Andrzej zulawskis possession was initially unleashed to its first audience 35 years ago at the cannes film festival. No exorcist can handle possession far flungers roger ebert. Andrzej zulawskis 1981 masterpiece, butchered upon its original. Possession is a twohour rollercoaster of emotions and wailing, screaming, violence, sex, and bodily fluids. Possession 1981 shows the viewer a relationship deep in dementia and repressed emotions. Whilst i dont want to say the creature moves realistically, care has evidently been taken to not make it look like. Fascinating analysis of andrzej zulawskis possession.
And what happens is that mark projects his inner impulses onto the film of the movie. The film and isabelle adjanis performance was and remains the stuff of legend. Its a strong contender for the most distressing, astonishing, heartstopping scene in the history of horror cinema. The invocation of inner demons in andrzej zulawskis possession. Mark and anna stay together until the death do us part moment. Possessions first image is that of berlin wall itself, and mark and annas place overlooks one of the walls outposts, with the communist eastern part of the city looming in the background as a reminder of a violated, enslaved reality that the films polish director knew all too well having been kicked out of. But the rest of the film you watch in stupefied silence. Possession may be the only film in existence which is itself mad. Possession 1981 is often shelved with the other classic horror movies of the 1970s and 80sthink of the exorcist 1973 or the amityville horror 1979but the horror genre doesnt fully reflect the intricacies of the movie.
Possession is a 1981 psychological horror drama film directed by andrzej zulawski, written by. Possession the night the screaming stops 1983 rotten. For my boyfriends birthday, im taking him to berlin for a couple of days and we love the 1981 andrzej zulawski film possession. Its an artfilmdramahorror hybrid from polish exile director andrzej zulawski made in west berlin in 1981. A ndrzej zulawskis possession, a frenchgerman coproduction filmed on location throughout west berlin and hitting many of the same spots wim wenders would later use in wings of desire, likewise bears the benchmarks of an entity divided against itself. Also, credit where credits due, the transmogrifying pervert special effects were very well done, lacking the lurid colouration of a henenlotter film which would have utterly jarred against the washedout palate of possession. Mar 21, 2012 a young sam neill stars in director andrzej zuwalksis disturbing possession. Like with movies such as the neon demon, possession almost belongs to a class of film one might call pure or hard cinema. The film was made in germany and mixes the genres of. The film was made in germany and mixes the genres of drama and horror, a quick synopsis of the film used on the site imdb i s as follows a woman starts exhibiting increasingly disturbing behavior after asking her husband for a divorce. Possession 1981 directed by andrzej zulawski rating. Thankfully, possession has been restored on video in its uncut form.
One possibility for a short essay on possession would be to explore the emotional impact on the. Possession ends with a postscript that shows us one final scene from the life of randolph henry ash. Sudden bursts of bloody violence and slimy creature effects indicate a proximity to the horror genre. It has been considered a serious piece of art cinema in many quarters, w. There is really only one way to experience possession, and that is to watch it. In this episode, i will explore the spiritual themes of andrzej zulawskis 1981 film possession and how it relates to the film s characters and atmosphere as. For example the opening and closing scenes were totally botched in the films american release in 1981. This study guide consists of approximately 52 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of possession. Possession 1981 the emotionally devastating story of a marriage in ruins. Like wilde, she also knows the power of a witty and satirical voice, and possession brings these two tones together in surprising ways. Above ground, its less than 300 feet from moritzplatz to the corner of sebastianstrasse and luckauer strasse.
The family of anna and mark is probably the most disfunctional family ever portrayed on scree. Be advised that possession 1981 is unlike many films you may have seen, however i wouldnt really classify it as a horror film. Chris of the outside the cinema and are you serious podcasts to talk about andrzej zulawski s 1981 film possession, a beautiful and challenging tale of a marriage falling apart in cold war berlin. Possession is a 1981 psychological horror drama film directed by andrzej zulawski, written by zulawski and frederic tuten, and starring isabelle adjani and sam neill. Visit the official frederic tuten website visit daniel birds cave canem films. I dont think ive been this awed and confused by a movie in ages. Thus the movie was misintrpeted by many film goers and critics. Though the film s final act focuses on the more horrific elements of the tale namely, a bedridden, boyfriendconsuming creature which resembles a giant lower intestine, created by e. The crafty double meaning in its title gives some clue as to what to expect from possession.
A s byatts elegant literary detective novel has been reduced to one of the stupidest, most badly acted and clumsily directed films i have ever seen. For zulawski, the reallife rupture that drove him to make the film was a. Apr 24, 20 also, credit where credits due, the transmogrifying pervert special effects were very well done, lacking the lurid colouration of a henenlotter film which would have utterly jarred against the washedout palate of possession. This is possession 1981 vhs cut from the mid eighties in australia thorn emi by craig anderson on vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the. And isabelle adjani having sex with a tentacled doomsday harbinger. Adjanis canneswinning turn of shamanistic intensity the film dares its. Byatt, is indeed a romance, but it is also a mystery, a chase, a satire, and both. Possession, the original cut of which screens this week at gene siskel film center, is zulawskis most fully realized effort and probably the best introduction to his work. Possession is a 1981 film, whereas dead calm was made in 1989 in addition, anyone who thinks theyre in for some isabelle per the front cover forget it. In it, we learn something that the novels twentiethcentury scholars will never knowthat is, not unless they break out some csilevel dna testing. Oscar wilde knew the importance of being earnest, and a. Its certainly no coincidence that the film opens with shots of armed soldiers patrolling the berlin walls liminal no mans land.
Nov 29, 2011 a ndrzej zulawskis possession, a frenchgerman coproduction filmed on location throughout west berlin and hitting many of the same spots wim wenders would later use in wings of desire, likewise bears the benchmarks of an entity divided against itself. Be advised that possession 1981 is unlike many films you may have seen, however i wouldnt really. Perhaps appropriately, given that it is a film in which visual motifs and symbols of division and doubling are so allpervasive and pivotal to any kind of interpretation, polish avantgarde filmmaker andrzej zulawskis possession has always retained something of a double life. Alienation and loneliness being the main ones, but there are interesting formal differences. Based on the title of the film and the graphic visual presentation of surreal elements that accompany annas ordeals, it might be easy. Desperate marc sam neill trying to interrogate straying wife anna isabelle adjani whos fooling with kitchen tools, reminders that this is also a horror film, in director andrzej zulawskis possession, 1981. None of his 12 features has been distributed here theatrically except for a butchered version of possession 1981. Since possession s release in 1981, critics have encountered enormous difficulty with its classification.
If only that wasnt the best thing i could say about it. Im in absolute love with videodrome, naked lunch and eraserhead. One must try and separate the nostalgia from the contemporary appeal and the personal reaction from the critical analysis. May 16, 2012 possession, the original cut of which screens this week at gene siskel film center, is zulawskis most fully realized effort and probably the best introduction to his work. Possession is like a woman in the grip of hysterics running around an apartment tossing and breaking things and cutting herself up with a meat knife, arms flailing like an armature of a tentacled beast ready to tear itself out from a human body. Here the protagonists inner evil takes on a living form of a wiggling slimy creature. The 1981 film maniac definitely owes a debt to both psycho and taxi driver. Zulawski kept the atmosphere dense with subcutaneous tension throughout the film. Perhaps because the film is itself a chimera of genres, i was able to. The plot obliquely follows the relationship between an international spy and his wife, who begins exhibiting increasingly disturbing behavior after asking him for a divorce. Jun 10, 2015 possession is a film made by polish director andrzej zulawski in 1981 and stars sam neil and isabelle adjani. Possession 1981 june 10, 2015 schmerik leave a comment.
Adjani was in a career slump due to a reputation as difficult to work with, but possession earned her a surprise cesar french oscar and the top acting prize at cannes. The plot obliquely follows the relationship between an international spy and his wife, who begins exhibiting increasingly disturbing behavior after asking him for a divorce possession, an international coproduction between. The invocation of inner demons in andrzej zulawskis. It doesnt fit cleanly into any single genre, but it could be loosely classified as a bizarre drama mixed with a horror film, with a tentacle monster. Oct 24, 2002 a s byatts elegant literary detective novel has been reduced to one of the stupidest, most badly acted and clumsily directed films i have ever seen. Possession 1981 a film belonging to no wave, in the words of its director, a film that, deceptively, wears the mask of a horror film while also dipping into cold war espionage and domestic melodrama, andrzej zulawskis possession 1981 arises from, and stays terrifyingly within, an experience of traumatic loss. A 1981 psychological drama, directed by andrzej zulawski and starring a young sam neill and isabelle adjani.
Its certainly no coincidence that the film opens with shots of armed soldiers. If you like movies that are cerebral and artsy, you should watch it. Possession s first image is that of berlin wall itself, and mark and annas place overlooks one of the walls outposts, with the communist eastern part of the city looming in the background as a reminder of a violated, enslaved reality that the film s polish director knew all too well having been kicked out of his country twice. Possession is a cultdramapsychologicalthriller horror to the max. But dont worry, youll be in good company, right alongside sam neill and isabelle adjani, the stars of. Possession isnt really a horror film but its great.
This is a really fun film to watch and pick apart with likeminded people. The experience they deliver is impossible to convey in mediums other than cinema itself. If youve ever had a deeply sarcastic friend who truly cared about your. The cinematography is one of the key aspects in possession1981. A young sam neill stars in director andrzej zuwalksis disturbing possession. This line is screamed by a distraught and bewildered character about ninety minutes into andrzej zulawskis possession, and after the movie. Its a strange set of films to compare but they do have some core commonality. Since possessions release in 1981, critics have encountered. What would be a good topic for a short essay on possession. There are plenty of movies which seem to have been made by madmen.
Yes, the societal shock and horror of seeing murder, blood, gore and a monster are on screen, but this film plays a different tune. While frustratingly vague in terms of character and motivation, the possession is among the more competent of recent studio horror efforts. The cinematography is one of the key aspects in possession 1981. Though the films final act focuses on the more horrific elements of the tale namely, a bedridden, boyfriendconsuming creature which resembles a giant lower intestine, created by e. For example the opening and closing scenes were totally botched in the film s american release in 1981. Possession is a film made by polish director andrzej zulawski in 1981 and stars sam neil and isabelle adjani. Sam neill willingly joins in with master artist andrezej zulawslki directing.
Mark neill, a secret agent, returns from an overseas assignment to discover that his wife anna adjani has left him. Id like to take him to a few of the films locations as a surprise if possible but cant seem to find any details online. Nightmare of corporeality in andrzej zulawskis possession. Possession is a 1981 frenchgerman psychological horror drama film cowritten and directed by andrzej zulawski and.