Ossessione
“Ossessione (1943)”
Another movie mostly picked because of Basil’s film school watching. His class talked a bunch about it, so then we decided to watch it. Bring on the gay communist subtext!
These early episodes are not available on Apple Podcasts anymore, so I’ve taken the liberty for anyone who wants to listen of making sure the archive.org links still work. You can listen right here on the website or download the MP3 below.
Original Release Date: May 14th, 2014
Episode Timeline:
00:00-01:50 Brief Plot Recap: Basil
01:50-08:05 Liked It (Ilya, Basil, Reuben), Disliked It (Patrick)
08:05-10:45 Ilya liked the sad, sad soup-eating scene
10:45-12:00 The movie goes in some weird, unexpected directions
12:00-12:35 Especially compared to Double Indemnity
12:35-13:00 Reuben doesn’t like these stories
13:00-14:05 Patrick thinks it’s hard to show people being loving
14:05-15:30 Basil doesn’t think she was in it for the loving
15:45-18:00 Giuseppe as a repulsive and well-meaning guy
18:00-18:45 Repulsive repulsion
18:45-19:30 Basil thinks Gino and Giovanna are equally narcissistic
19:30-20:20 Giovanna’s obsession with money
20:20-21:25 Ilya thinks Gino and Spagnolo are the real love story
21:25-22:10 Basil thinks Giovanna’s a metaphor for Mussolini and Gino’s not much better
22:10-22:20 Patrick thinks the characters are cynical
22:20-23:20 Patrick and Reuben bring back the Warped Ones
23:20-24:50 Patrick is done speaking forever, then continues speaking
24:40-27:00 In Ossessione, Women who want things are bad
27:00-27:50 Spagnolo’s non-cynical economic philosophy
27:50-28:05 Forrest Gump! (?)
28:05-29:10 Basil thinks Visconti uses the prostitute characters to make a statement
29:10-31:30 BTW this movie was made during World War II
31:30-32:20 Leni Riefenstahl loved her some fascism
32:20-33:30 Ossessione has no connection with or reference to WWII
33:10-34:10 Mixed Mussolini Metaphors!
34:10-35:10 Mussolini Misdirection!
35:10-36:30 Spagnolo reminds Patrick of his Dad’s attitude towards money
36:30-37:25 The moment when Spagnolo chastises Gino for being a closet case
37:25-38:50 Visconti is most enjoyable within a political context (so is his name)
38:50-39:50 Same with Jafar Panahi
39:50-40:45 On that note, Ilya thinks This Is Not A Film is a satire of Home Alone
40:45-41:20 And with that, the podcast starts breakdancing!
41:20-42:10 Reuben remembers another super-sad Visconti movie
42:10-43:20 Ilya remembers a super-boring Visconti movie
43:20-44:20 Ossessione is The Decessor of Neo-Realism
44:20-45:40 Billy Wilder probably stole this movie
45:40-47:30 Basil remembers the super uncomfortable slapping scene
47:30-48:00 This movie is beautifully shot
48:00-48:30 And has no interest in plot
48:30-49:40 Shots! Shots! All those beautiful shots!
49:40-50:20 Thanks for listening everybody!
