Possession (1981)
AKA: The Night the Screaming Stopped
Directed by: Andrzej Zulawski
Starring: Isabelle Adjani (Anna/Helen), Sam Neill (Mark), Heinz Bennent (Heinrich), Margit Carstensen (Margit), Johanna Hofer (Heinrich’s mother)
Country: Germany
Language: English, (English Subtitles)
Runtime: 02:03:36
Genres: Bizarre, Body Modification, Self-Harm, Gruesome, Infidelity, Revenge, Family, Violence against Women
Plot – Spoilers:
Mark has just returned from either a mission, or meeting a mysterious being. Anyway, his wife Anna wants to leave him – there’s another weird man in her life apart from a strange creature she’s got hidden away. All the characters are well nutty, as is the plotline. Towards the end, one of the men who hired Mark shows off his pink socks, which the being Mark initially met with, supposedly wore. Not sure this little nugget of a clue helps understand the film any better. Anna also wears the same dress throughout, except during a ballet class. Is she or Mark totally mental, and the whole thing an extended fantasy for one of them. Not sure I cared enough to know.
Possession will probably appeal to you if you enjoy watching a movie that periodically makes you shake your head and mumble, FUCK IS GOING ON. Or if you just enjoy watching the beautiful Isabelle Adjani. There are some fascinating closeups of her, especially while being assaulted by Sam Neill. There’s also an impressive looking beast fucking her, if that’s of passing interest to you.
Does anyone have a link to this film in specifically Italian? I know that dubbing exists because I’ve heard the argument scene dubbed.
loved this movie sm and that sex scene was so good :3
Wait… what?
Sam Neill looks crazy in this, he’s completely different from Jurassic Park and Isabelle Adjan she was kinda hot with perky tits when she was young i wanted to fuck her
Very interesting psychological sexual ‘horror’. Starts a bit slow, but it is worth waiting for the big finale.
this is not a horror film you fucking absolute degenerate retards
Was the slur necessary
Truly the greatest horror film ever made.
i’m sorry but this was the most painfully boring movie i’ve ever seen, also, wtf was the sex scene with the alien (or something, god for anna???), that was…ummm, interesting ????
you clearly have no taste
not everyone has the same taste, shocking right??? ????
That was not an alien, that was the typewriter from the naked lunch.
It is quite possible it was both. Book written in 1959, some stories based in Mexico. Area 51 and all that. If there are many universes and many timelines then a planet of typewriters would exist and to us they would be alien.
yeah i just didn’t know how to describe it
damn sorry if this offended anyone ???? but i didn’t understood shit, what was this even about? literally makes no sense
wtf ☠️☠️
was expecting this to just me another femcel flick (which it was for the first half, and i would have been content with) but it just kept going and holy shit i’m so glad it did. one of those blink-and-you’ll-miss-everything films, while also keeping the pacing well. leaves you with the same feeling a cronenberg would, great performances all around 10/10 thanks eum
feel like i need a video essay after this, i fucked with it heavy tho
don’t think about it literally. think as if you were listening to a myth.
Enjoyed this more than The Exorcist, to say the least.
Well that was kinda goofy. I watched it because of the much commented on monster sex scene, and the date movie was made. Monster sex did not disappoint.
youre crazy
This is ome of the weirdest movies and horror kovies i’ve seen and of the very few horror movies to actually have scared me
It is the kind of movie i didnt get anything about and in the meantime i was shocked by it and loved it as well
Same happened for eraserhead and maybe even tersuo tho they werent horrifying
Isabelle adjani’s performance is marvelous
Don’t waste two hours of your time watching this.
Adjani is demented and gorgeous – whats not to like?
this has lynchian vibes
u all fucking gay mmh ??? mmh???
Why? Do you want to suck me off?
yes
I came to watch this for the monster sex scene (my only complaint is that scene wasn’t long enough) only to get to the end and realize it’s like the British version of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”. At least that’s my take on it.
yeah but the monster sex scene was hot tho
can’t tell whether the acting was over the top (especially the subway scene) or just right for this film.. Fascinating film nonetheless!
Edit: Adjani won the Best Actress Award for her performance at the 34th Cannes Film Festival, so apparently they liked her acting performance…
On You Tube they have this at 2hrs 20. Are we missing something?
The one there seems to be a version with commentary rather than the actual movie track. Also seems slowed up.
Definitely my favourite film, glad to see its aa popular as ever. DIABEL is pretty great too if POSSESSION was to your taste. Really love the selection on here, so many of my favourites: INLAND EMPIRE, ARREBATO, IN A GLASS CAGE, GUMMO, TETSUO…etc.
@Tim Hartmann
Thanks a TON for the link to On the Silver Globe? I kept hitting paywalls requiring membership on various rare film and European/Russian sites when I was initially trying to find it, n I’m not going to pay some site thats violating copyright to begin with, lol.
Sry it took me a while to see ur link, I didn’t check the comments here for this film in a while due to not caring since I was ostracized for hating Possession;) Watched On the Silver Globe this morning and found it very unique and overall enjoyable. I thought it was brave how the director released it incomplete yet filled in the gaps w narration as well. And I definitely agree in regards to the ott acting from the second ‘savior’ astronaut, and the initial ‘mother’ astronaut as well. Reminds me of another film…? Thanks again tho, definitely was worth the watch due to it being very unique, to say the least. The few other films they have posted there I have all seen, check em out if u haven’t bc they’re all powerhouses in regards to film. Peace;)
ADMINS: THANKS for not editing out his link too, I know how u generally dislike them and do that w posted links, but am thankful u let that one slide. Much appreciated!!
the acting isn’t mediocre, it is iconic. if you think otherwise, then why are you here. Anna’s actor was pure brilliance.
One of my Top 10. Not everyone gets it and it was intended that way. For those who dig the film it’s a masterpiece examination of the evolving and devolving relationships between Men & Women. For anyone who’s never tripped on that it’s hysterical satire. To each their own. Great upload either way.
C’mon, please don’t use the stereotypical failed artist excuse of ‘not everyone gets it’ because that’s a pretty big generalization on ur part. Its also asinine to think that we didn’t ‘dig’ it because we never had a failing relationship, lmfao. The movie would’ve been damn good if the acting wasn’t so ludicrous was the big thing, imo. I will agree with u tho on to each their own;)
It’s not a failed artist excuse. It’s a descriptive statement you prove in your comments themselves. Some people didn’t react to the acting the way you did. Sure, you laughed at the subway scene, but there’s no need to get defensive about the fact that other people didn’t. Or about the fact that other people found something disturbing or gut-wrenching in Possession. They got something out of it. But, you didn’t. The acting didn’t connect with you so you call it ludicrous. Other people have equally informed and tasteful opinions that say this movie is, in fact, damn good. Maybe open up to the possibility that this film has a huge reputation and it’s NOT because everyone who likes it is a complete dumbass. 😉
It honestly seems like ur the one getting defensive. The commenter generalized and basically said the reasons *he* thought we didn’t like it, and his reasons weren’t at all why I didn’t like it, and since it was only me and one other commenter thus far who didn’t like it, it was obv directed at us. I’m completely open and receptive to others thoughts and ideas as well, I just don’t like people speaking for me, telling me why I didn’t like it/get it, when I had originally stated plainly in my initial thoughts why I didn’t like it, and I understand the film, and relationships, as well. Call it clarifying a point to him I wanted to make;) Never implied ppl that liked it were a dumbass either. It’s not a big deal to me bc like I *originally* said, I do realize I’m in the minority with this. I did view the directors other film, Diabel, shortly after viewing this film, and found that one to be epic, imo, so this was just a miss for me was all, imo. It’s obvious the director has great skill, with this film as well as with his other. Still trying to find his film On the Silver Globe to watch, as I’m very interested in seeing this directors other works, so for better or worse, at least this film left an impression w me, as I basically viewed his other film bc of this one, even tho I didn’t like… Read more »
Hey there! If you still haven’t found On The Silver Globe, check it out on this link:
http://exmilitai.re/film.html
I have yet to watch Possession yet, and have it downloaded. I’m happy that I can view it on here as the quality is better here. On The Silver Globe has a lot crammed into it, and I enjoyed watching it. It is lengthy, but truly one of a kind in how it mixes genres. I owe it another viewing, as one of the main characters in the second part started to become a little annoying at how he was almost constantly shouting his lines. So many great films out there to enjoy!
you’re such a douche
it isn’t a horror film at all. it’s a mediocre satire with effed up themes.
I can’t say I agree with your assessment of the film overall. But I do believe that this movie falls in with a bunch of movies that are classified as horror and are not. I’ve grown sick and weary of people who lack insight into a film beyond it’s horrific scenes calling A Serbian film a horror movie. It’s fucking anti-censorship political commentary. Shit, if all it took were horrifying scenes to make a horror movie, Casino would be a horror movie just for the baseball bat ending alone! But it’s not.
Thanks admins! Top marks for all the new films as of late:) Zero marks for this film itself tho:/ A dream like film that had the feel of a film made by a director who was tripping balls and trying (poorly) to imitate other arthouse dramas (for example those of the great Bergman, Tarkovsky, etc) that was hampered by and failed MISERABLY due to it’s completely ludicrous, absurd, bipolar acting. The subway scene had me laughing it was that bad. Asinine. Literally anybody could’ve done acting like hers in the subway. Cringeworthy is putting it mildly. Nobody in this film acted like normal people in the least, except for the little kid. And while I realize/understand this was the directors attempt at relating his feelings of ‘exile’ due to censorship, as well as apparently him drawing inspiration from Tolstoy’s epic Anna Karenina (whatever tf that means, I couldn’t see it) etc, EVERYTHING about the characters, and therefore the movie, r completely unrelatable to me, as well as due to the over the top acting. I feel like anyone else who’s had any kind of formal acting training/experience would prbly agree as well A pity, because it could’ve been a great film otherwise. Literally some of the worst acting I’ve EVER seen amongst the thousands of films I’ve viewed. What could’ve easily been a 7 or 8 in my book, poof, gone. I’ll give it a 3/10, for it’s unique plot at least. Creature was badass btw. Will prbly never watch… Read more »
Hey, thanks for the heads up. I won’t waste my time now.
You have Serbian Film in your pfp, my guy
youre stupid as fuck if you fail to recognize isabella adjanis acting as good in that movie lol
its meant to be over the top… how can you miss the point this badly lmfao boggles the mind
yeah man, literally anyone can act with the passion she has in that subway scene
its legit laura palmer levels of rawness and if you cant see that i feel sorry for you
cerrá el hocico tenés a serbian film d foto puto edgy👎👎👎👎👎
” I feel like anyone else who’s had any kind of formal acting training/experience would prbly agree as well”
…what a dork.
The subway scene in this film is required viewing for all horror fans, on the same level as the shower scene in Pyscho.
Lmfao. No. Hitchcock is rolling in his grave from a comment like that
Well there’s that. Hmmmm best description I can give is War of the Roses mixed with the mind fuckery of Clockwork Orange. About all I can say on this one
FUCK YESSSS! Greatest horror film of all time!
you can’t be serious, right?
Why you say horror about it its totally surreal