Ossessione

If only Italian Neo-Realism took after this rather than Open City.

Meh. Neither a particularly well done instance of Neorealism nor of noir. Though this might be worthwhile for those curious about either, it in no way holds a candle to flicks like 'The Bicycle Thieves' and 'The Postman Always Rings Twice'. Plus, it's both long and slow.

It's sad how little the canonical "neorealist" films actually have in common, other than the location filming and preoccupation with the lower class, especially since the paradigms are attributed to the boring Rossellini and sappy De Sica. Ossessione - Visconti's adaptation of The Postman Always Rings Twice - may be less quintessentially generic, but it's a richer, deeper and more satisfying experience. Amazing that this difficult work of art survived the Fascist climate into which it was born.

Very long but ultimately satisfying. Nothing like a good Italian movie that makes you want to shoot yourself.

Visconti as a neorealist is just such a waste.

It's too long but it is amazingly well made. I love neorealism but you really need to be in the right frame of mind to see something like this. I enjoyed it a lot but it isn't a masterpiece for me.

Good story, good neorealist touches and a bit too long. While the elements are nice, the fatalism is a bit too palpable towards the end and combined with the length it becomes a bit tiring to watch.The beginning is really good though and mostly makes up for the final half hour.

# 502

The sexually-charged chemistry between Gino and Giovanna on a canvas of stark realism is what makes this film tick. The homoerotic relationship between Gino and his street-artist 'friend' was also a nice daring addition to the plot. The characters are more finely drawn out compared to other versions of the story; far more interested in the desperation of the characters than in their violent crime, but for a tighter script watch 'The Postman Always Rings Twice' (1946 and 1981) instead.

The bridge between poetic realism, film-noir and neo-realism, stylistically it's an absolutely fascinating film; narratively, a little less so. I feel like Visconti tried as much as he could to normalize homoromatic relationships, but that still doesn't excuse the toxic masculinity and harmful gender roles present throughout. Ultimately the film says a lot about fatalism, masculinity, domesticity and morality, but it doesn't say any of it in a particularly interesting way.

such a melodrama (:

Engaging story with complex characters and authentic setting. It's freewheeling and rambling in an interesting way but also feels a bit drawn-out.

497

my favorite of all the "postman" screen adaptations....all of the cast, especially the main three, were wonderful...i loved viscont's use of the rural italian settings to frame the story....to think this almost became a lost film....

Well, they aren’t very bright or very good, but they are very in love, for what it's worth. Stirring images of WWII era Italian life & countryside abound, drawing you in to this amber time capsule. Not especially didactic, either, so much as merely brutal and bright. A rare film where you don't need to like anyone to enjoy, the directing, cinematography & acting make Ossessione almost necessary viewing for cinemaphiles.

89.00

The big emotions, the melodramatic score, the noirish sketchings of the plot and the beautiful movie star visages of the leads make this more proto- than full-blown neorealism, but Visconti here imbues the story with a real sense of poverty and desperation that informs the motivations of the characters. On the negative side, it's too long and all of those slightly melodramatic features I just mentioned are a tad too much.

I'm not sure I could tell neorealism apart from a neolith, but I do know that a movie that starts with a five-minute romance needs to be a little snappier in its resolution; the figurative noose-tightening happens far too late to increase the tension. I do like noir, so the standard femme fatale plot and the lit-up faces were nice to look at but not enough to keep my interest throughout.

Gino and Giovanna are complex (if not wholly likeable) characters... sometimes a little too complex, with sudden or unclear shifts in motivation, but Visconti uses them to cover a lot of thematic ground. The story itself is familiar territory but except for being a little slow in the first act, it's compelling. So far I haven't seen a Visconti film I would count among my favorites, but I'm glad I watched this one.

love affairs are all fun and games when you're just flittering, but once it's tied together by murder, things will go sour. not nearly as interesting as some of visconti's other neorealist melodramas. sure, [bellissima] is about a mother-son relationship, but it's also about the projection of her failed acting ambitions onto him. [rocco and his brothers] might have been focused on family, but it also explores the many facets of masculinity. this doesn't have that depth. okay but not captivating.

Njutbar film som dock tappar lite fart och intresse när les amants får varandra. Skådespeleri och bildspråk är väl genomfört. CINEMATEKET

Obsessão estreava há 80 anos na Itália. Muito superior aos filmes norte-americanos, essa primeira adaptação de James Cain já cai como um estouro na estreia de Visconti. Também é curioso ver a orientação sexual do male gaze, enquanto nos filmes norte-americanos Lana Turner e Jessica Lange são filmadas como deusas do sexo, aqui quem é filmado assim é o Massimo Girotti. MKO.

Sensual and effortless filmmaking. Feels real and the main characters are relatable enough to make the story touching. Loses it's effectiveness after an impressive beginning, due to unnecessary emotional wandering and lack of pithiness.

Apart from the novelty of featuring the most hirsute guido of any film romance (Moonstruck included), this also holds importance as the opening salvo of italian neo-realism ("Ramones" to Roma Citte Aperta's "Never mind the bollocks", if you will). It has many bright spots, the smoldering styles of Calamai in particular, and it's never less than engaging, but it also has that subtly nagging air of a film that one should be watching because it's important, rather than just for... ahem... pleasure.

547

italian style of film noir. Really like it.

This is considered the first neorealist film by many, but I didn't really see it. It's definitely a noir (based on The Postman Always Rings Twice) and a drama, and as those things it's not bad, though I found it very slow for that kind of movie. The characters are interesting and he acting is solid. The lead often reminded me of Paul Newman (appearance-wise). If it was shorter I think it might have been a lot better for me.

8+

Strong debut from Visconti, bringing out a sense of desperation in each of the leads. That the desperation is intimately connected to broader social concerns deepens the layers of the film, though Visconti never strays from giving attention to the personal elements of these people's lives.

The Postman Always Rings Twice - Italian-style! Or more precise, Luchino Visconti style. His first film, and a hit right away! James M. Cain's novel had already successfully been made in France as Le dernier tournant (1939), so it was a pretty safe pick. A intriguing story of lust and murder, which translated just as strong in Italian as it did in French. Always visually alluring, it might have lacked some of that intensity in portions of it's long running time. But that's the only bad thing.

#588

Visconti's debut and essential viewing if only because it's the first neorealist film. The settings are great, as is the score, but authenticity suffers when the two leading stars are on the screen. I just didn't feel the chemistry between them and with Massimo Girotti's overacting it felt like he was still learning his trade here.