Obsession (1976)

Director:

Brian De Palma

Writers:

Brian De Palma (story)
Paul Schrader (screenplay)

Release Date:

13 September 1976 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

The love story that will scare the life out of you

Plot:

New Orleans businessman Michael Courtland's life is shattered when his wife and daughter are tragically killed in a botched kidnap rescue attempt...

Plot Keywords:

Car Accident | Wedding Anniversary | Counterfeit Money | Ransom Note | Business Trip

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Cliff Robertson	...	Michael Courtland
Geneviève Bujold	...	Elizabeth Courtland / Sandra Portinari
John Lithgow	...	Robert Lasalle
Sylvia Kuumba Williams	...	Maid (as Sylvia "Kuumba" Williams)
Wanda Blackman	...	Amy Courtland
J. Patrick McNamara	...	Third Kidnapper (as Patrick McNamara)
Stanley J. Reyes	...	Insp. Brie
Nick Kreiger	...	Farber (as Nick Krieger)
Stocker Fontelieu	...	Dr. Ellman
Don Hood	...	Ferguson
Andrea Esterhazy	...	D'Annunzio
Thomas Carr	...	Paper Boy
Tom Felleghy	...	Italian Businessman
Nella Simoncini Barbieri	...	Mrs. Portinari
John Creamer	...	Justice of the Peace

Also Known As:

Deja Vu (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

98 min | Australia:94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:16 | West Germany:16 (f) | UK:15 (video rating) | UK:AA (original rating) | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Sweden:15 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Basilica di San Miniato al Monte, Florence, Tuscany, Italy

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The church seen at the beginning of the film, Church of San Miniato, is different from the one that Michael actually goes into when he sees Sandra. The reason for this is because the priests of the Church of San Miniato would not allow De Palma and his crew to film inside of the church, because of a previous film crew that turned out to be making a porno film, and had told them otherwise. This can be seen clearly when Michael goes into the church, which only has one door to enter into, and then in the next shot, where Michael's back is towards the door, and there are now two, and a windows on the doors that don't match the one that we saw on the outside shot.

Quotes:

Sandra Portinari: [noticing Michael watching her paint] Buon Giorno!
Michael Courtland: [smiles politely] Buon Giorno.
Sandra Portinari: [motions to her painting and speaks in Italian] Do you like it?
Michael Courtland: [answering slowly in halting Italian] I don't speak Italian.
Sandra Portinari: [speaks in English] That's okay. I speak English. You are an American?

Movie Connections:

Featured in 'Obsession' Revisited (2001) (V)

best of the early depalma

...and so I started depalma's "Obsession" and noticed the screenplay by Paul Schrader and did a double take and saw the score by Bernard Hermann and thought to myself "Taxi Driver"?? This is the fifth film i've seen in a cycle started with "Wedding Party" of early depalma works. It is I believe with this film that depalma finally seems to settle into a consistent film making style... I mean it's really difficult to figure out a directors vision when he jumps between making significant socio-political films like "Hi Mom" to cheezy schlock like "Phantom of the Paradise". Anyways, whether it be Hermann's bi-polar score (see. Taxi Driver) or Paul Hirch's magnificent editing, depalma finally makes a film worthy of a second viewing. If "Sisters" and "Phantom of the Paradise" showed depalma's clever camera play with split screen editing, "Obsession" shows depalma's delicate use of filtering to enhance a feeling of dreaminess and actually stay with a single theme till the end. Finally it's interesting to note the final sequence of the film and it's similarity to what in my opinion is his greatest triumph "Carlito's Way". Check this one out...