OBSESSION
UK, 1948, 93 minutes, Black and white.
Robert Newton, Sally Gray, Naunton Wayne, Phil Brown.
Directed by Edward Dmytryk.
Obsession is a film about a doctor who becomes obsesses with his wife and her infidelity, taking one of her lovers and imprisoning him, intending to dissolve his body in an acid bath. While this sounds rather sensational, the treatment is very much Britain of the 1940s, all very well-mannered, even the interactions between Robert Newton as the obsessed man and Phil Brown as his victim. Sally Gray is rather shrill as his wife. Naunton Wayne is sympathetic as the policeman searching for a missing dog, who uncovers the whole mystery.
The film was directed by American Edward Dmytryk who had made a number of significant films in the United States, especially the Chandler Murder My Sweet. He was then brought before the House of Un American Activities and found guilty among the Hollywood Ten. He went to England to make several films including this thriller. On his return to America he continued to make films for almost thirty years, making The Caine Mutiny in the 50s and The Carpetbaggers and other bestseller kinds of films in the 60s.
1. A very British thriller? Murder story? A film of its time?
2. London, the post-war era, the criticism of the United States, the arrogant British? London? The streets, the homes? The clubs? The police? An authentic atmosphere?
3. The title, Clive Reardon and his obsession and carrying it out?
4. Robert Newton as Clive, at his club, his advice, his relationship with his wife, his not going on holidays, coming home and surprising Storm and Bill? The confrontation, the lies, checking with the restaurants and making phone calls? The confrontation with Bill, Bill's disappearance? His keeping him hidden, keeping him chained? Food and drink? Their discussions, Bill's attempt at attack, yet the civilised manner? The discussion about Bill's fate? The plan, his work in the laboratory, bringing the acid, putting it in the bath? His keeping up surface appearances? Storm and her saying she had received a letter, his defying her? His power over Storm, the taking of the dog? His intending to experiment with the dog and the acid? Bill keeping the dog? The police called in? The passing of time, the lack of suspicion? The policeman searching for the dog, the discovery of the place where Bill was being hidden? The confrontation at the club with Clive, his being taken? The madness, the obsession, the fatalism at the end? A convincing portrait of a real character - or of a character in a melodrama?
5. Bill, his relationship with Storm, the lies, his being imprisoned, his becoming haggard, the food and drink, having the dog? The threat? The final fight? His coming out alive?
6. Storm, her relationship with her husband, affairs, brittle? Calling in the police at the disappearance of the dog? Her meeting Bill again?
7. The police, the superintendent and his investigations, suspicions, the dog? Finding the hiding place? Coming to confront Clive?
8. The good manners all round - even in the story of sexual jealousy and murderous obsession?
