Anime in delirio

This movie takes the smoldering talents of Joan Crawford and lets them burn the screen down, right before your eyes...she's utterly convincing as a fairly demented "possessed" lover, torn to pieces by hideous dysfunction. The lowest of lows, and not many highs...

Mildred Pierce laid the template down; Possessed fills the template and makes it its own. What I personally love is the "Hollywood Gothic" aspect, the redolence of that: every frame is steeped in it, every moment is cradled in its embrace. One of those movies that you watch, mouth agape, and whisper to yourself, "Christ, the aesthetics...was the world ever really like that?" Apparently so.

Oh, and for the record - it was a better world.

Before "Play Misty For Me" (1971) and "Fatal Attraction" (1987), comes this story of a nurse (Joan Crawford) who's attached to a man (Van Heflin), who eventually finds her too possessive and breaks it off, but she can not let him go. When they meet again at her employer's (Raymond Massey) residence, she wants to resume the relationship, saying its awful for a woman to lie down at night and not be able to sleep, but he still won't take her back. She eventually accepts widower Massey's marriage proposal, explaining that it's terrible for a woman to be unwanted, although she's not in love with him. Eventually, Massey's daughter Geraldine Brooks starts to date Heflin, further complicating matters, and putting Crawford over the edge. Script, photography, direction, music are exemplary, the 4 leads are memorable, but Crawford is particularly riveting. Her first breakdown (at Massey's waterfront mansion) with Heflin might be considered over-the-top 40s style acting (pre-Method), but she delivers it beautifully, her face and expressions a towering display of emotion and angst. It's a performance that Crawford must have pulled from her own life experiences to achieve such rising momentum. No wonder actor Cliff Robertson (her co-star in "Autumn Leaves - 1956) once stated in a documentary that she's "a damned good actress."

Several doctors in this film speculate that Ms. Crawford's character might be suffering from mental illness. Are they right or wrong? This is a big question to be answered in "Possessed" because it seems that somebody here could be BERSERK and might even be a candidate for a STRAIGHTJACKET!

I am a little disappointed that there isn't as much plot-based drama in this film as in MILDRED PIERCE. Mildred Pierce has drama consistently built into the plot whereas this film has a lot of Crawford engaging in dramatics and neuroses rather than more active drama. However this is a more psychologically oriented film (not a noir) and Crawford's acting is believable and solid. Raymond Massey does a good job in the Walter Pidgeon role (or is it Walter Pidgeon in the Raymond Massey role?) You also get a polished jewel of a performance by Stanley Ridges.

Basically a soap opera with a well-done psychology theme, "Possessed" will probably hold your attention due to Crawford's excellent performance. This film is an impressive accomplishment for her.

Joan Crawford was born to play this role. She's a scary woman. You can't fake those looks. With five marriages herself (even tho that wasn't the case in 1947, it was in her future) she knew this subject matter very well. I don't know what it is about Crawford, but she's scary. She seems so unbalanced as a person that this role was PERFECT for her.

I watched this film on cable (Turner movies) only to see who Raymond Massey was. As a Seinfeld fan, there's an episode where Kramer's physique is compared to Raymond Massey.he's got a `Raymond Massey like physique.'

I was drawn into the mood of the movie and Crawford's seriously co-dependent personality. Her portrayal of a possessed woman in love was dead on. Many times these type of women look so perfect on the outside, working in a `servant' type position, so quiet on the outside with a wicked inner life brewing. Crawford nailed this personality.again, too perfectly.

I'm amazed at the depth of characters older movies have and the rather intense subject matter. I'm always amazed at how little life really has changed.wipe out technology and people are basically people.jealousy, anger, envy, strife.the Bible is true, all have fallen short, in 100AD, 1947, or 2004.

Just what does Van Heflin's David have the makes Joan Crawford's Louise go literally mad for him?

Doesn't appear to be that much in the looks department. Perhaps just that special touch that signals, "either you've got it or you haven't."

Whatever the case, Louise pleads, cajoles, rants and raves for David the entire film. What does our David do?--merely tell Louise the truth: that he's simply not in love with her.

Granted, David's rather flippant, self-absorbed and bored, but that's his prerogative. Instead of accepting this and moving on with her life, Louise insists on minding David's old business and clinging to bygone days.

All this "to-do," when a simple scan of a Dale Carnegie text might have solved the problem.

Louise does have her supporters: young stepdaughter Carol and aging hubbie Dean do what they can to bolster Louise's confidence. Since Geraldine Brooks and Raymond Massey portray these respective roles, there's sure to be strong convictions expressed.

Made just two years after her Oscar-winning turn in "Mildred Pierce," Crawford is in her mature mettle here. Although the same title was used for a Crawford film 16 years earlier, the similarity is in name only.

"Possessed" allows Joan to suffer royally and she does, pulling out all the schizophrenic stops to slam this one home. Since no one reels better than Crawford, it's an engaging performance in an engrossing film.