Possessed

As Joan Crawford aged out of glamorous roles, she remade herself during the 1940s by portraying tough, driven characters in a series of melodramas that gave her an opportunity to grab the spotlight in highly emotional scenes. In this 1947 film she stars as Louise Howell, a person who appears to be the very model of self-possessed strength and confidence, except for her obsessive love for David Sutton (Van Heflin), a cad bachelor who is happy to play around with her but resists commitment. Louise eventually marries the rich and kind Dean Graham (Raymond Massey), but when Sutton re-enters her life and falls for another, younger woman (Geraldine Brooks)—who just happens to be Louise's stepdaughter—she spirals into jealousy, paranoia, and emotional instability. Crawford gets to play both the proud and strong and the flamboyantly crazy versions of Louise, sinking into madness and exaggerating her trademark makeup (dark lips and slashes of eyeliner standing out from a powdered face) to resemble something like a kabuki mask. Possessed, which was made during the post-war fascination with psychiatry and analysis, plays out in flashback, framed by blandly authoritarian doctors offering simplistic diagnoses for the hysterical Louise after she's found wandering the streets in a state of shock in the opening scenes. German-born director Curtis Bernhardt balances the portrait of high-society affluence and fashionable lifestyle with the shadowy atmosphere of film noir. Debuting on Blu-ray, extras include audio commentary by film historian Drew Casper, and a behind-the-scenes featurette. A strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)