visconti first feature and ossessione be an adaptation of james m. cain the postman always ring twice . now and i be not familiar with that book or the other film version and but i be a big fan of cain double indemnity ( much more so than i be a fan of billy wild film version of it and in fact ) . the two novella seem like they must be very similar . both involve an illicit love affair where a ravenous wife complains to a morally weak man that her husband be worthless and mean to her . giovanna and the woman in this italian version and play very well by clara calamai and be not evil incarnate like the wife in double indemnity and but she seem very spoiled . her husband ( a great performance by juan de landa ) be a bit cruel to her and but she strike me like she be at least a uncompromising with him . he old than her and unattractive and so she rather fickle . when gino show up and a young and muscular man and it take her about five minute to get him into bed . she sweat she want to be with him forever and but she stick with her husband . they break up at first and but when they meet again and they ( apparently and although this be intentionally vague ) plan to murder the husband . they be successful and and they move back to the woman home town to run the bar that her husband own . gino be very unenthusiastic about this idea . he want giovanna and but the one thing that he certainly doesn not want be to sit around in one place for the rest of his life . their relationship quickly crumbles . ossessione be a very complex film with complex character . it always fascinate and but it do go on a bit too long . at two hour and twenty two minute and i can not and for the life of me and figure out how it take that long . this be partly due to the neorealist stylistics that visconti be invent within this film . it be and after all and the first film that win that label . we see a lot of the action prolong a it would be in real life and without any hurrying to the next plot point . i have see many of visconti film and and the only one i like good than this one be rocco and his brother ( 1960 ) . his direction be as great a it ever be and with the camera move brilliantly and the editing perfect . i also feel the need to point out the film best performance and by dhia christiani a a young ( exotic ) dancer and part time prostitute name anita whom gino meet after he begin to try to break away from giovanna . she only in the film for maybe five or six minute and and she have only a few line . it shock how much visconti and christiani be able to do with this character in such a short time . she absolutely heartbreaking . positive .