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Movies / On DVD / Ossessione
Ossessione

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Ossessione (1942)

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Reviews Counted:9

Fresh:9

Rotten:0

Average Rating:8.2/10

Runtime: 2 hrs 22 mins

Genre: Foreign Films

Synopsis: Luchino Visconti's Italian Neo-Realist parable is based on James M. Cain's "The Postman Always Rings Twice." Gino, a poor, uneducated wanderer, falls in love with Giovanna, the comely but... Luchino Visconti's Italian Neo-Realist parable is based on James M. Cain's "The Postman Always Rings Twice." Gino, a poor, uneducated wanderer, falls in love with Giovanna, the comely but unhappy wife of a fat, aging tavern owner. She longs to escape her unctuous, dull-witted husband Bragana but has no alternative means of survival. When Gino walks into her life, it's as if a world of possibility and passion has opened before her. So the newfound lovers kill the old man and plan their own escape. But once he's dead, a fretful Giovanna grows paranoid, fearing that everyone suspects them. Irritable and apprehensive, Gino also starts to lose nerve. Emotionally demoralized and psychologically unsettled, the fugitives finally realize the fate they've sealed for themselves. [More]

Starring: Clara Calamai, Massimo Girotti, Vittorio Duse, Dhia Cristiani

Starring: Clara Calamai, Massimo Girotti, Vittorio Duse, Dhia Cristiani, Juan de Landa

Director: Luchino Visconti

Director: Luchino Visconti
Screenwriter: Alberto Moravia, Luchino Visconti, Mario Alicata, Gianni Puccini, Giuseppe De Santis
Story: James M. Cain
Composer: Giuseppe Rosati
Producer: Libero Solaroli

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Jul 16, 2002

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • Passion turns deadly in this controversial neo-realist classic from acclaimed director Luchino Visconti (Death in Venice), adapted from James M. Cain's "The Postman Always Rings Twice." Beautiful hotel owner Giovanna ("Deep Red's" Clara Calamai) is hopelessly drawn to Gino ("Last Tango in Paris'" Massimo Girotti), a handsome drifter. They decide to kill off her spouse and collect his hefty insurance premium, but soon the lovers are trapped in a spiral of deception, jealousy, and fate. Banned and censored for years, "Ossessione" profoundly affected generations of audiences after causing a stormy religious and political scandal in Italy, and is now available in its original, uncensored director's cut.
  • Source: Image Entertainment, Inc.
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    Reviews for Ossessione

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    1 - 12 (sorted by date)
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    In something beyond drama and melodrama, diluted American mythos makes for Euro cine refined.

    Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
    02/13/09
    Matthew Sorrento
    Matthew Sorrento
    PopMatters
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
    10/18/08
    Variety
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    01/19/07
    Jake Euker
    Jake Euker
    F5 (Wichita, KS)

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    10/22/06
    Cole Smithey
    Cole Smithey
    ColeSmithey.com
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
    01/26/06
    Time Out
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    07/05/05
    Emanuel Levy
    Emanuel Levy
    EmanuelLevy.Com

    Immerses the story in the reality of life in an Italian village, using simplicity and poverty as driving forces.

    Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
    09/27/04
    Jeffrey M. Anderson
    Jeffrey M. Anderson
    Combustible Celluloid

    The first feature film directed by Luchino Visconti is a beaut and holds up well today as a slice-of-life drama.

    Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
    11/30/03
    Dennis Schwartz
    Dennis Schwartz
    Ozus' World Movie Reviews
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
    05/24/03
    Channel 4 Film
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Ossessione, which also began the late Mr. Visconti's remarkable film career, may be slow-going to the uninitiated, but its historical importance is not to be denied.

    Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
    05/20/03
    Vincent Canby
    Vincent Canby
    New York Times
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    The film holds up well today, both as a murder story and as a slice-of-life.

    Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
    12/12/02
    Noel Murray
    Noel Murray
    AV Club

    Luchino Visconti's first solo effort and the first great Italian neorealist film.

    Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
    12/10/02
    Don Druker
    Don Druker
    Chicago Reader
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
     
     
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