Possession resurrects at Fantastic Fest

POSSESSION. A new 4K restoration of Andrzej Żuławski’s hallucinatory nightmare opens theatrically and digitally exclusively at Metrograph October 1 and in theaters nationwide October 15.

Banned upon its original release in 1981, Andrzej Żuławski’s highly choreographed nightmare of a marriage unraveling is an experience unlike any other. Professional spy Mark (Sam Neill) returns to his West Berlin home to find his wife Anna (Isabelle Adjani, in a role that earned her Best Actress at Cannes) insistent on a divorce. As Anna’s frenzied behavior becomes ever more alarming, Mark discovers a truth far more sinister than his wildest suspicions. With its pulsating score, visceral imagery, and some of the most grueling performances ever captured on screen, Possession is cinematic delirium at its most intoxicating.

I remember as a kid in the 1980’s we could not wait to watch a film that had been “banned in the US”. You know you were going to see something so mind blowing that you might not survive the viewing. Do they ban films anymore? If not, they should. It is fantastic publicity.

Before he was Dinosaur Man Dr. Alan Grant, Sam Neill starred in this insanely visceral horror film. Watching Sam in this one was its own head trip. It was the voice and inflections of Dr Grant but the visual presence of a Jack Torrence. In fact as I watched this I had to wonder if a few years earlier Neill would not have made a pretty good hatchet man in The Shining.

The “shining” star of POSSESSION though is Isabelle Adjani. I am not sure how much they paid her for this performance, but I can guarantee you it was not enough. It is one thing to writhe around in a bed spitting up green pea soup. It is another to physically wring and contort your body for long lengths of time while never breaking character or intensity. What Żuławski’ is able to get from his performers is remarkable. The trust level on both sides comes across on screen.

Watching this it is as if they took every anxious thought and fearful notion that goes on in a persons head when they are in a stressful relationship and acted it out. When you are in those moments and your brain is bouncing from horrible thought to horrible thought. When you can’t still the voices and it is mental chaos. Watching the performances was like seeing those thoughts in action. It is almost indescribable.

I was also very impressed but the cinematography in this film. Each scene is framed perfectly. Whether a tight shot on an actors face or the side show of a room in total disarray while a character flings about the room; it is all wonderful to watch.

Now before we start preaching greatest film of all time we need to stop and talk about the actual story. The simple version is about a wife having an affair and the husband unable to come to terms with that. Can you say Niagara Falls is a water dripping over the side of a rock? I will be honest, I have no idea what the plot of the movie is beyond that. Mark is supposed to be a spy but I have no idea what he is spying on. He works for some shady committee but I have no idea what they are doing. I have no idea about more of this move than I have a clear idea about. If you watch it for the plot you will be disappointed. If you watch it for the performances and intensity of the characters you will be better off.

Rated R POSSESSION is a very adult film and intended for mature audiences. If you are looking for The Exorcist or The Omen. Wrong tree. If you want Fatal Attraction on acid meets the most bizarre monster film you can imagine? Now you are getting it.

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