Possessed

(1947) ***1/2

Joan Crawford is Louise Howell, who is found seemingly out of her mind at the beginning of Possessed. After stumbling through the streets crying out for “David”, and eventually wandering into a bar, the men-in-white are contacted and Louise is hauled off to the “Psychopathic Unit” at the local hospital. It is here that Louise recalls her ordeal through a series of flashbacks. We learn that she was once a nurse employed by wealthy oil businessman, Dean Graham, to care for his mentally and physically ailing wife, Elizabeth. At the same time Louise was involved in an affair with David, a vain playboy-type who tries to let Louise down easy after she makes her desire to be married known (men!). Rather than taking the breakup gracefully, Louise becomes obsessed with David and her view of reality becomes increasingly warped. After Louise’s charge, Elizabeth accidentally drowns, Dean asks Louise to remain in order to care for his young son. Dean eventually asks Louise to marry him and although she makes it known that she is not in love with him, the two marry. Things begin to unravel for Louise when David reenters the picture and begins dating Dean’s 20-year old daughter. Louise becomes delusional and at times hallucinates various scenarios such as murdering Dean’s daughter.

Joan Crawford does an amazing performance as the is-she-or-isn’t-she losing her mind, Louise. I would have given Possessed 4 stars but the ridiculous psychobabble and the suggestion that schizophrenia stems from unrequited love forced my hand. Possessed also loses some points for refusing to tie up some loose ends. Although less than perfect, Possessed is riveting and Joan Crawford plays (what would now be diagnosed as borderline personality disorder) perfectly. So perfectly, in fact, that I intend to show the interns I supervise selected scenes from this film to better illustrate the disorder.