The Possessed (1988 film) - Misplaced Pages

1988 film

The Possessed
French poster
Directed by	Andrzej Wajda
Written by	Jean-Claude Carrière
Based on	The Possessed by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Produced by	Margaret Ménégoz
Starring	Isabelle Huppert
Cinematography	Witold Adamek
Edited by	Halina Prugar-Ketling
Music by	Zygmunt Konieczny
Distributed by	Gaumont Distribution
Release date	24 February 1988 (1988-02-24)
Running time	116 minutes
Country	France
Language	French
Budget	$575.000

The Possessed (French: Les Possédés) is a 1988 French drama film directed by Andrzej Wajda and starring Isabelle Huppert. It was entered into the 38th Berlin International Film Festival.

Plot

The story is set in 19th-century Russia, in a small provincial town plagued by political unrest and social upheaval. The town's inhabitants are divided into various factions, including radical intellectuals, aristocrats, government officials, and peasants, each with their own agendas and ideologies.

The central figure in the story is Nikolai Stavrogin, a mysterious and enigmatic aristocrat who returns to his hometown after an extended absence in Switzerland. Stavrogin's arrival sparks intrigue and controversy among the town's residents, as rumors circulate about his scandalous past and his involvement in a tragic incident years earlier.

Stavrogin's presence disrupts the lives of those around him, including the governor's wife, Varvara Stavrogina, and her stepson, Pyotr Verkhovensky, a charismatic and radical revolutionary. Verkhovensky is a fervent advocate for social change and seeks to incite a revolution against the existing order.

As tensions escalate within the community, fueled by Stavrogin's provocative actions and Verkhovensky's radical ideology, the characters find themselves drawn into a web of intrigue, manipulation, and moral corruption. Verkhovensky forms a secret society of radicals, recruiting disaffected youths and intellectuals to his cause.

Meanwhile, Stavrogin becomes entangled in a series of scandalous affairs and personal conflicts, including a tumultuous relationship with a young woman named Marya Lebyadkina, who becomes infatuated with him. Stavrogin's ambiguous motives and erratic behavior confound those around him, leading to speculation and suspicion about his true intentions.

As the tensions between the various factions reach a boiling point, the town erupts into violence and chaos. Verkhovensky's revolutionary ambitions spiral out of control, leading to betrayal, bloodshed, and ultimately tragedy for many of the characters involved.

Cast

Isabelle Huppert as Maria Sjatov
Jutta Lampe as Maria Lebjadkin
Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu as Lisa
Bernard Blier as Le Gouverneur
Jean-Philippe Écoffey as Peter Verchovenskij
Laurent Malet as Kirillov
Jerzy Radziwiłowicz as Sjatov
Omar Sharif as Stepan
Lambert Wilson as Nikolaj Stavrogin
Philippe Chambon as Chigalev
Jean-Quentin Châtelain as Virguinski
Rémi Martin as Erkel
Serge Spira as Fedka
Wladimir Yordanoff as Lebjadkin
Zbigniew Zamachowski as Liamchine
Piotr Machalica as Maurice
Bożena Dykiel as Virginska
Krzysztof Kumor as Aide de campe
Witold Skaruch as Secrétaire du Gouverneur
Tadeusz Łomnicki as Captaine
Agnieszka Jaworska as Kirillov's child

References

"Les Possédés (1988)- JPBox-Office". Retrieved 8 July 2016.
Dan Pavlides (2008). "NY Times: The Possessed". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on 21 April 2008. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
"Berlinale: 1988 Programme". berlinale.de. Retrieved 6 March 2011.

External links

The Possessed at IMDb

v t e Andrzej Wajda
Filmography
Films directed	A Generation (1955) Towards the Sun (1955) Kanał (1957) Ashes and Diamonds (1958) Lotna (1959) Innocent Sorcerers (1960) Samson (1961) Siberian Lady Macbeth (1962) Love at Twenty (1962) The Ashes (1965) Gates to Paradise (1968) Przekładaniec (1968) Everything for Sale (1969) Hunting Flies (1969) The Birch Wood (1970) Landscape After the Battle (1970) Pilate and Others (1972) The Wedding (1972) The Promised Land (1975) The Shadow Line (1976) Man of Marble (1977) Without Anesthesia (1978) The Maids of Wilko (1979) The Orchestra Conductor (1980) Man of Iron (1981) Danton (1983) A Love in Germany (1983) A Chronicle of Amorous Accidents (1986) The Possessed (1988) Korczak (1990) The Crowned-Eagle Ring (1993) Nastasja (1994) Holy Week (1995) Miss Nobody (1996) Sir Thaddeus (1999) The Condemnation of Franciszek Klos (2000) The Revenge (2002) Katyń (2007) Sweet Rush (2009) Walesa: Man of Hope (2013) Afterimage (2016)
Companies	Zespół Filmowy "X" Film New Europe Association

v t e Jean-Claude Carrière
Films written	The Suitor (1962) Heureux Anniversaire (1962) Diary of a Chambermaid (1964) Yo Yo (1965) Viva Maria! (1965) Attack of the Robots (1966) The Diabolical Dr. Z (1966) As Long as You've Got Your Health (1966) Hotel Paradiso (1966) The Thief of Paris (1967) Belle de Jour (1967) Pour un amour lointain (1968) The Great Love (1969) The Milky Way (1969) La Piscine (1969) Borsalino (1970) Un peu de soleil dans l'eau froide (1971) The Wedding Ring (1971) Taking Off (1971) The Outside Man (1972) The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) Liza (1972) The Monk (1972) The Phantom of Liberty (1974) The Woman in Red Boots (1974) Serious as Pleasure (1975) La Chair de l'orchidée (1975) Weak Spot (1975) Scrambled Eggs (1976) Le Gang (1977) That Obscure Object of Desire (1977) Butterfly on the Shoulder (1978) Surprise Sock (1978) Jigsaw (1979) The Tin Drum (1979) Return to the Beloved (1979) The Associate (1979) Every Man for Himself (1980) The Return of Martin Guerre (1982) Passion (1982) The General of the Dead Army (1983) Danton (1983) Swann in Love (1984) Exploits of a Young Don Juan (1986) The Last Image (1986) Max, Mon Amour (1986) The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988) The Possessed (1988) The Bengali Night (1988) Valmont (1989) Hard to Be a God (1989) The Mahabharata (1989) May Fools (1990) Cyrano de Bergerac (1990) At Play in the Fields of the Lord (1991) The Return of Casanova (1992) The Night and the Moment (1995) The Horseman on the Roof (1995) The Ogre (1996) Chinese Box (1997) War in the Highlands (1998) Birth (2004) Goya's Ghosts (2006) Ulzhan (2007) The Artist and the Model (2012) The Patience Stone (2012) In the Shadow of Women (2015) Lover for a Day (2017) A Faithful Man (2018) At Eternity's Gate (2018) The Salt of Tears (2020) The Crusade (2021) Land of Dreams (2021) The Plough (2023)
Stage works	The Mahabharata (1985) Clara (1998) Wagner Dream (2007)
TV series written	The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1964)
Books written	The Power of Buddhism (1999)

v t e Fyodor Dostoevsky's Demons (1872)
Films	La Chinoise (1967) The Public Woman (1984) The Possessed (1988)
Plays	The Possessed (1959)

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Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links