MovieChat Forums > Possession (1983) Discussion > The Truth about 'Possession'

The Truth about 'Possession'

posted 20 years ago by My Ego Tripped
25 replies | jump to latest

One post says Bloody good and another says Avoid at all costs. Both are right, depending on your point of veiw.

This is what I like to call a head - *beep* movie. Like Eraserhead or Lost highway or even El Topo this flik seems to make sense for the first little while but then it trips off into "what the *beep* is this" land. Try to make literal sense of what's going on and your screwed.
This is pure head-trip material.

And if following the plot of a film is important to you than avoid this film, cause it ain't going to happen. Nope, no way. This is symbolism, one-hundred percent and if that's not what your looking for, and I say this out of respect for the masses that like their entertainment straight up, then stay away, you WILL hate this film.

No, really you will,

Really.

But if you like films that seem to say "I'm gonna jump in your skull and do
what the *beep* I want even if it's messy" then maybe you be ready for...

"Possession"

Maybe.

I love this film but I ain't you.

And that is the truth.

Erin truth speaker Bourke

You make your own choice.

Kay?

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] Danie_K 19 years ago

Thiz movie iz gr8 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!112

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] zombie_metal_war 18 years ago

I totally understand what you're saying and agree with you Solipsism, but I could see plenty of Romero fans liking this movie. There are a lot of people out there who learned how to analyze cinema, and understand allegory in movies directly from Romero's films! Hell it pretty much happened that way for me as a lad. Once they figured out that the zombies in the mall walking around meant something deeper than what it appeared to at first, they acquired a new eye for that sort of thing.

This movie being so far above so many people's heads around here is a real shame. There are plenty who like it, but lots that don't too, and all of the ones who don't are just plain unable to grasp anything thats going on in it, which bugs the *beep* out of me. For me most of what Zulawski is trying to get across hits you right in the face, and is fairly obvious, but people are just not accustomed to anything artistic in a film these days.

I'm sure that imdb is a bad place for me to get my impression of how people out there really feel about this movie though. These boards are for the most part only good for finding the opinions of little kids and a few social rejects, but it's hard not to be disheartened by a bunch of supposed movie fans not having the first clue what is going on in an absolute cinematic masterpiece like this one.

[–] esahakk 16 years ago

"Zombie Metal War" is quite the arrogant douche.

[–] jaysondavidgreen 18 years ago

You aren't wrong about Bergman fans digging this film, but you are wrong about putting it in the horror genre. It is strange/arty/weird/etc... but it is horrifying. Berman's "Hour of the Wolf" is also a horror film and not too far off from "Posession." Your problem is not with the genre, but with your lack of faith in the intelligence of the genre's fans. Horror is often the most intelligent out-there genre of film. It's not a ghetto.

[–] gunslinger861 13 years ago

I agree 100% percent in the fact that there a a good number of bizzare art films that have come along and are enjoyed and celebrated in majority by horror fans. I mean not to generalise but good examples are begotten, vase de noces, the tetsuo films granted those are more bizzare science fiction then horror but end up in the same cannon none the less. I also agree that not all horror fans are just gore hounds who lack any sense of substance. To me i see horror rely as a genre that requires abstract thinking. To me good horror is more or less a deformed refelection of ones own reality and perception...to maybe take a truth or belife and twist it around. Thats whats great about horror is that fear is personal , one has to see a part of themselves in the charechtor...to loose themselves in order to feel that fear.

[–] omega_21 18 years ago

"I think Bergman fans are more likely to appreciate this film than Romero fans. "

Thanks for stupid words like this.... i know what you means, but... it's so stupid... and i think reading your commentary that you don't really know the romero's filmography...
So i love Romero and i like "possession" that's a point !

[–] rgibson103 18 years ago

The problem with this movie is that it can't make up its mind whether its art house or b-horror. Cronenberg's The Brood worked, but this film's all over the place. Heinrich's there for comedy relief; the whole "pink socks" thing and gov't conspiracy seems tacked on; and what was up with the motorcycle crash and spiral stair chase out of nowhere?

Don't get me wrong. I followed it with rapt attention. I got the whole faith/chance thing (hope has to be possible for faith to exist, and faith without hope is miscarried into despair). I like the play on love as a disease; he says "God is a disease," but God is love. I get it, but some parts of it work better than others.

I think the main focus should have been the relationship to the exclusion of some of the other threads.

—Ray

_____
"The wisest man is therefore he who loafs most gracefully." ~ Lin Yutang

[–] Tchoutoye 16 years ago

Funny you should mention The Brood. I was wondering if Zulawski was inspired by that film since I couldn't help noticing certain similarities between the two. The Brood comes off rather one dimensional compared to Possession though.

[–] obscure_obsession 18 years ago

My Ego:

I agree with you: this is art and we can learn to experience it without rationalizying it. This is a movie to be felt, just like Santa Sangre or many of Peter Greenaway's films...

G.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] suspiria56 18 years ago

Ego is right... this film is not for everyone. A truly one off... i love cinema - hate being spoonfed though. So Possession affected me greatly. Having loved ElTopo, Bunuel, Buffet Froid etc etc .... this was a truly fantastic experience for me... unnerving. Remember roaming into a second hand junk store in Sheffield UK circa 1994 when i was in Uni. All these second hand videos and there was a pre-certificate original of Possession. Now i got into films early through the exhiliration of the Texas C'saw Massacre and Evil Dead one sunday afternoon and sought many of the banned horrors of the time.Found out later that much of these were trash so. I knew Possession wasnt a typical horror but i was intrigued. "50 pence to you" said the junk store owner smoking bitterly, i could barely keep quiet. I missed Uni that day to watch this in an empty house, truly freaked me out...Possession has become one of my favourite film experiences and ive had a few over the years...just thought id share that one with. But i do appreciate its not for everyone...................
ps. for a really in-depth analysis of the film and Zulawski, check out Eyeball issue 3 or better still Eyeball Compendium (FAB Press)

"Gran'pa was always tha best...."

[–] PostmortemG 18 years ago

I saw both this film and Suspiria, for the first time, in the same evening a few years ago. A local video rental shop that never lets go of *ANYTHING* granted me the opportunity to see both movies as they were first available in their domestic home video releases: Possession in the early '80s 'cut for time' version [ Complete with the oversize case ], and the Magnum Video edition of Suspiria. Both films shredded my brains to bits. ^_^

"Cain and Abel will go to Heaven... if they can make it through Hell!" -Los Hijos Del Topo

[–] suspiria56 18 years ago

suspiria rules postmortem.... love it dearly.... i take it you are a fan of eltopo..... have you tried any of the following :- Carnival of souls (Harvey), Les Diaboliques, The Innocents, Kwaidan, Suicide Circle, Gemini, Santa Sangre, 974 Pinnochio, Alice (Svankmejer), Perfect Blue (Ken - anime)....

"Gran'pa was always tha best...."

[–] gurlpower07 18 years ago

why cant it be both, b-horror AND artsy? Sheesh, does everything need to be so squared off all the time.

I luv this movie, it has everything and more and is not pidgeon holed into a genre, not enough movies are produced like this one and thats a god damn shame.

some folks may just say its pretensious, but hey, this movie is what cult is all about, definetly not made for hollywaood mainstream conditioned audience.

movies need more sexy octpuses people! LOL :)

[–] suspiria56 18 years ago

here here ....Zulawski rules / challenges / amazes every time .... Possession is special

"Gran'pa was always tha best...."

[–] Tedium1 16 years ago

<<for a really in-depth analysis of the film and Zulawski, check out Eyeball issue 3 or better still Eyeball Compendium (FAB Press) >>

you know if i can read that online?
thanks

[–] suspiria56 16 years ago

i've searched everywhere for an online version... no joy.
Have a look on ebay as it was going for £6 last time I looked...It's excellent with some very interesting pieces on Jodorowsky, In a Glass Cage, Paul Morrissey etc.... but the Zulawski stuff is the most comprensive I have read.

Possibly check out the official Zulawski website too:

http://www.andrzej-zulawski.com/

best wishes, Lee.

"Gran'pa was always tha best...."

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] loumanpro 17 years ago

This movie did not toy with my head.
It toyed with my emotions.

It's similar in that way to David Lynch's work, but it's definitely more "real" feeling; that is, despite being quite unreal, it wasn't *sur*real. It's symbolic, like you said, and the symbols make very much sense to me. The meaning is more striking to me perhaps because I've had a pretty nasty breakup myself. The film wasn't confusing to me; I found "making sense" of it to be very rewarding, and quite intuitive.

I didn't find it to be a "head trip"; it was an emotional ride of sorts. And it was also the most powerful one I've ever felt from any movie.

[–] JessePomeroy 17 years ago

The trouble with this film is it is tedious. The mind fcku aspect is there and there is some great and bizarre stuff, but the screaming marital discord, and the fetal wallowings of Sam Neil are just unwatchable. In fact if the scenes of marital strife had gone on any longer, I myself may have vomited milk. This is one film where I hated absolutely every character. The writing is so pretentious it made me wish longingly for someone to stick a pen in my eye.

The comparison's to David Lynch are unfounded and quite insulting to Lynch.

I don't love it or hate. It's like crappy pizza, still edible but why bother.
------------------------------------

>>>Go die.>>>

[–] ProfondoRosso19 16 years ago

"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro"

[–] nogard64 13 years ago

I liked it because it takes intangible concepts such as loyalty and guilt and lust and infidelity and makes these ideas into something tangible and concrete and LITERAL.

instead of spending 2nd half of the movie struggling with IDEAS the movie gives you a monster to look at, the manifestation of these ideas and see the couple struggle with it. Just fascinating to watch!

http://hemestate.blogspot.com/

-things I write on IMDB may come from my blog

[–] asgard-5 13 years ago

Yes. This is a great movie that shows the man the very monster that steals his wife.