Obsession

"A bizarre story of love."

1976 1h 39m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

🍅

77%

FRESH

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

6.7

IMDB

★6.7TMDB · 334🍅77%Rotten Tomatoes●59Metacritic★6.7IMDB · 12,364

ThrillerMysteryDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A wealthy New Orleans businessman becomes obsessed with a young woman who resembles his late wife.

“A bizarre story of love.”

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Cast

Cliff Robertson
Michael Courtland
Geneviève Bujold
Elizabeth Courtland / Sandra Portinari
John Lithgow
Robert Lasalle
Sylvia Kuumba Williams
Maid
Wanda Blackman
Amy Courtland
J. Patrick McNamara
Third Kidnapper
Stanley J. Reyes
Inspector Brie
Nick Kreiger
Farber

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Brian De Palma
Writers: Paul Schrader, Brian De Palma, Paul Schrader
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America, Italy

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.4M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 3.2× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

50 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Italy.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Brian De Palma, shot by Vilmos Zsigmond. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Bernard Herrmann. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Paul Hirsch shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Cliff Robertson and Geneviève Bujold and John Lithgow carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Brian De Palma directs. Vilmos Zsigmond behind the camera. Bernard Herrmann scores. Paul Hirsch cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America, Italy. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $1.4M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Made its money back 3.2× over at the box office.
350 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
4International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Italy.
5Directed by Brian De Palma, shot by Vilmos Zsigmond. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Bernard Herrmann. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Paul Hirsch shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Cliff Robertson and Geneviève Bujold and John Lithgow carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "A bizarre story of love.".
10IMDB entry: tt0074991 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Vilmos Zsigmond
Original score: Bernard Herrmann
Editing: Paul Hirsch
Costume design: Frank Balchus
Stunt coordinator: Bob Herron
Runtime: 99 min · 1h 39m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $1,400,000
Box office: $4,468,000
Return: 319% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Obsession (1976)
Rotten Tomatoes: 77% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 59/100
IMDB rating: 6.7/10 · 12,364 votes
MPAA: PG

Awards

Nominated for 1 Oscar. 3 wins & 2 nominations total

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Brian De Palma

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2014-02-13
★ 8/10
Déjà vu and Déjà vu. Obsession is directed by Brian De Palma and written by Paul Schrader. It stars Cliff Robertson, Genevieve Bujold and John Lithgow. Music is by Bernard Herrmann and cinematography by Vismos Zsigmond. You either love him or hate him, it seems. Brian De Palma that is. He's an amazing stylist who made some piercingly great thrillers in the tradition of Maestro Hitchcock, or he's a knock off artist using style to hide his inadequacies as a story teller? One thing for sure, for a good portion of the 70s and 80s his films would not be ignored, for better or worse depending on your own proclivities of course. Obsession, as has been noted numerous times, is De Palma's homage to Hitchcock's masterpiece, Vertigo. It's not a straight out copy as some reviewers have somehow managed to convince themselves, but narrative drive is similar. Robertson in grief for a passed on wife (Bujold) and daughter meets a doppelganger (also Bujold) of his dead wife 16 years down the line and becomes obsessed with her. As the new woman reciprocates the attraction, the relationship becomes wrought and borderline unhealthy, reaching a crescendo when muddy waters are stirred and revelations force the can to open and worms to spill everywhere. When remembering that for a long time Vertigo was out of circulation in the 70s, Obsession was sure as hell a good second option for anyone hankering for a superbly stylish thriller boiling over with psychological smarts. Even if you buy into the style over substance argument, what style there is here though. Roving camera work, up tilts, haze surrounds, canted frames, pan arounds, dream shimmers and personalised focus. Add in the splendid use of New Orleans and Tuscany locations and Herrmann's sensually dangerous score (lifted in part and re-worked from Vertigo) and it has style to burn. While the big reveals at pic's culmination are in turn intriguing and daring; even if the original ending planned would have really put the cat among the pigeons and made for a more potent piece ripe for heated discussion. Lead cast are on fine form, Robertson plays it superbly as a wistful and damaged wastrel, guilt and obsession seeping from every pore. Bujold is just darling, a telling twin performance that actually doesn't demand to be noticed until late in the play. While Lithgow stomps around the edges of the frame like some shyster lawyer whose tie is on too tight. Ultimately Obsession is a film crafted in the mode of Hitchcock, but not in anyway disgracefully so. This is no illegitimate relation to Vertigo, it's more like a reliable brother-in-law. Pulpy, Trashy but also Classy. Great. 8/10

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