"Possessed" offers a fascinating combination of noir themes and "weepy" melodramatics. Joan Crawford plays an emotionally disturbed woman who tells the story of her life to a group of doctors working in a mental ward. Flashbacks allow the viewers to see the events that led to the woman's mental deterioration. It has all the elements that are associated with postwar film noir, but it also has the gloss one expects from the "women's pictures". I was quite surprised to see how well the movie deals with a person on the edge of sanity. Crawford's performance is simply brilliant; she captures with uncanny precision the mood swings, ups and downs of a person who is battling a mental illness. She deservedly received an Oscar nomination for her role here and I think she should have won the award. Interestingly, the film was written for Bette Davis but her pregnancy allowed Crawford to grab one of her most interesting roles. Director Bernhardt demonstrates here that he was a truly gifted director. He has a flair for visuals, not what I expect from non-auteurs. Joseph A. Valentine's brooding b/w cinematography is an asset. And you have to love those sets (they look as magnificent as Crawford's damn shoulder pads). A terrific addition to the noir canon, and a great film for Crawford devotees.