OSSESSIONE Movie Review

Luchino Visconti's legendary first feature was an adaptation of James M. Cain's The Postman Always Rings Twice, transferred to fascist Italy. The classic story of a drifter who conspires with a innkeeper's wife to murder her husband, Ossessione is widely considered to be the first example of what would later be classified by film historians as cinematic “neo-realism.” The picture was shot in natural settings, forsaking the usual studio setups, and startled Italian moviegoers with realistic glimpses of rural life. This visual forthrightness was so new that the fascist censors of 1942 were at first confused as to whether the picture was or wasn't subversive. Mussolini thought it was swell, however, and gave it the green light for release. Since Visconti's use of the Cain novel had been unauthorized, the film wasn't legally shown in America until 1975. Though today the movie feels a bit sluggish, it's indisputably an impressive achievement, infused throughout with Visconti's characteristically operatic style. (In 1988, the Italian government issued a series of stamps in commemoration of neo-realism; Ossessione was on the 500 lira.)

NEXT STOP … The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946), Double Indemnity, Rocco and His Brothers

1942 135m/B IT Massimo Girotti, Clara Calamai, Juan deLanda, Elio Marcuzzo; D: Luchino Visconti. VHS FCT, TPV