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Acknowledged as the first film of the Italian neo-realist movement, "Obsession" was also the remarkably assured directorial debut of Luchino Visconti. Loosely based on James M. Cain's 1934 novel The Postman Always Rings Twice, with the setting moved from California to Italy's Po Valley, "Obsession" is a dark melodrama of adultery, murder and betrayal. Gino, an unemployed mechanic, arrives at a shabby inn owned by Giovanna and her much-older husband, Bragana. Gino and Giovanna become lovers, setting in motion an inevitable series of tragic events.

As a result of the wartime production, Visconti failed to obtain rights to the novel and because of the copyright issues, the film was not distributed outside Italy until 1976. The story has been made twice in America, with big budgets and big stars, but "Ossessione" is easily the best of the three. Lust, frustration, murder and guilt follow one another like road signs in a tale that's far too naturalistic to glamorize its subject, and too compassionate to be sordid.

Director: Luchino Visconti
Cast: Clara Calamai, Massimo Girotti, Dhia Cristiani, Vittorio Duse, Juan de Landa
Country: Italy
Genre: Crime, Drama, Romance

BD50 | 1080p AVC | 02:06:09 | 43.7 Gb + 3% rec
Language: Italian
Subtitles: English, Italian, Japanese

Extras:
-- "Un film che apriva la strada" documentary