The Possessed is often referred to as a proto-giallo, but I think it feels more like a film noir, with its main character providing narration for much of the time. Either way, it's incredibly dull.
Peter Baldwin plays writer Bernard, who checks into a hotel in the hope of meeting pretty maid Tilde (Virna Lise), who he remembers from a previous stay. He is shocked to learn that she is dead, supposedly having taken her own life, although there are rumours that she was murdered. As the days roll by, Bernard slowly (and boy, do I mean slowly!) unravels the truth...
Shot in an arthouse fashion by directors Luigi Bazzoni and Franco Rossellini, The Possessed is full of lingering shots and considered camerawork that results in a sluggish pace. The mystery is a meandering mess, one that ends in a very confusing fashion, with a clumsy denouement in which nearly everyone but the protagonist ends up dead.
Peter Baldwin plays writer Bernard, who checks into a hotel in the hope of meeting pretty maid Tilde (Virna Lise), who he remembers from a previous stay. He is shocked to learn that she is dead, supposedly having taken her own life, although there are rumours that she was murdered. As the days roll by, Bernard slowly (and boy, do I mean slowly!) unravels the truth...
Shot in an arthouse fashion by directors Luigi Bazzoni and Franco Rossellini, The Possessed is full of lingering shots and considered camerawork that results in a sluggish pace. The mystery is a meandering mess, one that ends in a very confusing fashion, with a clumsy denouement in which nearly everyone but the protagonist ends up dead.