Curtis Bernhardt's Possessed

Possessed, directed by Curtis Bernhardt, follows the story of a young woman’s deteriorating mental state caused by her obsession with an ex-lover. Told through a series of flashbacks, the film explores the crisis of vision experienced by the viewer and issues related to gender in light of a trauma. Through the examination of Louise’s (Joan Crawford) hallucination scene it becomes clear that the flashback narrative is more than just a cinematic device, but is specifically used to help address these issues. Louise’s hallucination is initially triggered when she hears the pianist play a familiar song that immediately reminds her of memories shared with David. Unable to control her feelings she excuses herself, with the justification of a headache, and leaves, every inconsequential sound amplified around her …show more content…
Although she is recounting the story, and seems to be in control of the situation, seeing as it is her word that the audience must believe, the male doctor holds all of the authority. “Her narrative cannot stand on its own – it must be interpreted” as Doane states in her essay (54). Without the doctor, Louise’s story would not be heard. The doctor facilitated the conversation, with an injection, to an incoherent Louise in order to understand how she came to be in such a destroyed mental state. He is also the one who has the final recommendation concerning what to do with her. The doctor becomes the metaphorical viewer of Louise’s story and is given the power to interpret it anyway he chooses to. He becomes the source of knowledge, periodically appearing between flashbacks in the story, to give his psychoanalysis or prompt her into further explaining something that specifically interests him. At the end of the film, when the doctor and Mr. Graham discuss Louise’s future, her story becomes a side-note next in the doctor’s final, professional