Possession (1981 film)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Possession is a 1981 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.
