Possession Blu-ray Review

• 18th Jul 2013

Polish director Andrzej Zulawski’s “Possession” (1981) finally arrives on Blu-ray through British distributors Second Sight Films on July 29^th, and what a treat it is for horror fans and thriller fans alike. Banned in the 80’s as a ‘video nasty’, this amazing, shocking, visceral feature finally makes it onto the small screen in a good quality reproduction with great special features.

While brilliant and inspired, you’d be hard pressed to follow the narrative arc of this decent into madness and blood, better to roll with the punches and let yourself be carried along with the hysteria, of which there is plenty. There is a longstanding rumour that main protagonist Isabelle Adjani was so emotionally exhausted that she attempted suicide at the end of the shoot and sadly, I can well believe it. She gives the performance of her career (and won Best Actress at Cannes for it) alongside an intense and masterful performance by a young Sam Neill, as a couple in the middle of a horrific marriage breakdown that descends into something much more sinister when we realise that she has not just left him for another man, she is growing a monster on the side to replace him. Murder, hysteria, monster miscarriage and tragedy ensue as events spiral out of control and the evil takes over.

This is no monster movie however. The creature does not even appear until after the first hour as what was previously a taut, painful, relationship tragedy (and a clear inspiration for ‘Antichrist’ many years later) suddenly becomes deeper and more otherworldly. The special effects(by Carlo Rambaldi who worked on Alien and E.T) are understated considering and very realistic. Coupled with the fine performances, these fantastic special effects and wonderful, evocative cinematography make this an experience not to be missed. I loved the backdrop of West Berlin with the wall and all that it evokes providing a strong counterpoint to the intimate action of the protagonists.

There is a great package of extras to this release which should delight anyone with an interest in following it deeper underground. I particularly liked ‘The Other Side of the Wall’ making-of featurette which was a really enlightening and in depth (clocking in at over 52 mins) look at the world of the film, influences, reception, visual style and narrative structure and some great interviews. Other highlights include a lengthy 2009 interview with Director Andrzej Zulawski, some really good Director’s commentary and a separate Audio commentary with the Co-Producer. Short snippets of film comparing the locations before and after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the work of the film’s poster artist, Basha, are also worth a look.

This is a deep, shocking, sometimes bewildering film that deserves its reputation as a fine piece of European cold war cinema, taking those influences and context far beyond the realms of normality and portraying depths of human anguish unlikely ever before to have been achieved. An extremely fine piece of work.

Claire Hyypiä