Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Possession Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 30, 2013

Polish director Andrzej Zulawski's "Possession" (1981) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Second Sight Films. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; video interview with director Andrzej Zulawski; video interview with composer Andrzej Korzynski; video interview with French producer Christian Ferry; audio commentary by director Andrzej Zulawski; audio commentary by co-producer Frederic Tuten; short featurette focusing on the life and work of Polish artist Barbara Baranowska; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The couple

This film can confuse those who have never experienced life on the other side of the Iron Curtain. This is where Andrzej Zulawski, who directed it, came from. He started his career in Communist Poland where his early films were censored and banned by the red apparatchiks because they did not like their subversive tone. In the early '70s, the frustrated Zulawski moved to France where he has been living ever since. Possession is the Polish director's fourth feature film and without a shadow of a doubt his most disturbing one.

The film follows closely a young couple living in Berlin during the Cold War era. Marc (Sam Neill, My Brilliant Career, The Piano) is an ambitious professional who regularly reports to important people that make important decisions. After one such report, he returns home and discovers that his wife Anna (Isabelle Adjani, Nosferatu the Vampyre, Subway) has started seeing another man. Barely able to contain his anger, he hires a private detective to follow Anna and find out when and where she meets her lover.

The detective follows Anna to a cheap apartment in a rundown building only a few blocks away from the Wall. He then discovers that Anna has not one but two lovers. However, before he can contact Marc and let him know, something terrible happens to him.

Meanwhile, after a series of violent quarrels Marc forces Anna to confess that she has been cheating on him. She also reveals the identity of her first lover (Heinz Bennent, The Serpent's Egg, The Tin Drum), a new-age cocky playboy well versed in kung fu who lives with his elderly mother. Marc confronts him, hoping that he would go away, but Anna, now seriously depressed, abandons both men and goes back to the cheap apartment where her second lover has been waiting for her.

Possession tells two very different stories. The first is about the violent and rather bizarre collapse of Marc and Anna's marriage. This is the story most critics in the West love to write about. It is hardly surprising because it is obviously the only story that makes sense to them. This story is also the reason why Possession is frequently labeled "horror film".

The second story is about a very cruel closed system that is slowly but effectively transforming people into monsters. For some the transformation is so disturbing that they can't endure it and lose their minds before the process is completed. Director Zulawski had firsthand experience with this process but managed to escape the system before it was too late. In Possession, Marc and Anna are not so lucky.

The excess and gore in this film effectively mask Zulawski's condemnation of the system. In 1978, this exact same approach within a different context was used by the Polish director in his On the Silver Globe, whose production was halted by the Polish authorities after they became suspicious of its intent. (On the Silver Globe is a science fiction film but also with a clear political message). In other words, the "horror" in Possession is nothing more than a needed distraction in what is essentially an angry political film.

Adjani's performance in Possession is undoubtedly one of the greatest from the early '80s. It is indescribably intense and truly unsettling. In 1981, the French beauty won a well deserved Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival.

Possession was lensed by renowned French cinematographer Bruno Nuytten (Andre Tecnine's Barocco, Claude Berri's Jean de Florette/Manon des sources). Some of the special effects in the film were done by the great Carlo Rambaldi (Ridley Scott's Alien, Steven Spielberg's E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial).

Possession Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.67:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Andrzej Zulawski's Possession arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Second Sight Films.

Excluding some light banding that I spotted (the most obvious example being early into the film, in the sequence where Sam Neill and Isabelle Adjani's characters meet in front of the apartment complex) as well as some low noise that occasionally pops up, the technical presentation of this once quite controversial film is indeed very impressive. It is also quite the revelation. There is an entirely new color scheme that apparently reinstates the type of look Andrzej Zulawski desired and all visual effects, most notably solarization enhancements, that were added to the U.S. re-cut version of the film are now completely removed. Needless to say, if you are familiar only with the U.S. re-cut version of Possession, more than likely you are going to be quite surprised by the look of this new Director's Cut of the film.

Image depth and clarity are very good. The outdoor footage, in particular, looks quite impressive. The heavy and rather depressing dark grays, blues, browns, and blacks of West Berlin are very effectively reproduced (see screencaptures # 2 and 5). Contrast levels fluctuate, especially during the indoor footage, but the rapid balance shifts are clearly intended. (Compare screencaptures #3 and 4 to see what some of these contrast fluctuations look like). There are no traces of excessive degraining corrections. Also, there are no traces of problematic sharpening adjustments. Unsurprisingly, Possession has a strong organic look. Lastly, there are no large damage marks, cuts, debris, warps, or stains to report in this review. All in all, while I think that there is some room for minor improvements, the current presentation of Possession is indeed enormously satisfying. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Possession Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. For the record, Second Sight Films have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.

I was very much looking forward to experiencing this film with a lossless track as there are a number of very intense scenes in it which I knew would be a lot more powerful on Blu-ray. I was definitely not disappointed. The famous miscarriage subway scene, in particular, cannot possibly be described with simple words. There are some minor fluctuations in terms of dynamics and intensity, but they have everything to do with the film's original sound design. The dialog is clean, stable, and easy to follow. There are no audio dropouts or distortions to report in this review.

Possession Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original theatrical trailer for Possession. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Director's Commentary - director Andrzej Zulawski discusses the structure and visual style of Possession which depicts his relationship with a woman he dearly loved, as well as his frustration with the socio-political climate in Poland during the Cold War era. The Polish director also spends a great deal of time explaining how Possession came to exist, and specifically his initial discussions with the producers of the film, his visits to New York and West Berlin, his initial contact with Isabelle Adjani, etc. Also contributing to this commentary is biographer Dan Bird. In English, not subtitled.

• Audio Commentary - co-producer Frederic Tuten recalls his work with director Andrzej Zulawski on Possession and offers his interpretation of the film's complex message. (The Polish director views Possession as an autobiographical film, but Mr. Tuten's take on it is rather different). There is plenty of interesting information about the trips that were made to West Berlin, where the film was shot, Isabelle Adjani's performance and her image in Europe after the film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival, etc. Mr. Tuten also shares some very interesting information about a project with Nastassja Kinski that never materialized, etc. Also contributing to this commentary is biographer Dan Bird. In English, not subtitled.

• The Other Side of the Wall - a making of featurette with plenty of information about the production history of Possession, the film's visual style and narrative structure, the relationships between the main characters, the film's reception at the Cannes Film Festival, Andrzej Zulawski's career (with excellent comments addressing the censoring of his work by the Polish authorities), etc. Included are clips from interviews with the Polish director, co-producer Frederic Tuten, producer Marie-Laure Reyre, and cameraman Andrzej J. Jaroszewicz. The featurette was written and directed by Daniel Bird. In English, Polish, and French, with imposed English subtitles where necessary. (52 min).

• Andrzej Zulawski Interview - in this video interview, director Andrzej Zulawski recalls how Possession came to exist and discusses the socio-political climate in Poland at the time when the film was made. The Polish director also discusses the unique qualities of the main characters in Possession, Isabelle Adjani's legendary performance, and the film's visual style. The interview was produced by Jerome Wybon for TF1 Video in 2009. In French, with optional English subtitles. (36 min).

• Repossessed - a visual comparison highlighting the key differences between the U.S. re-cut and the Director's Cut of Andrzej Zulawski's Possession. With English text. (13 min).

• A Divided City - a before-and-after look at the key locations seen in Possession. The new footage is from modern-day Berlin, where Possession was shot. With English text. (8 min).

• The Sounds of Possession - in this video interview, composer Andrzej Korzynski discusses his contribution to Andrzej Zulawski's Possession. The two gentlemen have collaborated on seven feature films. In Polish, with imposed English subtitles. (20 min).

• Our Friend in the West - in this video interview, legendary French producer Christian Ferry (John Guillermin's King Kong, Alain Resnais' I Want to Go Home) recalls his initial encounter with Andrzej Zulawski and discusses the production history of Possession. In English, not subtitled. (7 min).

• Basha - a wonderful short featurette focusing on the life and work of Polish artist Barbara Baranowska, better known as Basha, who created the original poster art for Possession (which is also used as the cover art for this upcoming Blu-ray release). During the '70s, Basha designed the French posters for a number of cult American films. These include Milos Forman's Taking Off, Steven Spielberg's The Sugarland Express, and Alan J. Pakula's The Parallax View, amongst others. The featurette was written by Daniel Bird. In English, not subtitled. (6 min).

Possession Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Congratulations to everyone that helped make this impressive release possible. Not only does Andrzej Zulawski's Possession look the best it ever has, but the supplemental features included on the Blu-ray are some of the best I've seen produced for a film of this caliber. I sincerely hope that Mondo Vision's rumored release of Possession isn't too far behind because it will be a real shame if North American film aficionados did not get a chance to experience this truly unique film on Blu-ray. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.