Of all the films from the video nasty list – films banned by the authorities in the UK in the 80's – Possession is the one that comes from the art-house side of the spectrum. It's a very different proposition compared to the other films from this list which were in the main pulpy exploitative genre efforts. Possession, by contrast, is an experimental movie that has some genre elements. It's the most obtuse video nasty and will certainly be one of the most divisive. Whatever way you look at it one thing is certain and that is that it is one bizarre film. Set in cold war Berlin, it's about the disintegration of a marriage. The process leaves the couple suffering nervous breakdowns. The woman forsakes her husband and lover for a tentacled creature that lives in a run-down apartment. It seems as though the story is allegorical in some way but, if I am being honest, I don't really know. It was way too strange for me to make any claims at understanding it.
What I can confirm for sure is that the acting from Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill was very impressive. These cannot have been easy parts to play by any means and they both give their all in full-on performances. They match the style of the movie, as this is an unremittingly intense film from start to finish. Even the constantly moving camera work is agitated. I wouldn't necessarily say that this is a film that could exactly be classified as entertainment though. It's so cold and tormenting that it's pretty far removed from the comforts of genre cinema. The film that it reminded me most of was Lars von Trier's Antichrist (2009) which was also about a married couple in turmoil. Both are esoteric films that make you feel somewhat uncomfortable. In Possession the geographic location is also used to create an oppressive feel, seeing as events happen in the shadow of the Berlin Wall. So there is no doubt a political subtext to this as well but, like I said before, your guess is as good as mine.
My feelings on this one are a bit mixed. One the one hand, the sheer coldness of it is very difficult to get behind and there are no characters you can really relate to seeing as everyone consistently acts in an all-consuming, severe manner. On the other hand, there was certainly something there, of what I am not sure but I am convinced there is an overall purpose. The scenes with the weird monster in the apartment were always interesting and there were individual moments that were hard to forget such as the subway miscarriage sequence where Adjani goes absolutely ballistic. Everything ends up with both parents being replaced with clones, while it appears that World War III has begun. As I say your guess is as good as mine.
What I can confirm for sure is that the acting from Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill was very impressive. These cannot have been easy parts to play by any means and they both give their all in full-on performances. They match the style of the movie, as this is an unremittingly intense film from start to finish. Even the constantly moving camera work is agitated. I wouldn't necessarily say that this is a film that could exactly be classified as entertainment though. It's so cold and tormenting that it's pretty far removed from the comforts of genre cinema. The film that it reminded me most of was Lars von Trier's Antichrist (2009) which was also about a married couple in turmoil. Both are esoteric films that make you feel somewhat uncomfortable. In Possession the geographic location is also used to create an oppressive feel, seeing as events happen in the shadow of the Berlin Wall. So there is no doubt a political subtext to this as well but, like I said before, your guess is as good as mine.
My feelings on this one are a bit mixed. One the one hand, the sheer coldness of it is very difficult to get behind and there are no characters you can really relate to seeing as everyone consistently acts in an all-consuming, severe manner. On the other hand, there was certainly something there, of what I am not sure but I am convinced there is an overall purpose. The scenes with the weird monster in the apartment were always interesting and there were individual moments that were hard to forget such as the subway miscarriage sequence where Adjani goes absolutely ballistic. Everything ends up with both parents being replaced with clones, while it appears that World War III has begun. As I say your guess is as good as mine.