Movie Talk: Private Obsession (1995)

Private Obsession is an odd one. While this was sold as a late night erotic thriller, the actual plot and execution are not at all what was expected at the time. While the film could only push so far, it does go much darker than most films of this type did at the time. 

The final film directed by B-movie legend Lee Frost, Private Obsession follows super model Emanuelle Griffith (Shannon Whirry) after she is kidnapped by rich incel Richard Tate (Michael Christian). Emanuelle is an outspoken feminist, and Richard is dead set on breaking her and making her into his ideal "wife". Will Emanuelle be able to stay strong while in captivity, or will she bend to Richard's will? 

Out of the gate we have a plot that 90% of the erotic thrillers being released at the time wouldn't touch. There is very little here that is "erotic". Most of the nudity is because Richard is ripping off or removing Emanuelle's clothes as a form of punishment. There is actually very little sex in the film, and outside of one scene early on most of the sex is done as a way to either distract or outsmart Richard as a way to attempt an escape. Yet, as dark as the story sounds, the tone is played fairly light. While there are moments of darkness, specifically when Richard decides to punish Emanuelle for not playing by his rules, the film moves through those moments fairly quickly. It really saves itself from becoming too depressing by having Emanuelle be such a strong character. She is smart, strong willed and can think on the fly when need be. A perfect example is when Richard turns off the water to her space. Instead of going thirsty she rations the water in the tank of the toilet to keep herself from dehydrating. Gross, but effective. 

I'm going to spoil the ending here, too. Essentially Emanuelle plays into Richard's ego, gets him to let her out of captivity, and turns the tables on him. She locks him into the very cell he had created for her. 

This is the question I am going to ask with every one of these Movie Talk posts. Does this work as a movie? The answer for Private Obsession is yes. This is a film first, erotica second. This is essentially a two person story, with a few brief scenes of some police trying to track down Emanuelle's location. This is VERY dialogue heavy, and really requires both actors to commit 100% to the bit to make the film work. Both Michael Christian and Shannon Whirry are up to the task.  Both characters have multiple, long monologues they have to work with, and very little erotic content to break things up. On performances alone, this works. 

Direction wise, the film isn't anything amazing. It mostly takes place in one house, with the majority of the action set in Richard's control room, or Emanuelle's "cell." Visually it isn't the most exciting film, but it also avoids just being a series of dull mid-range static shots. This one didn't feel lazy, which some of these late night cable movies do. It felt more restricted probably because of time and money. The material that is there works, but it won't blow your mind. 

Is it a great film? Not really. It isn't bad, and I am glad I was able to track it down and watch it. Shannon Whirry was one of those late night cable actresses that has kind of gotten forgotten, and it was nice to get a chance to watch one of her more notable, if not infamous films. Michael Christian is a bit of a hoot in this film. His character is sleazy and unlikable, and he plays it to the hilt. The man can chew scenery when needed, and get very scary when needed. The two play off each other well, and they make the mediocre material work. 

Private Obsession feels like an experiment. It feels like it was trying to do something different in a time where everything was basically trying to be Basic Instinct. I can appreciate that, and I can honestly say I am glad I hunted this one down. 

If you are interested in watching Private Obsession it is available on DVD in a two pack with the VERY dull Midnight Confessions. It can also be rented on Amazon. 

Fun note on this one. My brother and I caught part of this one back when we were kids flipping through the cable channels. Obviously we couldn't watch it because... children, but the scene we saw has been burned into my brain well into my adulthood. Emanuelle in an attempt to escape her cell crawls through the doggy door Richard uses to give her food. She gets stuck, and Richard ends up having to use margarine to slick her breasts to try and slide her back through the doggy door. The absurdity of that scene never left me. Changed the channel not long after that, and for years I had no idea what the name of the movie was.