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Clara Calamai, Massimo Girotti, Juan de Landa, Dhia Cristani, Elia Marcuzzo ... see more see more... , Vittorio Duse , Michele Riccardini , Michele Sakara , Dhia Cristiani , Elio Marcuzzo

Often considered one of the first examples of Italian neorealism, Luchino Visconti's first film was this adaptation of James M. Cain's steamy novel The Postman Always Rings Twice, which would also be ... read more read more...made twice in the U.S., first in 1946 with Lana Turner and John Garfield and then in 1981 with Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange. Massimo Girotti stars as a drifter named Gino, who gets a job at a provincial inn. The handsome wanderer attempts to resist the advances of Giovanna (Clara Calamai), the estranged wife of nasty innkeeper Bragana (Juan de Landa), but he eventually gives in. Gino then allows her to talk him into killing Bragana to get the insurance money, with predictable results. Although the melodramatic story is a far cry from the post-war social statements of such later neorealist classics as Roberto Rossellini's Rome, Open City (1945) and Vittorio De Sica's Bicycle Thieves (1948), the movie began to feature some of neorealism's defining characteristics: above all, an emphasis on outdoor shooting and natural light and a relentless focus on the lives of the poor. Ossessione caused a sensation not just because of its lurid subject matter but also because Visconti's realist style makes you practically feel the heat and dirt and sweat of the film's environment. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

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84% liked it

1,710 ratings

Critics

100% liked it

9 critics

Unrated, 2 hr. 15 min.

Directed by: Luchino Visconti

Release Date: January 1, 1943

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DVD Release Date: July 16, 2002

Stats: 105 reviews

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Ossessione Guillaume Beylard
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Flixster Reviews (105)

  • brooklynspo
    July 28, 2008
    brooklynspo
    Wow, made in Italy in 1943, smack in the middle of WWII - this movie is fiendishly great - sucks you right in. Also, was this Massimo Girotti fellow ever on a Smiths cover? Cuz he freakin should have been. Great exterior street scene shots - w/ wonderful fluid camera movement.
  • bookmunki
    January 23, 2010
    bookmunki
    Visconti's directoral debut is a cinematic milestone both in noir and neo-realism. Brilliant adaptation of The Postman Always Rings Twice, depicting the descent of two lonely souls into lust, avarice, and desperation. The use of light and shadow emphasize the character developmen... read moret. The finale is one of the most ironic scenes in film history (omitted from the american versions).
  • flixsterman
    April 25, 2009
    flixsterman
    Massimo Girotti is the handsome young drifter who falls for the beautiful wife (Clara Calamai) of a roadside restauranteur. Through a progression of lust, adultery, envy and obsession we witness the spiraling decline of morality and the untimely death of one unsuspecting husband.... read more

    Viewed with an 'American eye', Ossessione seems a bit long-winded and meandering but Visconti's telling is nothing short of remarkable. The director's command of light and camera angles enables him to set a dark mood that is as much a tangible presence as any of the film's characters. A tragic tale masterfully told.
  • rubystevens
    June 19, 2008
    rubystevens
    this italian adaptation of the postman always rings twice predates both the american version and double indemnity. i have to say i think i prefer it to the turner/garfield film and it doesn't hurt that massimo girotti looks like a young paul newman :) visconti's first film is a... read more near masterpiece
  • HuskersNC949597
    March 11, 2011
    HuskersNC949597
    Italian neorealism as melodrama, wife and secret(ish) lover kill husband. Of course we the modern audience have seen that scenario more than once, but WWII era Italy probably had not, I suppose (unless I'm forgetting something which is likely, oh well.)

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Critic Reviews

Vincent Canby
May 20, 2003
Vincent Canby, New York Times

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

Don Druker
December 10, 2002
Don Druker, Chicago Reader

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

Matthew Sorrento
February 13, 2009
Matthew Sorrento, PopMatters

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

Jeffrey M. Anderson
September 27, 2004
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

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

Dennis Schwartz
November 30, 2003
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

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

Noel Murray
December 12, 2002
Noel Murray, AV Club

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

October 18, 2008
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Jake Euker
January 19, 2007
Jake Euker, F5 (Wichita, KS)

No review available.

Cole Smithey
October 22, 2006
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

No review available.

Emanuel Levy
July 5, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Ossessione Trivia

  • What Italian movie from the 1940's is based on the classic The Postman Always Rings Twice?  Answer »
  • Which film by Italian director Luchino Visconti was an unofficial remake of a hardboiled novel by American writer James M Cain?  Answer »
  • Luchino Visconti's first feature film is also considered by many to be the first Italian neorealist film. It is:  Answer »
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