Possession (1981)

Possession (1981), directed by Andrzej Żuławski, is one of the most unsettling and emotionally charged psychological horror films of its era. Part domestic drama, part supernatural horror, and part descent into madness, it’s a film that has earned cult status due to its visceral performances, surreal imagery, and ambiguous narrative. With intense physical acting and harrowing metaphors for emotional breakdown and ideological conflict, it’s unlike anything else in cinema.

Detailed Summary

The Breakdown of a Marriage

The film begins with Mark (Sam Neill), a spy returning to West Berlin, only to find that his wife Anna (Isabelle Adjani) wants a divorce. At first, the film seems like a standard domestic drama—a portrait of a marriage in ruins. But very quickly, it becomes clear that something is profoundly wrong.

Anna’s behavior is erratic, emotional, and increasingly violent. Mark becomes obsessed with understanding what has changed in his wife. He hires a private detective, who follows Anna and discovers a grotesque truth: she is living in a dilapidated apartment and harboring… something inhuman.

The Monster in the Apartment

The detective’s discovery leads to one of the film’s most shocking turns. Anna is not just having an affair with a man—she’s nurturing and having a sexual relationship with a tentacled, Lovecraftian creature. This being seems to be evolving, slowly turning into a copy of Mark himself.

Mark confronts Anna, but by this point both have descended into psychotic behavior. Mark himself becomes violent and unstable. His own doppelgänger—emerging from the creature—symbolizes a corrupted ideal, or possibly a warped rebirth of Mark as Anna’s creation.

The Subway Scene and Total Collapse

The infamous subway miscarriage scene, in which Anna convulses and howls in a public tunnel while oozing blood and milk, is perhaps the film’s most symbolic moment. Żuławski has described this scene as the climax of Anna’s spiritual and bodily transformation.

By the end of the film, reality and metaphor are completely entwined. Doppelgängers multiply. Violence escalates. And the world around the characters collapses—possibly literally.

Movie Ending

The film’s conclusion is haunting and apocalyptic. Anna and Mark both die after a standoff with the police, sacrificing themselves (or perhaps freeing themselves). Meanwhile, Anna’s creature—now a full-grown double of Mark—appears at their apartment, where he meets their son and the schoolteacher who looks just like Anna.

As the doppelgänger knocks at the door, the child refuses to let him in and screams in terror while bombs are heard falling in the background.

The ending is cryptic and open to interpretation, often read as a metaphor for generational trauma, identity collapse, or Cold War paranoia.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No, Possession (1981) does not have a post-credits scene. The film ends definitively with the sound of war erupting and the child’s screams fading to black, offering no resolution or teaser—only existential dread.

Type of Movie

Possession is a psychological horror film with strong elements of body horror, existential drama, and surrealism. It’s also often categorized as arthouse horror due to its experimental structure and metaphorical storytelling.

Cast

• Isabelle Adjani as Anna / Helen
• Sam Neill as Mark
• Heinz Bennent as Heinrich
• Carl Duering as The Doctor
• Shaun Lawton as Det. Margit
• Michael Hogben as Bob (Mark and Anna’s son)

Film Music and Composer

The eerie and disturbing score was composed by Andrzej Korzyński, a Polish composer known for his work in avant-garde and experimental cinema. The music intensifies the emotional instability and reinforces the film’s surreal tone.

Filming Locations

• Berlin, Germany – particularly West Berlin, near the Berlin Wall.
• The city itself becomes a metaphor for the characters’ psychological states—divided, crumbling, paranoid.
• The haunting scenes set in the abandoned apartment and the U-Bahn (subway) reinforce the sense of alienation and urban decay.

Awards and Nominations

• Isabelle Adjani won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival (1981) and the César Award (1982) for her performance.
• The film was controversial but received critical acclaim for its direction and acting, especially in Europe.
• It was initially banned in the UK, labeled as one of the notorious “Video Nasties“.

Behind the Scenes Insights

• Żuławski wrote the screenplay after his own traumatic divorce, which heavily influenced the narrative.
• Isabelle Adjani has said it took her years to recover from playing Anna, calling the experience emotionally devastating.
• The creature was designed by Carlo Rambaldi, who also worked on Alien and E.T.
• Many scenes were filmed in one continuous take, requiring extreme physical performances from the actors.

Inspirations and References

• The film draws from Franz Kafka, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and David Lynch-style surrealism (though it predated most of Lynch’s work).
• Żuławski cited Bergman and Polanski as major influences, particularly in the depiction of emotional disintegration.
• Cold War tension is a subtle but present backdrop, suggesting themes of surveillance, paranoia, and ideological conflict.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

• Some versions of the film, especially early UK and US releases, were heavily edited, cutting up to 30 minutes of material.
• The original uncut version was later restored, revealing key character development and surreal sequences that had been previously missing.

Book Adaptations and Differences

Possession is not based on a book, though it plays like a literary fever dream. However, its structure and character psychology feel deeply novelistic, reminiscent of existential literature from the 20th century.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

• Anna’s subway miscarriage scene—raw, unrelenting, symbolic of emotional and physical collapse.
• The tentacle creature being fed and nurtured in the apartment.
• Mark confronting his own double in a suspenseful, surreal climax.
• The final scene: child, door, doppelgänger, bombs.

Iconic Quotes

• “I can’t exist by myself because I’m afraid of myself.”
• “What you gave me is not love.”
• “It’s a matter of inner life and death.”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

• Helen (the teacher) and Anna are both played by Adjani—one representing innocence, the other destruction.
• The creature gradually transforms into Mark—hinting that Anna is trying to create the perfect version of her husband.
• The Berlin Wall is seen frequently, emphasizing themes of division and duality.
• Mirrors and reflections are subtly used throughout the film to reinforce identity themes.

Trivia

• The film was banned in several countries due to its intense violence and sexual imagery.
• It was shot in just six weeks, though rehearsals and script development took much longer.
• Sam Neill later said it was the most intense role of his career, even compared to Event Horizon or The Piano.
• The original script had more Cold War espionage elements, but many were cut to focus on the domestic horror.

Why Watch?

Possession is essential viewing if you want to:

• Experience a raw, emotional horror film that explores love, madness, and identity.
• See a performance by Isabelle Adjani that is often considered one of the greatest in cinema history.
• Witness one of the most disturbing and artistically bold horror films ever made.

Director’s Other Movies

• The Third Part of the Night (1971)
• On the Silver Globe (1988)
• The Devil (1972)
• Cosmos (2015)

Recommended Films for Fans

• Antichrist (2009) – Directed by Lars von Trier
• Eraserhead (1977) – Directed by David Lynch
• The Brood (1979) – Directed by David Cronenberg
• Under the Skin (2013) – Directed by Jonathan Glazer
• Repulsion (1965) – Directed by Roman Polanski
• Melancholia (2011) – Also about psychological collapse during catastrophe