The artwork of storytelling possesses the power to maneuver, disturb, and make folks second-guess the whole lot they know in regards to the nature of affection, intercourse, and marriage. Andrzej Żuławski’s Possession is all about that. The film showcases the psychological and bodily agony {that a} couple goes by means of when their married life is sinking and when there are situations of betrayal on this sacred union.
This psychological horror cult basic nonetheless resonates in at present’s occasions, contemplating how frequent infidelity, heartbreak, and divorce have develop into. The film was banned for holding “video nasties.” However, that didn’t cease folks from watching it and praising Żuławski’s story a few couple’s descent into insanity. It is a controversial film that touches upon delicate subjects like home violence, self-harm, homicide, and youngster neglect.
Possession is just not for the weak-hearted. It’s one of the deranged but profound motion pictures ever made within the historical past of horror cinema. The film brims with metaphors, allegory, and esotericism, highlighting their marital scenario. It additionally has a novel supernatural twist to it which is an absolute deal with for horror lovers. In Żuławski’s phrases transcribed from the audio commentary on the Alive AG DVD of Possession (2009), “Possession has an ordinary story, something that gives it meaning. And then, you have something out of the ordinary to give it a mythical dimension.”
Some scenes are downright grotesque, unsettling, and daring. The occasions of the movie are direct, but they will’t be simply analyzed due to Żuławski’s metaphoric methods of placing his level throughout. His protagonists are profound and problematic. Their issues are easy, however their reactions to them are menacing. Nothing on this film is so simple as it seems to be, and it calls for the viewer’s full consideration. *Please notice that this text goes to be stuffed with spoilers.*
Possession (1981) Movie Synopsis & Plot Summary:
Possession takes a disturbing dig at what occurs when a wedding is on the verge of crashing and burning and what occurs while you let a 3rd occasion stain the sacred establishment of marriage. This film was shot in West Berlin, which isn’t a coincidence. West Berlin was nonetheless a divided metropolis. It’s a transparent metaphor for his or her marital life.
Anna (Isabella Adjani) is married to Mark (Sam Neill). They have a son named Bob. When Mark returns residence after an prolonged gig as a spy, he finds out that his spouse desires a divorce. At first, he’s saddened, shocked, and apoplectic when he finds out she has been having an affair with a person named Heinrich. This infidelity devastates him. He is unable to know his spouse’s motives and actions. He is able to forgive her and begs her to return again, however Anna is confused and doesn’t know what she desires.
Their fights develop into more and more extreme, and each of them go unhinged from time to time through the entirety of the film. They struggle, hit one another, break issues, cry, and on one event, Anna tries to slit her throat, and Mark slits open his arm thrice. All this savagery takes place when Bob is in the home. Right when the viewer settles down and thinks that it is a film stuffed with home issues and household drama, it takes an unbelievable supernatural flip.
This flip of supernatural occasions carries the burden of their marital issues until the top with out ever abandoning the precise plot of the film. After an unpleasant struggle along with her husband, she strikes out and rents a dilapidated residence. She goes to purchase groceries, and on her means again, she enters a subway tunnel. This is the place the audiences have to brace themselves.
Anna’s appearing is actually one of the dramatic, over-the-top, and terrifying issues ever visualized on display. Her screams are deafening. The viewers get to look at Anna howling as she offers delivery to pus and blood. By now, she has murdered a minimum of two folks. Meanwhile, Mark storms off to Heinrich’s place and indulges in a brawl with him. When Anna spends most of her days in her residence, Mark types reference to Helen, Bob’s trainer, who surprisingly seems to be like Anna.
Who does Anna give delivery to?
More like, “What the hell does Anna give birth to?”. It’s a tentacled monster that she secretly breeds and has intercourse with in her ramshackle residence. There is a spine-chilling scene the place the tentacled monster is making like to Anna, whose limbs are all tied up along with his bloody and slimy tentacles.
My private opinion is that she gave delivery to the love-hate relationship she shares along with her husband. It’s the bodily type of her poisonous marriage that’s synonymous with violence, love, and longing. Whoever enters her home appears to be repulsed by this monster, apart from Anna and Mark, who’re clearly interested in their poisonous marriage.
Why does the monster take the form of Mark?
That monster is an idealized model of Mark. A model that Anna desires Mark to develop into. When she has intercourse with this hideous monster, she isn’t disgusted. Anyone in her place can be appalled. However, she appears to take pleasure in it. It’s an allegory that she is in love with a monster who seems to be like a monster, whereas Mark, along with his toxicity and violent nature, seems to be like every other human being.
He takes the type of Mark as a result of that’s what she desires. A monster that Mark had develop into to show again right into a human being. For Mark to develop into her superb man. Someone she will make like to as she did with the bloody creature. That’s why when this monster man reaches Helen’s residence, Bob pleads along with her to not open the door as a result of he is aware of it has taken the form of a human look-alike whom Helen would undoubtedly fall for.
Why does Helen appear like Anna?
Helen seems to be like Anna in Mark’s eyes as a result of he’s nonetheless in love with Anna. His marriage with Anna continues to be deep-rooted inside him, and he isn’t in a position to let go of it and transfer on. He both desires his new associate to develop into like his former associate or chooses his new associate as a result of she seems to be like his former one.
Either means, his narrative is evident. It’s Anna he’s unable to let go of. When Bob begs Helen to not open the door, she replies that she desires to open the door. She doesn’t understand the hazard she is in. This is one other symbolism to those that enter as a 3rd occasion and wreck a married life. The catalyst’s life may also be ruined after they attempt to disrupt a wedding.
Possession (1981) Movie Themes Analyzed:
The trauma of loveless marriages:
When Anna struggles to clarify why she is now not completely happy of their marriage, Mark doesn’t trouble making an attempt to know her aspect of the factor and escalates issues shortly by yelling and throwing issues. Mark’s greatest flaw as a husband is that he fails to make his spouse really feel seen, heard, and validated.
Perhaps for this reason she felt loveless and tried to hunt love with Heinrich. Furthermore, he uncared for his marriage and was away for a very long time. Her miscarriage additional fuelled her emotions of angst towards her marriage. On the opposite hand, Mark couldn’t tolerate the truth that his spouse could lead on a cheerful life with out him. Lovelessness stirs so many emotions inside a human that it makes an individual do unacceptable issues.
Passion, Pain, Jealousy, Love, and Desire
Anna’s repressed feelings when it comes to ardour and want lead her to cheat on her husband when he’s away is likely one of the causes for his or her divorce. Her husband’s jealousy turns him right into a violent monster. All her repressed feelings and the turbulent occasions she has seen in her marriage manifest into the vile factor she gave delivery to.
Mark’s love for Anna is so obsessive that he sees Anna in Helen. He desires Anna to be candy, light, smart, and hardworking. At one level, after they harmed themselves, Anna commented, “It doesn’t hurt, does it?”. It’s a transparent indication that emotional ache hurts greater than bodily ache. It will resonate with those that have skilled grief and heartache.
Complex characters
The title of this film could confuse folks and make them assume it’s one thing devilish, like The Exorcist. It’s not a satanic film. Possession is about how you’re taking possession of one other particular person’s life. You attempt to possess another person. Mark tries to own Anna, whereas Anna desires to achieve management of her personal life.
Mark is an unreliable narrator who reveals Anna in a poor mild. It’s solely after we see issues from Anna’s perspective that we discover out Mark is as a lot at fault right here for the downfall of this marriage as Anna. They are each egocentric and consumed by their very own needs. They let their emotions, wants, and carnal needs management them.
Every character wrongs somebody on this film, and they’re all determined to have their very own means. The desperation to avoid wasting this marriage will be seen when Mark decides to give up his job to spend time along with his household. His anguish is much more evident when he finally ends up killing Heinrich.
Possession (1981) Movie Ending, Explained:
The movie ends in an unpredictable means. Heinrich finds Mark and tells him in regards to the monster and Anna. Mark doesn’t consider it, they usually find yourself having a struggle once more. Mark kills Heinrich utilizing the lid of the general public bathroom and shoves his face inside it. After killing Heinrich, Mark reaches her residence and units it on hearth as a result of he doesn’t need anybody to seek out out in regards to the murders that Anna did within the residence.
Mark is adopted by a gaggle of people who find themselves decided to kill him. They may very well be his earlier employers, policemen, or goons. One of them shoots Mark, and he’s mendacity on the stairwell in his pool of blood. Anna arrives on the scene with the monster, who now seems to be like Mark. The dying Mark raises his gun to shoot him, however the folks under rain down bullets on him. Anna can also be shot.
She lies on high of Mark and takes his gun to shoot each of them. Perhaps Anna wished to be loyal ultimately. She is sorry that she put him by means of a lot agony. Her love for Mark was all the time there, but it surely will get misplaced someplace as a result of want takes over. Maybe that’s why she shot herself. And it’s identical to they are saying, love can heal, and love can kill. It’s secure to say that this film was means forward of its time.
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Possession (1981) Trailer
Possession (1981) Links: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Wikipedia
Possession (1981) Cast: Isabelle Adjani, Sam Neill, Margit Carstensen
Where to look at Possession
