Ossession

Ossession (1943) is the story of two young lovers who take drastic measures to guarantee that they can be together, but the odds still are not in their favor. The film centers on the arc of the main character as he goes from wanderer not looking to be tied, to head over heals in love, to restless in his new life. He begins his journey as the sultry, unemployed man who walks into Giovanna's kitchen. She is instantly taken with him, and he with her. Using his charm and con skills, Gino finds a way to have alone time with Giovanna, after which he convinces the husband to allow him to stay in their house. When Giovanna refuses to run away with him, he returns to his nomadic lifestyle, only to find himself helplessly in love. When the two are reunited by nothing more than coincidence, they devise a wicked plan. After this plan is carried out, Gino is not the same man. He begins to drink and act much like the woman's husband. At this point, the audience has grown to hate him.

The end of the film, which I will not give away is why I decided to blog about it. In the last twenty minutes or so, the characters are able to redeem themselves and return to the pure love that they found in the beginning. At this point, the audience is willing to forgive them for what they have done, and hopes for the best. In an ironic twist of events, however, the film ends on a much more somber note. It clearly demonstrates that what comes around goes around, as well as the fact that there comes a point when everyone has nothing left to lose, and when you get to that point, there is nothing left of who you once were.

I would highly recommend seeing this film. It is an Italian film, so it is subtitled, and the running time is 2 hours and 20 minutes, but it's worth the watch.