Obsession (1976)
Directed by Brian De Palma
Screenplay by Paul Schrader
From a story by Schrader and De Palma
Produced by George Litto
Cinematographer: Vilmos Zsigmond
Editor: Paul Hirsch
Music by Bernard Herrmann
With: Cliff Robertson, Geneviève Bujold, John Lithgow
98 minutes, released by Columbia
As I recall, director Brian De Palma got slammed by many when this came out for being a “remake” of Hitchcock’s Vertigo—but I actually like Obsession more: I prefer De Palma’s sick sense of humor and maxed out cinematic trickery.
Stylish and technically perfect,
Obsession, like so many of his films (like Dressed to Kill or Raising Cain) is much better when seeing it for the second time around—and the “ick” factor increases exponentially when you know what’s the story behind “obsessed” Cliff Robertson and the always beautiful Geneviève Bujold—
Although I would’ve preferred that the movie went all the way with its wrongness (Oldboy, I’m looking at you).
I’m sure De Palma and screenwriter Paul Schrader (another sick fuck if ever there was one) chortled with merry twistedness at some point in Obsession’s production.
[As it turned out, De Palma heavily rewrote and toned down what was in Schrader’s original script, much to Schrader’s chagrin and anger.]
And don’t let me forget to mention Bernard Herrmann’s magnificent score—I’ve got the LP of it, and it’s a wonderful, overwrought, over-the-top doozy, lots of horns and brass and mournful, but bombastic sounds. Genius!
Released in August 1976, Obsession reportedly did well at the box office despite being trashed by some critics, but it was De Palma’s film that was released in November of ’76 that put him on the map: Carrie.
