User reviews

It's 1959 New Orleans. Elizabeth Courtland (Geneviève Bujold) and daughter Amy are kidnapped for ransom. Michael Courtland (Cliff Robertson) sells to his business partner Robert Lasalle (John Lithgow) to raise the money. Following police advise, he gives the kidnappers fake money and the deal goes badly. Elizabeth and Amy are presumed dead after going off a bridge. Michael builds a tomb for them and refuses to develop the valuable land surrounding it. It's 1975. He and Robert go to Italy for business where he falls for Elizabeth lookalike Sandra Portinari (Geneviève Bujold).

The fake money ended any hopes for greatness. It's an annoying little detail but the movie can still be good. At the very least, the police would use counterfeit money which can be tracked. The kidnappers are probably going to open the suitcase as soon as they get into the van. It's a stupid little detail which I have to ignore. The other problem is that the villain is obvious from the start and the reason for the whole thing can be logically deduced as soon as the premise is revealed after thirty minutes. There is also a final twist that seems obvious as a possibility. It's not quite so well conceived either. I don't really buy the flashbacks and Sandra's progression. Maybe if she was brutalized, she could become submissive to the plan. This is a twisted mystery from director Brian De Palma but it's not as mysterious as it should be.

Obsession is directed by Brian De Palma and written by Paul Schrader. It stars Cliff Robertson, Genevieve Bujold and John Lithgow. Music is by Bernard Herrmann and cinematography by Vismos Zsigmond.

You either love him or hate him, it seems. Brian De Palma that is. He's an amazing stylist who made some piercingly great thrillers in the tradition of Maestro Hitchcock, or he's a knock off artist using style to hide his inadequacies as a story teller? One thing for sure, for a good portion of the 70s and 80s his films would not be ignored, for better or worse depending on your own proclivities of course.

Obsession, as has been noted numerous times, is De Palma's homage to Hitchcock's masterpiece, Vertigo. It's not a straight out copy as some reviewers have somehow managed to convince themselves, but narrative drive is similar. Robertson in grief for a passed on wife (Bujold) and daughter meets a doppelganger (also Bujold) of his dead wife 16 years down the line and becomes obsessed with her. As the new woman reciprocates the attraction, the relationship becomes wrought and borderline unhealthy, reaching a crescendo when muddy waters are stirred and revelations force the can to open and worms to spill everywhere.

When remembering that for a long time Vertigo was out of circulation in the 70s, Obsession was sure as hell a good second option for anyone hankering for a superbly stylish thriller boiling over with psychological smarts. Even if you buy into the style over substance argument, what style there is here though. Roving camera work, up tilts, haze surrounds, canted frames, pan arounds, dream shimmers and personalised focus. Add in the splendid use of New Orleans and Tuscany locations and Herrmann's sensually dangerous score (lifted in part and re-worked from Vertigo) and it has style to burn. While the big reveals at pic's culmination are in turn intriguing and daring; even if the original ending planned would have really put the cat among the pigeons and made for a more potent piece ripe for heated discussion.

Lead cast are on fine form, Robertson plays it superbly as a wistful and damaged wastrel, guilt and obsession seeping from every pore. Bujold is just darling, a telling twin performance that actually doesn't demand to be noticed until late in the play. While Lithgow stomps around the edges of the frame like some shyster lawyer whose tie is on too tight. Ultimately Obsession is a film crafted in the mode of Hitchcock, but not in anyway disgracefully so. This is no illegitimate relation to Vertigo, it's more like a reliable brother-in-law. Pulpy, Trashy but also Classy. Great. 8/10

Brian dePalma really accomplished quite a feat by paying homage to Hitchcock with a strong variation on VERTIGO's theme--a man who loses the woman he loves sees her reincarnated in another woman and then loses her too.

He takes this premise and does some fancy camera-work that swirls around the lovers with an intensity only matched by the whirling colors of Bernard Herrmann's magical score. He sets up the tale by having a convincing kidnapping take place in which his wife and daughter are taken by the criminals and has him mourning their loss until he encounters another woman in Italy, years later, who strongly resembles his presumably dead wife.

The rest of the plot must remain undisclosed for "spoiler" purposes, but I'm sure there are those who will at least have a suspicion as to the real purpose of all the foregoing events.

CLIFF ROBERTSON has the difficult chore of appearing downtrodden and depressed most of the time, so GENEVIEVE BUJOLD has the task of brightening up the tale with her unconventional good looks and upbeat manner. JOHN LITHGOW makes his screen debut as Robertson's close friend and business acquaintance.

If it's a stylish dePalma movie you're in the mood for, this one will fill the bill nicely. And that Bernard Herrmann score alone makes watching the movie completely worthwhile. It's dazzling.

It's pretty amazing how a guy with a Hitchcock fetish, an appetite for visual experimentation and an ever so slightly perverted mind can have made such uniquely compelling films.

While Brian De Palma has never exactly been shy about his influences as a filmmaker, this has to be his work that most overtly and specifically references that of Alfred Hitchcock. For where the impact that 'the Master of Suspense' had on De Palma is evident throughout his filmography in terms of stylistic choices and recurring themes, 'Obsession' (which might as well refer to De Palma's relation with Hitchcock, maybe even 'Vertigo' in particular) borrows heavily from the master on a narrative level as well. It is even said that Hitchcock was furious when De Palma decided to make this film, as he thought it was virtually a remake of 'Vertigo'. While 'Obsession' cannot be called a remake of that seminal Hitchcock film in any literal sense, the many parallels between the two films are undeniable and, in the documentary 'De Palma', the director unabashedly acknowledges that he and 'Obsession' co-writer Paul Schrader came up with the idea for their film after revisiting 'Vertigo'.

Both in terms of its story and its central themes of identity, loss, love and yes, obsession, 'Obsession' is basically 'Vertigo' with some shades of 'Rebecca' sprinkled in during the latter part of the film, culminating in a lurid finale with a perverted, Freudian twist that could only have sprung from the warped mind of De Palma (although Park Chan-Wook has come up with one or two of those throughout his career). Still, despite its apparent lack of originality (in terms of its content at least), the film managed to grab my attention from the start and kept me captivated all the way through to that twist ending, which is mostly a credit to the stylistic prowess of De Palma and the haunting score by frequent Hitchcock collaborator Bernard Herrmann (who did the score for Vertigo as well). With his inventive camera movements (the camera seems to be endlessly circling at times, which has an almost hypnotizing effect on the viewer) and often jarring camera angles, De Palma keeps things visually interesting. These creative elements, combined with the great use of atmospheric shooting locations New Orleans and Florence, create a dreamlike, melancholy atmosphere, which is further amplified by the movie's lighting.

After having started a bit of a deeper dive into his filmography, there is no denying the gifted director that Brian De Palma is stylistically, and it makes for films that are never less than interesting. Even though he wears his cinematic influences on his sleeve for all to see (in addition to multiple Hitchcock films, 'Obsession' also seems to draw inspiration from Nicolas Roeg's 'Don't Look Now' and Giallo horror), De Palma is talented enough as a filmmaker that he can skillfully weave these different influences together and still create something new and original. Because of his singularly playful visual style, De Palma's films always end up having their own distinct personality, despite their often-obvious reference points. After having been through Hi, Mom!, Carrie and Obsession over these last few weeks, coming up next up in my Brian De Palma 'oeuvreview' will be a rewatch of Blow Out. And I guess I'll have to give Vertigo another look now as well.

A rich businessman (Clift Robertson) meets an enigmatic young girl ( Genevieve Bujold) in Florencia . She is the dead ringer image of his late spouse who was murdered by kidnappers during a car accident at a backfired rescue . It leads to a mesmerizing cycle of traps and lies.

A classic in suspense from De Palma , pitching us right into the action from the beginning and baffling most of us to the ending. There is much for De Palma buffs to savour in this thrilling and atmospheric handling of a complex story with deliberately old-fashioned treatment . Robertson is assured as ever as the obsessed millionaire battling against his obsessions and Bujold in a difficult double role as the girls who looks exactly like the wife, she strangely adds depth to her acting. There are tense key images that that are brilliantly staged. This romantic flick is plenty of mystery, intrigue, and suspenseful. Adding special characteristics techniques as ominous camera movements .

Brian De Palma's homage to Hitchcock and the amusement turn out to be inquire what scenes taken from suspense Master. For that reason takes parts especially from ¨Vertigo¨. All this said, the mechanics of suspense are worked quite well and may frighten the easily scared quite badly, but De Palma has made a habit of dwelling on their more sordid side-shoots. The film displays a great and haunting musical score by Bernard Herrmann, Hitchock's favorite composer and imitating his former hits. Furthermore appropriate cinematography by cameraman Vilmos Zsigmond, though is urgent a necessary remastering because of the colors are faded. The picture is brilliantly directed by Brian De Palma. This one along with ¨ Sisters,Dresssed to Kill, Blow out¨ are outwardly another ode to Hitchcock, but the Master might well shift uneasily in his grave at the long-drawn-out tension, the flash scenes and the shock effects with the accent on gas-provoking , but on most occasion is thrilling. Rating : Above average but gets some riveting basic ideas and fascinating images.

Brian De Palma once again shows his obsession for Alfred Hitchcock. He brings in some overwrought music from Bernard Herrmann.

This is another stylish but flawed film from De Palma with a dreamlike romantic mystery to cover up a controversial strand of the storyline.

Michael Courtland (Cliff Robertson) is a real estate developer in New Orleans whose wife Elizabeth (Geneviève Bujold) and daughter Amy are kidnapped. From the advice of the police, he does not pay the ransom. A botched rescue attempt leads to his wife and daughter's death.

Michael is left devastated. 16 years later, he goes on a business trip to Italy with his business partner Robert LaSalle (John Lithgow.) To his astonishment he meets Sandra Portinari, a woman who looks like his late wife at the same church he originally met her in Italy.

Michael becomes obsessed with Sandra and asks her to marry him. When he brings her to New Orleans, his friends and colleagues are worry about Michael. Fate plays a cruel twist on him as Sandra disappears one morning.

This is a moody, uneven and a slow moving thriller. De Palma is yet to master suspense and the script he co-wrote with Paul Schrader is choppy.

Bujold is very good in a difficult role. Robertson looks like a television actor who struck it lucky with an Oscar. He is just too bland. Lithgow on the other hand is too fruity who signals his nefarious hand in any twist in the plot.

"Obsession" is truly the best movie Hitchcock never made.

It came out the same year as the great master of suspense made his last movie, the disappointing "Family Plot", it has a classy, brilliant soundtrack by the legendary Bernard Herrmann that fits nicely in with the work he did for Hitchcock, it has a wonderful script by Paul Schrader that will keep you guessing till the last frame, and last but not least: it's directed by Brian De Palma, who despite being slammed by some (stupid) critics for ripping off Hitchcock should in stead be praised for being able to copy the master better than any other living filmmaker.

Hitchcock is my favorite director of all times, and "Obsession" is so much like one of his films that it's difficult to accept that it was put together by another man. But De Palma doesn't deserve criticism for honoring his idol, he deserves praise for delivering a movie that, had it been made by Hitchcock, would rank among his finest films.

That's quite a feat! If you are a fan of De Palma or Hithcock you are almost guaranteed to love "Obsession", a highly underrated thriller that left me an even greater fan of Robertson, Bujold, Lithgow, De Palma, Schrader, Herrmann and every one else involved. Sit back, enjoy it and watch out for those wonderful last 20 minutes!

I say TO-MAE-TOE , You say TO-MAH-TOE. I say Vertigo, You say Obsession.

This early work of Brian de Palma freely takes plot material from Hitchcock's masterpiece. Indeed, Obsession strikes me as a more blatant Hitchcock steal, than the latter de Palma films also accused of being rip-offs (Dressed to Kill, Body Double, Raising Cane) The best and safest way to approach Obsession is to treat it not so much as a rip-off, but rather as a retelling. I suppose that would be the best way to treat all de Palma thrillers, come to think of it.

Brian De Palma, and co-writer Paul Shrader have chosen to take this story away from San Franscisco (Vertigo) and into Venice where de Palma can integrate long sweeping takes of renaissance churches with religious art, and work his camera through a labyrinth of four hundred year old, narrow streets/alleys.

Despite being derivative, Obsession entertains....for a while. Three errors come to mind, which hurt the movie. a) Cliff Robertson is no James Stewart, His performance as a distraught millionaire following a Venetian girl who resembles his dead wife, is stiff and unconvincing. b) the film is surrounded by a score that is over composed, too assertive and draws more attention to itself than it should. c) the climactic finale is chaotic and dumb. Despite a few good de Palma shots, Obsession comes with a disappointing pay off.

I'm not sure who best to recommend Obsession to. I would certainly not suggest it for those who worship Hitchcock. It's watchable, but De Palma has done better, as has the thriller genre.

We all suffer from those deja vu moments in life when we feel we recognise a place we've never been before or a person we find has an uncanny resemblance to someone we once knew, a loved one, friend or relative. I know of only two film directors who have taken this phenomenon and weaved it into movies worthy of watching. The pioneer in this case is, Hitchcock, and the film ,Vertigo. But in Brian De Palma's(Fury, Carrie, The Untouchables etc) Obsession, we come up with a truly well crafted, flawless tribute to Hitchcock and Vertigo. I'd have to agree with another reviewer that this movie vastly surpasses Vertigo in many respects. I'm equally surprised that its not that well known or reviewed.

The film sets the scene in Louisana state where there is a 10th wedding anniversary going on for Michael and Elizabeth Courtland. Michael played by Cliff Robertson, is a real estate businessman in partner with John Lithgow as Lasalle. Genieve Bujold( Anne of a Thousand Days) plays Courtland's wife, Elizabeth. There is a kidnapping that night in which Courtland's wife and daughter are seized and a ransom demanded for their safe return. The intented rescue goes wrong and both victims are killed in a high speed chase when the car they're occupying collides with an oil tanker, however the bodies are not recovered. Sorry that's as far as I'll tell you about what happens next. Please see the movie, its pure brilliance and the unusual feature about this gem is its connections with Vertigo. For one thing we have the same musical scorer, Bernard Hermann, who gives an excellent off beat musical theme here. Elements common to both films include both Genieve Bujold and Kim Novak(Vertigo) studying a portrait hung on a wall, Bujold in Courtland's house, Novak in an art gallery. We have male pursuers of female interests. Jimmy Stewart observes Novak during her daily excursions around San Fransisco (Vertigo), Robertson follows a woman who resemblances his former wife, around Florence, Italy (Obsession). We have mysteries to be solved in each film. At one point in Obsession, Bujold composes a letter only to crumple it up as it inadequately expresses her feelings. Novak does the exact same thing in Vertigo. Watch the piece with a gold plated pair of scissors that glints at the camera (Obsession), this technique was used very effectively with a knife in De Palma's DRESSED TO KILL movie. And I ask, is that Tom Skerritt I see towards the end of the movie dressed as a security guard who approaches a TWA check-in clerk? It wouldn't surprise me if it was, why? Because as any film fan knows, Skerritt was the captain of the Nostromo in the Sci-fi horror film ALIEN. What's the connection you ask? Well interestingly, One of the other members of that ill fated space crew just happened to be Veronica Cartwright who, God bless her little lungs, lets out some of the best screams in Hitchcock's THE BIRDS!! Apart from these connections what impressed me most about OBSESSION was the story by Paul Schrader, the acting, especially Bujold, who exudes a captivating sensuality in the film and John Lithgow as the upbeat business partner to Robertson. Robertson's character was difficult to play as he was constantly in a state of what seemed like eternal remorse, difficult to portray that kind of a mood on celluloid. But the most impressive feature by far was the masterful film editing done by Paul Hirsch. With only 6 years experience under his belt he produced such simple and fluid dynamics that lended some memorable moments to this film. One such piece of magic is John Lithgow's face morphing into someone else's in an airport scene and then morphing back again to show the compression of memory and time. Another time compression feature is where Robertson stands on a memorial site to his departed wife and daughter. The camera gives us a slow 360 degree panorama and when we return to Robertson's face we have miraculously advanced 16 years into the future. This is pure artistic work and it reminds me of the 'hands covering the face' scene in Cinema Paradiso, magic. Did you know that when Courtland's wife and daughter are kidnapped , the year is 1959 one year after the release of Vertigo and that a reference to pyschiatrists links both movies. Well there I go again. Better yet rent it on video you will be doubly surprised, I give it a definite 10.

...or rather nightmarish,this is probably De Palma"s finest achievement.Here his obsession with Alfred Hitchcock is subdued or thoroughly mastered.Of course we cannot help but thinking of "Vertigo" but De Palma's work is made with taste :two good leads -Cliff Robertson,whose eyes seem to reflect fatality,and Genevieve Bujold whose beauty seems to plunge the audience into a dream(the sequence in the church makes her look like a madonna)-.Besides,Bernard Herrman's score is absolutely mind-boggling,enhancing the strangest sequences in an almost religious incantation.The cinematography is up to scratch,and the directing remains sober.The Hitchcock quotations take a back seat to De Palma's talent:compare this work with the grand guignol of "Carrie" the follow-up,the sensationalism tinged with melodrama of "fury" (no,it's not a remake of the Fritz Lang classic),the plagiarism of "dressed to kill" or "Body double".

One may regret the last pictures in slow motion.But that's minor quibble.This is De Palma's magnum opus,and it will be "blow out" before he puts out a genuinely personal movie.Do not miss it.

It's impossible to talk about this for very long without dealing with the elephant in the room. Yes, De Palma, as several other talented directors, is a fan of Hitchcock(and this lives up to his style well, without being a copy), and yes, aspects of this do bear a striking resemblance to Vertigo. Neither of the plots hold up to close scrutiny yet are compelling and keep you wanting to find out more, the reveals are gripping and the focus is on the emotion. The well-done, mysterious scores are done by the same composer, if it's a tad bombastic here. Both starring ladies are attractive; Bujold's performance is stunning, Novak is the greater beauty. Stewart surprised in an unexpected role, Robertson(who I've barely seen in anything else) is bland without being boring. The theme of obsession is important in them. With all of that said, this is different, and ought not to be regarded as a mere remake(one was not, and is not, necessary). Alfred chose to be angry; I think it would have been fitting for him to be proud. As far as tributes to him and his work go, this is among the best. Florence is haunting in this. The build-up of mood and atmosphere, leading to the inevitable and remarkable climax, is gradual but it pays off. Let this absorb you. It possesses a dream-like quality that stays with you. What there is of suspense and tension is effective, and this keeps you engaged. The acting is good for the most part. Lithgow's convincing accent and his unflattering moustache balance each other out. This is well-edited and the cinematography is nicely done. The FX are decent(there aren't enough for this to be a bother; this is subtle and doesn't try too hard). This is one of the seven pictures by Brian I've watched, the others being Carrie, The Untouchables, Scarface, Snake Eyes, Mission: Impossible and Black Dahlia. There is disturbing content in this, and not everyone will be comfortable with it. The DVD comes with interesting trivia(note that it spoils the movie), a trailer for this and a bunch of others, and a 36 second photo gallery. I recommend this to any fan of either skillful film-maker. 7/10

I can honestly say I was looking forward to watching this one but unfortunately, I had 95% of this one figured out within the first 20 minutes. Only area where i had trouble was who the girl actually was.

I can see where some would say this has Hitchcock tones or is similar to the way Hitchcock did his stuff but to me it's all De Palma's style. A lot of his films are like this one. IMO, if you want a great example of his really good thrillers, try Blow Out or Body Double. Especially Blow Out, which is far better than this one. This one is well done but very easily figured out. I wasn't too surprised by the end but that doesn't mean it wasn't worth the 90 minutes it took to watch. Now I've seen it and can move one with my life LOL

Not One of Brian De Palma's Hits...a Missed Opportunity Homage to one of Hitchcock's Most Artsy Movies.

Cliff Robertson is One of those A-List Actors that Rode His "Charly" (1968) Oscar for an Entire Career and was Never a Charismatic or Fine Actor.

John Lithgow is Prone to "OVER" Acting and Tends to Strongly Emphasize His Line-Deliveries a Notch Above the "Red".

Here He Gives One of His Most Exaggerated Performances where All Around Him, Including the Director are Somewhat Restrained.

The Hilarious Southern Accent along with an All White Outfit Throughout and He Stands-Out (and not in a good way) as if He is Detached from the Proceedings and is in a Different Film.

Nothing Quite Clicks in a De Palma Sort of Way, the Elements are Here but seem Abstractly Muted.

But then Again, Brian De Palma is a "Stylist" or "Auteur" and All His Movies are a Hoot to Watch because He Offers Such a Visual-Vista of Eye and Ear Candy.

That is to Say that Even the Worst De Palma Movie Could be Called a "Guilty Pleasure".

Worth a Watch.

"Obsession" is one of Brian DePalma's most underrated films. It is a thriller of tremendous power and grace. It is also the recipient of some of the most negative reviews in DePalma's very checkered history.

I personally think that Brian DePalma is one of our very best directors. I would even classify him as a great director. His best films are his thrillers, which are inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's work. Most critics think DePalma is nothing more than someone who rips off Hitchcock. But in his defense, he does not rip off Hitch. He is his own artist. He has his own agenda in each and every film he has made.

"Obsession" is often touted as a "rehash of Vertigo". But DePalma takes the basic premise and turns it upside down, creating twists and revelations that Hitchcock only dreamed of. The film stars Cliff Robertson, in his usual fine performance as a man whose wife and daughter are kidnapped and killed in a setup gone bad. The film opens in 1959 and then skips ahead to 1975 with Robertson standing at the graves (really nice camerawork in this sequence as time fades away) Robertson is in Italy for business when he sees a young woman who strongly resembles his late wife (since both are played by Genevieve Bujold, this is no coincidence)You can pretty much guess the rest.

Or can you? What makes "Obsession" really stand out is the final 25 minutes in which DePalma and cowriter Paul Schrader (himself a fine director; his credits include "Hardcore", "Blue Collar", "American Gigolo" and "Mishima")put in so many twists and turns that a second viewing may be necessary to sort out all the details. While most people may dismiss this as a ripoff of "Vertigo", remember that at this time "Vertigo" was currently unavailable period. No TV viewings, no tapes, no theatrical runs, nothing. DePalma may have been trying to make a film to fill the void left behind by that disappearance. But he makes a film that is more satisfying than the Hitchcock film. "Vertigo", brilliant as it was, was a real downer. "Obsession" is shorter at 98 minutes, but it has a delibirate pace that makes it feel longer. In a lesser work, it would be intolerable, but here it is appropriate.

The technical credits are solid as a rock. The Panavision photography by Vilmos Zsigmond is outstanding as is the Bernard Herrmann score (his next to last). Robertson and Bujold give strong performances, but it is DePalma regular John Lithgow who is the most memorable.

See "Obsession" two or three times to get the full effect. It takes some effort to get used to, but it's worth it.

**** out of 4 stars

Cliff Robertson is the wrong actor to play a man mourning the death of his wife, obsessed over a new woman who strikingly resembles her. James Stewart pulled it off in "Vertigo", and believably conveyed a range of emotions of a man being pulled into an emotional quagmire kicking and fighting. Robertson is alert, but that's about all you can say for him. Director Brian De Palma swirls his camera around him and Genevieve Bujold, but gets nothing visceral going, no emotional involvement. The plot is fairly transparent, the cinematography and color processing are poor, and the supporting cast fails to add much to the low-keyed melodrama. De Palma wanted his own flair and showiness to be the star attraction here, but his languid, surreal mood seems merely plodding, and his obvious regard to the style of Hitchcock isn't made appealing to us. ** from ****

Underrated masterpiece by De Palma was basically disregarded due comparisons to "Vertigo". Sure, the basic premise is the same, but De Palma takes it in a totally different direction. Technically, this is among his best works, with the beautiful camerawork complimenting a haunting, disturbing story. The story takes it's time, and while the slow pace may bother some viewers, patient viewers will realize that it works to draw them in. By the time it is over, it feels like you have just come out of a trance.

This is one of DP's Hitchcock rips, in this case referencing Vertigo: Cliff Robertson's wife Genevieve Bujold gets kidnapped and killed, and 15 years later he meets her doppelganger in Italy and tries to start over. The main and fascinating divergence here is that the romance-myth-obsessive is portrayed as a victim of, quite vulgarly, Capitalism, whose agent is Robertson's business partner John Lithgow. There's quite an intriguing exploration of the homoerotic implications of business relationships in that team, and by the third act the variations on the theme have become fascinating and compelling - and exhilaratingly perverse, not to give anything away. Nonetheless, I think this movie fails on balance, most especially due to an utterly and hopelessly illogical setup in the kidnap sequence, and a total copout ending that looks like studio interference but is actually De Palma messing with the script by Paul Schrader. Also, and this may sound like sour grapes, but by blaming capitalism for everything, the movie lets Robertson off the hook and barely explores the gender-role themes that are inherent in the material (I blame this on Schrader, who is too utterly immersed in maleness to look at it from the outside). The meta-queer Lithgow gets stabbed to death with scissors, of course. And ultimately, the movie has to bear the weight of comparison with my favourite movie of all time bar none, and it can't possibly hold up.

I revisited "Obsession" recently because I've always been a fan of the late, great Bernard Herrmann. In the late 1970's, I bought the "Obsession" soundtrack on LP because, as one critic so aptly wrote, "Herrmann's score would make even blank film compelling." As for what happens on the celluloid, it's obvious that this movie was a lower-budgeted rush job (example: mid-70's automobiles in scenes of 1959 New Orleans). It's also quite a feat to make Florence look so drab and gray, while the middle third of the film bogs down tremendously. And the excessive use of filters by Vilmos Zsigmond makes the film look less ethereal than out-of-focus.

In my opinion, the only other positive for the film is Genevieve Bujold's performance. It stands in marked contrast to the one given by Cliff Robertson, who is leaden throughout and provides no shades or nuances of a conflicted man. And a young John Lithgow fares no better, with his outrageously syrupy Southern accent.

Five stars out of ten. For Benny and Genevieve.