Possessed
by Curtis Bernhardt
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Geraldine Brooks, Joan Crawford, Raymond Massey, Stanley Ridges, Van HeflinDirector: Curtis Bernhardt
Brand: CRAWFORD,JOAN
Cinematographer: Joseph A. Valentine
Cinematographer: Sidney Hickox
Producer: Jack L. Warner
Producer: Jerry Wald
Writer: Ranald MacDougall
Writer: Rita Weiman
Writer: Silvia Richards
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 108 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-06-14
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product features:
- Actors: Joan Crawford, Van Heflin, Raymond Massey, Geraldine Brooks, Stanley Ridges.
- Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC.
- Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono). Subtitles: English, Spanish, French.
- Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only).
- Run Time: 108 minutes. Not Rated.
Movie Reviews of Possessed
Movie Review: Joan Crawford at Her Greatest in a Noir Psychological Thriller.
Summary: 5 Stars
"Possessed" opens with a strikingly unglamorous view of Joan Crawford and goes on to present one of Crawford's greatest roles. Dazed and confused, Louise Howell (Joan Crawford) wanders the streets of Los Angeles looking for a man named "David". She is taken to a hospital and placed in the psychiatric ward in a catatonic stupor. Using drugs, her doctor (Stanley Ridges) induces Louise to tell him how she came to be in this state. The film flashes back to her romance with David Sutton (Van Heflin), a man whom she loved passionately, while she was employed as a nurse by Mr. Dean Graham (Raymond Massey) to care for his invalid wife. When David leaves her, Louise becomes hysterical, and she begins to lose control of her mind.
The 1947 theatrical trailer for this film dramatically described Louise Howell as "Possessed...by the Maddest Love a Woman Ever Knew!" and "Possessed...by the Strangest Fear a Heart Ever Held!" Surprisingly, it wasn't hyperbole. Joan Crawford's performance is a two-pronged powerhouse. She expresses a love for David so deep that the pain of his loss produces psychosis. The audience can feel Louise's emotional fabric tear when David leaves. Louise is well aware that she is hallucinating and becoming irrational. We sense her terror as she tries desperately to cling to reality. Louise Howell is a femme fatale, but not of her own making. She can't control her behavior. Director Curtis Bernhardt creates empathy for her by frequently presenting a subjective point of view. We see what Louise sees and can no more tell if her hallucinations are real than she can. David Sutton is an unusual character for his time. He is a sort of homme fatal, an object of desire who is fully aware of his attractiveness to women. In a reversal of traditional gender roles, Louise is consumed by obsession for her lover. Although "Possessed" is more sympathetic to Louise, both characters are self-absorbed, and it is fascinating to watch them interact.
"Possessed" is a film noir of the female melodrama genre that is notable for its heavily Freudian themes and subjective style. It's one of those films that make me marvel at the amount of thought that went into characters and mise-en-scene, from writers Sylvia Richards and Ranald MacDougall -who based the screenplay on a story by Rita Weiman in "Cosmopolitan" magazine- to the director, actors, and creative crew. This is a psychological thriller that is heavy on the psychology. The doctors' Freudian analysis of Louise's troubles may seem less than compelling now, but the 1940s were the decade for Freud in the United States, which made for very entertaining movies. "Possessed " is a wonderful film noir with an outstanding performance by Joan Crawford.
The DVD (Warner Brothers 2005): The print of the film has not been restored but is generally good except for one minute. Beginning 48 minutes into the film and ending at about 49 minutes, spots that resemble water marks dance across the screen. Bonus features include one featurette, a theatrical trailer (2 minutes), and an audio commentary. "Possessed: Quintessential Film Noir" (9 minutes) is interviews with film theorists and authors Glenn Erikson, James Ursini, Dr. Drew Casper, and Eddie Muller, in which they talk about the classic film noir movement and the noir characteristics of "Possessed". The audio commentary is by USC professor Dr. Drew Casper, who discusses film noir in general and gives an adoring dissertation about Joan Crawford. He explains the inversion of American film in the 1940s and the prevalence of Freudian themes, as well as other characteristics of classic film noir. Dr. Casper presents a lot of information that would be useful to those seeking a mini-course on Joan Crawford or film noir. He does do visual analysis of some scenes, but the commentary would have benefitted from more analysis of this film specifically. Subtitles for the film are available in English, French, and Spanish.
Summary of Possessed
A middle-aged woman gets involved with a callous lover, whose inattention finally drives her crazy.Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: NR
Release Date: 14-JUN-2005
Media Type: DVD
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