing never allows sanity to seep into the picture and keeps the viewers' attention fixed on the screen while its ominous score & eerie sound seamlessly intertwine with one another to further intensify its perturbing mood.Coming to the performances, Possession features an interesting cast mainly comprising of Isabelle Adjani, Sam Neill & Heinz Bennent, with Adjani stealing the show with a performance that's arguably her finest. Neill's character appears to be in control of his emotions in the beginning but it doesn't take long before he starts losing his mind, and the actor is able to illustrate that with finesse. Bennent, on the other hand, chips in with an exaggerated & over-the-top input, and hams it up so much that it is difficult to take his character seriously at any given moment.On an overall scale, Andrej Żuławski's Possession is a thrilling meditation on murder, evil, infidelity & madness that still retains every bit of its potency, and is just as effective today as it was during its time of release. There is one scene in the movie where Adjani's character has a violent seizure that highly resembles a demonic possession, and the way this French beauty sells that moment is the reason why it just might be the most haunting & bone-chilling sequence of its kind, at least in my book it is. And that's just one of the many crazy segments this picture has in store. In short, oozing dread from every orifice, this artistic endeavour is a stimulating work of horror and an unsettling exercise in excess that lives up to its legacy. Highly recommended.

The marriage between Mark (Sam Neill) and his French wife Anna (Isabelle Adjani) is crumbling. Anna is having an open affair with Heinrich (Heinz Bennent), blaming Mark's elongated time spent away for his work (an undisclosed spying mission he is trying to walk away from). Their unfortunate child, and the most stable character, is Bob (Michael Hogben), caught between the increasing madness and paranoia of his drifting parents. It's apparent that the child's presence keeps Mark and Anna more grounded than would otherwise be the case, for when he is out playing, or at school, increasingly violent hysteria ensues.Through a private investigator, Mark discovers his wife has a second apartment in the rundown side of town. When the investigator discovers a slimy, living organism in the apartment, Anna glasses him. Events spiral further into rich absurdity and madness and with that, 'Possession' lurches confidently into uncategorisable territory. It is also the most enjoyable and refreshing horror film I have seen in a long time.Conversations are replaced with intense dramatic exchanges involving characters forever at the end of their tether, frenzied even from the outset. The direction comprises of shots that give the actors space to do their thing, and what intense performances are unleashed! Often shot in cool blue colours, this was filmed entirely on location in cinematically drizzly Berlin.Director Andrzej Żuławski wrote this whilst going through a divorce, which might well have contributed to the fraught emotions exhibited by the characters.Each time we see the organism, it increasingly exhibits human shape until ultimately, it assumes Mark's appearance (as well as the sexual attentions of Anna). In a bid to outdo even its own outlandishness, I feel the ending is ultimately slightly disappointing – however it cannot be easy to bring a satisfying closure to such an outlandish and shocking series of events.Meeting with disappointing sales on its release, 'Possession' was banned by the usual feint UK hearts as a 'video nasty' yet has assumed cult status. It also won Isabelle Adjani multiple awards for best actress for her astonishing performance. As it is, every performance is astonishing, from Bennent's passionate portrayal of the flamboyant Heinrich, to juvenile's Hogben's commendable playing of Bob.