Early in Possessed, factory worker Marian Martin (Joan Crawford) stares up at a luxury train passing through her small town, each window revealing glimpses of the glamorous, big-city life she desires. At the same time, the light from those windows shines down, revealing her. An early starring role for Crawford, Possessed knows where the spotlight belongs. And so it plays up the trademark persona she was well on her way to establishing: that of a smart, sultry woman negotiating her independence in a world run by men. Marian does make it to New York City, where she becomes the pampered companion (her own house, clothes, servants)—but not the wife—of a high-powered attorney (Clark Gable). Though both seem content with this arrangement, their happiness is tested by a visit from Marian’s past. Crawford and Gable are electric—you never doubt their attraction to each other, even when the plot asks you to. And if the story, adapted from an Edgar Selwyn play, asks Marian to sacrifice more than she probably should, Crawford’s insistence on her character’s self-determination makes the sacrifices hard-won.
