By Robert Bellissimo
Does divorce hurt so much that you can scream at the top of your lungs ? Cut yourself ? Lose your mind ? Hit someone ? And even commit murder ? From Andrzej Żuławski’s point of view, it does. Żuławski is the writer and director of Possession, which was released in 1981 and is the most intense film I’ve ever seen. The film transcends critical analysis. The emotions are so powerful that the film left me speechless. Only after the third viewing was I able to make more and more discoveries. The first and second viewings were mostly visceral reactions, where I caught the jist of what was going on, but I mostly felt the film and my head was completely out of the way. This is what great cinema does and Possession certainly is a great film.
With its eerie score and arthouse style of photography, Żuławski combines a psychological drama about what divorce feels like with horror. Anna (brilliantly played by Isabel Adjani) and her husband, Mark (also brilliantly played by Sam Neill) are getting divorced. We never find out exactly why, but the film suggests that it largely has to do with an affair Anna had and the fact that she neglects their son.
The creature we eventually meet in the film that Anna visits at an abandoned house has been interpreted in different ways. I see it as a demon that has possessed her. It brings out the worst in her. In other words, it’s a part of her that she hates. The creature/demon also possesses Mark, even though we never see Mark meet the creature/demon, but the creature/demon possesses him from afar, and also brings out the worst in him. I also see the creature/demon as a physical representation of what has become of their marriage. Nothing but an ugly and terrifying image.
The movie also explores religious guilt. There are moments when Sam and Anna seem to be able to control their rage and hurt. Anna, in particular, describes her actions as immoral. There is a powerful scene where she visits a church and kneels before a crucifix. As she looks up at the cross she moans in anguish.
One can see the film as a battle between good and evil. The moments where they are in control (which are few) they are decent and aware of their wrongdoings. When out of control they scream, tear apart rooms and restaurants, hurt themselves, each other and even kill.
They both long for idealized versions of one another. I’ve read that some people see the creature as Anna’s idealized version of Mark, but I don’t see that. The creature may always be by her side, but the creature is always around when Anna is at her worst. The creature doesn’t bring out any of Anna’s better sides. The only exception is when we see the creature having sex with Anna, which gives her such intense pleasure. Could the suggestion be that Mark was a bad lover ?
The idealized version of Anna is their sons teacher Helen, who looks exactly like Anna. She’s the perfect mother and partner. She takes care of their son, is loving, sweet and supportive. Everything Mark wants Anna to be. However at the end Żuławski questions even this character.
This is not a conventional horror film or a conventional psychological drama. It doesn’t fit neatly into any genre or box. It’s a non-stop emotional experience that never lets the audience off easy. It brings the audience into the reality of what divorce feels like and is a film that I’ll never forget.
You can watch Possession on Kanopy and The Criterion Channel.
You can also find more from Robert Bellissimo on his Youtube channel.