POSSESSED
US, 1947, 108 minutes, Black and white.
Joan Crawford, Van Heflin, Raymond Massey, Geraldine Brooks, Stanley Ridges Moroni Olsen, Erskine Sandford.
Directed by Curtis Bernhardt.
Joan Crawford, two years after her Oscar success with Mildred Pierce, was again nominated for her role in Possessed.(She had previously made a film entitled Possessed, in 1931, with Clark Gable – no connection except the title.).
She plays a disturbed woman wandering the streets of Los Angeles, getting some psychological attention, gradually remembering her life. And her life has been disturbed as well. We see her clinging to an engineer, Van Heflin, who tries to persuade her that he is not in love with her but she nevertheless perseveres. Then we see her working as a maid in a wealthy home, run by Raymond Massey, with a wife who commits suicide. Joan Crawford blames herself, even thinking that she did it even though she was in town. Massey’s daughter, Geraldine Brooks, also believes she committed the murder.
She stays on working with Raymond Massey and eventually he proposes and she accepts. Later Van Heflin visits, becomes involved with the daughter, which further disturbs Joan Crawford who begins to act out her manias in true melodrama fashion.
Certainly one to put on the list of Joan Crawford films.
1. A popular 1940s film, melodrama, psychological case?
2. American society after World War II, the world of the wealthy, the world of servants? Marriage, infatuation, obsession, madness and the consequences?
3. Black-and-white photography, the musical score, the style? A Joan Crawford film at Warner Brothers?
4. The title, Louise, her character, style, moods? Joan Crawford Oscar-nomination?
5. Introduction to Louise, Joan Crawford’s presence, a strong woman, yet the infatuation and weakness? In Los Angeles, wandering the city, bewildered, her being helped, the doctors, the interviews, the treatment? The psychoanalysis? The psychological case, 40s style and knowledge?
6. The flashbacks, Louise and David, her being with him, the talk about love, his work, her being possessive, his distancing himself? The continued outpourings, David and his resistance? Her not believing him? Her melodramatic reactions?
7. Her role in the house, looking after Dean Graham’s wife? Knowing her place? The visits of David, admitting that she knew him? The effect on her?
8. The death of Mrs Graham, Louise and her care, sense of responsibility, being in the town shopping when the incident happened? The later discussions with Dean, his being present, his wife suddenly going into the water and drowning? Louise’s later obsession and feeling that she had killed Mrs Graham? Police investigations?
9. The funeral, suspicions, Carol coming home, her hostility towards Louise? Louise staying on, Graham and his relationship with Louise, his character, the story of his wife, suffering, his relationship with his daughter?
10. The proposal, the motives marrying, Louise and her sanity, going to visit Carol at the college, the possibilities for reconciliation – the scenes of hostility? Carol backing down?
11. David, the engineer, as a person, his going on location for his work? His character, deep yet callow, his return, the outings with Carol, Louise and jealousy, the confrontations, at the bar and restaurant?
12. The concert, David’s presence, Louise’s behaviour, outburst, returning home?
13. The collapse, the violence? Her escape, wandering in Los Angeles?
14. The role of the therapy, the possibility of healing or not?
15. The popularity of this kind of story, doomed romance, strong woman, psychological study?
