Ossessione

Adapted 'unofficially' from James M. Cain's novel 'The Postman Always Rings Twice', Visconti's stunning debut is a hotbed of smouldering passion, playfully symbolised by boiling pans, screaming cats and gathering storms. It begins with the arrival of Gino, a travelling tramp (Massimo Girotti), who turns up by chance at a roadside trattoria, stays on as a labourer and falls for the innkeeper's wife Giovanna (Clara Calamai). As the story unfolds, the twisting journey suffered by the lovers, coupled with the film's moral ambiguity, stretches the tension to near breaking point.

The Dark World of James M. Cain: Film Noir Revisited

Fri 10 - Thu 16 Mar

Ossessione is part of The Dark World of James M. Cain: Film Noir Revisited

James M. Cain’s novels of greed, forbidden lust and murder make for perfect film noir, and this is a rare opportunity to catch some classic titles inspired by the author on the big screen.

Also part of The Dark World of James M. Cain: Film Noir Revisited:

• Double Indemnity Fri 10 - Thu 16 Mar
• Mildred Pierce Fri 10 Mar
• The Postman Always Rings Twice Sat 11 Mar
• Talk: Adapting Cain for the Cinema or How Many Ways can the Postman Ring? Sun 12 Mar
• Double Indemnity Talk Mon 13 Mar

Further information about The Dark World of James M. Cain: Film Noir Revisited