OVERLAY REPORT

In the 1981 film *Possession*, the main character **Mark** (played by Sam Neill) has a central goal that evolves from a desperate attempt at domestic reconciliation into an obsessive, self-destructive quest for total "possession" of his wife’s soul and body. ### **The Main Character’s Goal** Mark’s primary goal is to **save his crumbling marriage and regain control over his wife, Anna.** Having just returned to West Berlin from a mysterious espionage mission, he is blindsided by Anna’s request for a divorce. His objective follows a three-stage progression: 1. **Reconciliation:** Initially, he tries to reason with Anna, begging her to stay and attempting to be a primary caregiver for their son, Bob. 2. **Investigation:** When Anna becomes erratic and disappears for days, his goal shifts to uncovering the "why." He becomes a detective of his own life, hiring private investigators and stalking her to find out who she is seeing. 3. **Mutual Obsession/Protection:** In the final act, after discovering the horrific truth about Anna's activities, Mark’s goal warps. He stops trying to "fix" her and instead tries to protect her secrets—even assisting in covering up murders—to maintain their connection, ultimately seeking a version of her (or an "ideal" relationship) that can only exist in death or through doppelgängers. --- ### **Specific Obstacles** Mark faces a series of increasingly surreal and violent obstacles that hinder his goal: #### **1. Anna’s Human Infidelity (Heinrich)** Early in the film, the primary obstacle is **Heinrich**, a flamboyant, New Age-preaching lover with whom Anna is having an affair. Mark views Heinrich as the sole reason for the divorce, leading to physical confrontations where Mark is brutally beaten, illustrating his lack of control. #### **2. Anna’s Supernatural Infidelity (The Creature)** The most significant obstacle is the **tentacled, Lovecraftian creature** Anna is harboring in a derelict apartment. This creature is a physical manifestation of her trauma and desire for a "purer" or more intense "God." It serves as a literal wall between Mark and Anna; she prioritizes nurturing and copulating with this monster over her husband and son. #### **3. Anna’s Escalating Psychosis and Violence** Anna's behavior is the most volatile obstacle. She moves from verbal abuse to extreme self-harm (cutting her neck with an electric knife) and eventually to murder. She kills the detectives Mark hires and her friend Margie. Her famous "miscarriage" scene in the subway represents a total psychological break that Mark cannot reach or heal, rendering his traditional "husband" role obsolete. #### **4. The "Ideal" Replacement (Helen)** Paradoxically, Mark faces an internal obstacle in the form of **Helen**, Bob’s schoolteacher, who is a physical doppelgänger of Anna but with a gentle, submissive personality. Helen represents an "easy" version of his goal, but his obsession with the *real* (and destructive) Anna prevents him from finding peace with Helen. #### **5. Professional and Political Pressure** As a spy, Mark is constantly pressured by his **shadowy employers** to return to work. They stalk him and eventually corner him at the film’s climax. This external pressure mirrors the oppressive atmosphere of West Berlin, with the **Berlin Wall** serving as a constant visual backdrop representing the division and "walls" between the characters. #### **6. The Doppelgänger Transformation** The final obstacle is the creature’s evolution. It eventually transforms into a **perfect double of Mark**. This replacement renders the "original" Mark redundant. In the film’s tragic logic, Mark cannot achieve his goal of being with Anna because the only version of himself she can accept is the one she "grew" from her own madness.