It’s no secret that Brian De Palma’s primary cinematic influence is the films of Alfred Hitchcock, particularly Vertigo, and no film during his prolific career is more evident of that than his 1976 psychological thrillerObsession. The film is Hitchcockian through and through, both stylistically and thematically. It continues the tradition that Hitchcock pioneered of exploring lurid sexuality, voyeurism, the feeling of going insane, and well, obsession. All of these, in addition to De Palma’s B-movie leanings, make it a unique mashup of styles. Hitchcock films are generally considered, at least in the modern era, to be prestigious and classic. De Palma’s filmography is generally loved by genre fans, even if they rarely cross over into the horror genre.

What Is ‘Obsession’ About?

Obsession tells the story of real estate developer Michael Courtland (played by Uncle Ben himself, Cliff Robertson), as his reality is shattered after his wife, Elizabeth (Geneviève Bujold) and daughter are kidnapped and held for ransom. Michael trusts the police’s advice, and sends the kidnappers a suitcase filled with loose paper instead of money, which results in his wife and daughter being killed. Wracked with guilt, Michael lives in the shadow of his family’s ghosts for over a decade. His business partner, Robert LaSalle (John Lithgow), convinces Michael sixteen years after the tragedy, to accompany him on a work trip to Florence, Italy.

In Florence, Michael walks into an old church where he meets Sandra (also played by Geneviève Bujold), a woman who looks identical to his late wife. He is immediately transfixed by her, and asks her to lunch. The two begin seeing each other, and here is where the obvious parallels between Obsession and Vertigo are the most obvious. Not only are both Elizabeth and Sandra played by the same actor, but just as John “Scottie” Ferguson’s psychological state is called into question as he tries to turn Judy into Madeleine, so does Michael attempt to turn Sandra into Elizabeth. Robertson’s performance is nuanced and restrained, yet unsettling as you’re never really sure what is going on behind his stoic eyes. He is deeply enamored with Sandra, yet it is blatantly obvious that he is really still in love with his late wife. He brings her up in every conversation, and though Sandra doesn’t mind, it creates a deeply uncomfortable atmosphere for both Sandra and the audience. Cliff Robertson’s lack of emotion is in stark contrast to Jimmy Stewart’s performance as the likable and charismatic “Scottie”. It isn’t clear whether the audience is supposed to relate to or even sympathize with Michael’s character, as he remains opaque to the surrounding characters.

‘Obsession’ Is a Perfect De Palma-Hitchcock Hybrid

It’s no secret that inspiration for Obsession was a direct result of De Palma and screenwriter Paul Schrader seeing the Hitchcock classic. De Palma, for better or worse, has always embraced camp in his films. As a result, De Palma is one of those rare directors whose work straddles the line between what is conventionally considered to be high and low art, making his career one of the more interesting, if not revered, of the New Hollywood era. Similar to Hitchcock, De Palma doesn’t indulge in sentimentality. Both directors can be characterized by their deep cynicism about human nature, and both like to explore the darkness that most of us would rather keep at bay. In addition to their similar perspectives, Obsession has a lot of aesthetic nods to Vertigo, as is evident in its hazy, dreamlike natural lighting, and the score by Bernard Herrmann. It’s obvious that De Palma had no desire to hide his affection for and the influence of Vertigo on his own film.

Obsession sees De Palma exploring how grief could potentially unlock some really unnerving aspects of one’s personality. Michael’s humanity has been lost following the guilt and grief of losing his family. He is a shell of a man who doesn’t see anything wrong with trying to strip Sandra of her own personality and individuality for his own emotional needs. What’s brilliant about Obsession is that it keeps you guessing as to who the villain of the story really is. Any outcome is unsurprising considering how the film keeps its audience at a chilly arm’s length. This aspect of the film could be counted among its faults, but it ends up being to Obsession’s benefit, preventing the audience from feeling as if they are on solid ground like any good thriller should.

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In some ways, De Palma’s interpretation of Vertigo is even more cynical than the original, supplanting old-fashioned American mores for implicit yet deeply uncomfortable undertones which Hitchcock largely avoided, with the possible exception of the Oedipus complex in Psycho. Despite the film’s deceptively happy ending, there are underlying insinuations that remain disturbing. This aspect of the film is also reminiscent of many of Hitchcock’s films, as his “happy endings” are often subtly undermined by one or more hints at the hidden yet nefarious true natures of the characters. However, Hitchcock largely avoided making his characters unlikable or unrelatable, and, at least on the surface, stuck to American ideals of morality and social order. Freed from the oppressive censorship of the 1950s, De Palma in the ’70s, ’80s, and beyond was able to tackle the damaged psyches of his protagonists in a more direct way, and Obsession acts as a kind of bridge between the more restrained nature of Hitchcock’s style and the later aggressive lack of subtlety of films like Dressed to Kill and Body Double.

How ‘Obsession’ Predicted De Palma’s Filmmaking Trajectory
Image via Paramount Pictures

While Obsession was clearly more than a nod in story, style, and themes to Vertigo, it also characterized many of the aspects of De Palma’s filmography that would eventually qualify him as an influential director in his own right. From the split diopter shots throughout, to the emphasis on sexual and/or romantic obsession, to protagonists with a warped psychology, it’s all right there in Obsession. Perhaps the most common theme in his work is voyeurism, another piece of inheritance from Hitchcock. Obsession is full of long and winding shots of Michael following Sandra around Florence, trying to make sense of what he is seeing. Similar to Scottie in Vertigo, he initially treats her as an apparition, though he inevitably robs her of any autonomy in the process.

The quiet and laser-focused method with which De Palma depicts voyeurism, often accompanied by Herrmann’s score and shot with sweeping wides, would carry on in the decades to come. From Blow Out to Dressed to Kill to Femme Fatale, the torch of cinematic voyeurism established by Hitchcock has been carried out more enthusiastically by no other filmmaker. For fans of Brian De Palma and Alfred Hitchcock alike, Obsession is a delight for its airy atmosphere, unsettling tone, and disquieting performances from both Cliff Robertson and Geneviève Bujold. It’s not as transgressive as De Palma’s sleazier cult favorites, but it has enough brewing under the surface to leave viewers feeling slightly unhinged as Bernard Herrmann’s score swells with vivid discontent.Obsession is streaming now on Prime Video.

Release Date August 1, 1976 Director Brian De Palma Cast Cliff Robertson , Geneviève Bujold , John Lithgow , Sylvia Kuumba Williams , Wanda Blackman , J. Patrick McNamara , Stanley J. Reyes , Nick Kreiger , Stocker Fontelieu , Don Hood , Andrea Esterhazy , Thomas Carr , Tom Felleghy , Nella Simoncini Barbieri , John Creamer , Regis Cordic , Loraine Despres , Clyde Ventura , Fain M. Cogrove , Robert Harper Runtime 99 minutes Expand

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