Ossessione

1942

2h 15m

Crime

Drama

List

100%

Tomatometer

15 Reviews

85%

Audience Score

1,000+ Ratings

Young drifter Gino (Massimo Girotti) stops at a diner/gas station, where he is immediately attracted to Giovana (Clara Calamai), the young wife of the owner, Giussepe (Juan de Landa). Frustrated by the struggle of working at the dreary diner with the unappealing Giuseppe, Giovana seduces Gino, then convinces him to help her murder her husband. Eager to remain with Giovana but wary about replacing Giuseppe, Gino agrees, and the couple engages in a crime that leads to more betrayal and death.

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Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

Senses of Cinema

A landmark film in both Neo-Realist and giallo traditions, the legacy of Ossessione lives and breathes in every frame.

Aug 27, 2018

Full Review

Elliott Stein

Film Comment Magazine

The raw warm poetry of Ossessione has nothing to do with neo-realism; the film is unencumbered by ideology and political commitment.

Rated: 3/4

Apr 10, 2018

Full Review

James McCourt

Film Comment Magazine

Ossessione is the fully achieved work of a matured artist, and in the last analysis it heralds nothing but the oracular career of one of the very greatest of the elect in that still small clutch of film masters.

Dec 12, 2017

Full Review

Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

I don't know if I can say exactly that 'Obsession' is a Luchino Visconti's masterpiece, but without a doubt it seems to me to be a rather subtle neorealist film about misery, adultery and remorse. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 7/10

May 27, 2021

Full Review

Fernando F. Croce

CinePassion

The hardboiled appetites of The Postman Always Rings Twice brushing against European anguish

Apr 7, 2014

Full Review

Matthew Sorrento

PopMatters

In something beyond drama and melodrama, diluted American mythos makes for Euro cine refined.

Rated: 7.5/10

Feb 13, 2009

Full Review

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laurent b

There are some movies from Visconti that are among my favorite movies, like The Leopard, The Wanton Contessa or Conversation Piece, but this first movie bored me a lot. I prefer the Tay Garnett version (1946) called "The Postman always Rings Twice", with Lana Turner and John Garfield. The Visconti version is too long, too slow, and lacks strength in my opinion.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

William L

The lure of the story isn't what you might anticipate when considering a murder conspiracy from the perspective of the criminals, which often leans into watching them grow flustered as investigators slowly close the net around them. Instead, Ossessione focuses on the maladjusted personalities of the two leads, their unhealthy chemistry, and the mounting guilt and distress associated with the crime itself rather than the consequences that the pair will face. The crime isn't delicately crafted, but slapshod and the result of passion and desperation; this motivation coupled with a screenplay that heightens the characters' exasperation lend some real authenticity to the film, and have led some to call the film a precursor of the Neorealist movement (along with the fact that many future Neorealists contributed to the project). The plot is somewhat wandering and it's certainly not a fast-paced film, but Ossessione remains an underappreciated work in film history. Makes you wonder what could have been if the Italian Fascists hadn't put the brakes on distribution. (3.5/5)

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/24/21

Full Review

Audience Member

A definite Neorealism Italian film and actually one to be considered the first one and for those who don't know Italian Neorealism is film movement characterized by stories set amongst the poor and the working class, filmed on location, frequently using non-professional actors. Which gives it a more Real feeling when it comes to the acting, cinematography was kinda cheesy at times but I've seen worse and overall just a movie some recommended to watch and I didn't like as much as the other ones I've seen Overall plot, Guy likes a married women whose husband owns a restaurant, they conspire to kill live almost happily ever after.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

Fra B

The simple cinematography is perfect for the poor Italian situation, but excluding the neorealism's setting, the tragic Italian situation and the historical importance, the movie itself is less compelling than expected

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

05/07/21

Full Review

andrey k

This is a third adaptation of the novel that I've seen and I liked its Italian flavour, it also serves as a very strong debut and the starting point of Luchino Visconti's career. It is deliciously shot in a stark black-and-white, a sort of Italian noir.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

s r

1001 movies to see before you die. The Italian take on "The Postman Always Rings Twice". Well made and culturally unique.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Luchino Visconti

Director

Massimo Girotti

Gino Costa

Clara Calamai

Giovanna Bragana

Juan de Landa

Giuseppe Bragana

Dhia Cristiani

Anita

Vittorio Duse

L'agente di polizia

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Synopsis

Young drifter Gino (Massimo Girotti) stops at a diner/gas station, where he is immediately attracted to Giovana (Clara Calamai), the young wife of the owner, Giussepe (Juan de Landa). Frustrated by the struggle of working at the dreary diner with the unappealing Giuseppe, Giovana seduces Gino, then convinces him to help her murder her husband. Eager to remain with Giovana but wary about replacing Giuseppe, Gino agrees, and the couple engages in a crime that leads to more betrayal and death.

Director: Luchino Visconti
Screenwriter: Luchino Visconti, Giuseppe De Santis, Gianni Puccini
Production Co: Industrie Cinematografiche Italiane (ICI)
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: Italian
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 31, 2020
Runtime: 2h 15m

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