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      The Possessed

      1965 1h 35m Mystery & Thriller List
      Reviews 30% Audience Score 50+ Ratings A writer returns to the small village where he once had a short fling with a hotel maid. Locals tell him she committed suicide, but he begins to suspect there's more to the mystery than they're letting on. Read More Read Less

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      The Possessed

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      Critics Reviews

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      Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Often more noir than giallo. Rated: 3/4 Dec 4, 2021 Full Review James Evans Starburst Displayed in crisp black and white, The Possessed is a remarkably beautiful film. The cinematography by Leonida Barboni is often extraordinary, and the unhurried direction from Luigi Bazzoni and Franco Rossellini allows it to shine. Rated: 10/10 Aug 19, 2020 Full Review Michael Barrett PopMatters [T]his highly polished mirror of uncertainty and obsession is a lovely discovery under any identity. Rated: 8/10 Feb 22, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      Audience Member he Lady in the Lake is often seen as a precursor to the Giallo style that would reach it's peak in the early seventies; and I can certainly see why. However, I would say that the film is closer to a supernatural mystery film than a Giallo and it also shares a lot in common with the popular American film noir style; stemming from it's picture, execution and subject material. The film is very much of the high quality variety and director Luigi Bazzoni takes time and a lot of care to ensure that the film is haunting and mysterious as possible - which pays dividends as the plot starts to pan out. We focus on Bernard; a writer who goes to spend some time in a dilapidated hotel where he spent some time the previous year. Once he gets there, he begins searching for Tilde; a young maid he fell in love with during his previous visit, but he's surprised by the news that Tilde killed herself. However, it would appear that there is more to the apparent suicide as Bernard is shown a picture suggesting she was pregnant... The film is directed by Luigi Bazzoni, who go on to make one of the best seventies Giallo's with the excellent The Fifth Cord as well as one of the oddest genre films with Footsteps in 1975. There's also a writer's credit for Death Laid an Egg writer-director Giulio Questi, so rather unsurprisingly - The Lady of the Lake is a rather bizarre film! It starts off simple enough and the first half of the movie is pretty easy viewing, but then things start to get a bit stranger in the second half and it becomes easy to loose the plot. It's lucky then that there's more than enough to keep the audience otherwise entertained. The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous and the black and white picture allows the director to capture a real macabre and moody atmosphere. The town in which the film takes place is a masterpiece within itself - the ghostly local population in particular is memorable. The plot comes back together towards the end and the film does give closure to its central plot line. Overall, The Lady of the Lake will probably not please all viewers; but it's a very well made mystery and anyone that considers themselves a fan of Italian cinema should check it out! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      The Possessed

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis A writer returns to the small village where he once had a short fling with a hotel maid. Locals tell him she committed suicide, but he begins to suspect there's more to the mystery than they're letting on.
      Director
      Luigi Bazzoni, Franco Rossellini
      Screenwriter
      Luigi Bazzoni, Giulio Questi, Franco Rossellini, Renzo Rossellini
      Production Co
      Istituto Luce
      Genre
      Mystery & Thriller
      Original Language
      Italian
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Aug 29, 2019
      Runtime
      1h 35m
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