Possession (1981)

Possession (1981)
Director: Andrzej Zulawski
Writer: Andrzej Zulawski
Cast: Isabelle Adjani, Sam Neill, Heinz Bennent, Margit Carstensen
A young woman left her family for an unspecified reason. The husband determines to find out the truth and starts following his wife. At first, he suspects that a man is involved. But gradually, he finds out more and more strange behaviors and bizarre incidents that indicate something more than a possessed love affair.

This my fellow film viewing maniacs is the reason why you can never stop loving films, I've left it late to stumble onto this and the other works of Andrzej Zulawski but so glad I finally have.

Ambiguous tale following Anna (Isabelle Adjani) and Mark (Sam Neill) as a married couple with a young son going through the despair of a breaking up. Hard working Mark wants to know why Anna is becoming increasingly distant, he becomes sure she's got another lover. He leaves his job to spend time fixing their disintegrating marriage but eventually Anna breaks and tells him she's been seeing someone called Heinrich for a year. Mark leaves her but the thought of losing his family drives him out of his mind so he returns. Only Anna walks out leaving Mark alone with his anguish and son. Up until here it's been a common yet harsh break up of a family.

Beyond this point the line between fantasy and reality start to blur for the couple, Mark starts to imagine one of his sons school teachers is a purer version of his wife (the teacher is played by Adjani with contact lenses and paler hair). Purely out of a need of having someone to take care of his son and home, Mark embarks on a sexless affair. Anna is in a far deeper unsettled state, no doubt with the guilt at destroying her marriage for Heinrich (whom she's now left) as moved into a run-down apartment block. Either through a mental break down and imagination or via supernatural possession Anna as begun to manifest a living tentacled demon who grows stronger with every sin she does.

I only watched this for the first time a few days ago and my jaws still on the floor while my body is in a catatonic state. It really is psychological horror at its best and true headfuck cinema. I don't get every aspect of it but like I said to start with Zulawski as made the film in such an ambiguous way it doesn't matter. The performances from the gorgeous Isabelle Adjani, Sam Neill & Heinz Bennent are excellent. That late 70s early 80s period in cult cinema can't be beat, if you've never seen it treat yourself its essential viewing.

(9½ out of 10)