The Possession of Joel Delaney (1972)

Day 131 of Sobriety.  

This was an odd one. I’m still not quite sure what to make of 1972’s The Possession of Joel Delaney, perhaps because it was so different from my expectations, which were based almost entirely on seeing a trailer for the film a while back. Based on that trailer, I had expected it to be a film about demonic possession of the type that proliferated somewhat in the early to mid 70s, but with a more pronounced period modishness than its contemporaries like The Exorcist (1973) or The Omen (1976). I guess it kind of was, but it was also pretty different in approach and feel to those other movies, of which it is generally regarded as a precursor. 

The plot revolves around a wealthy Manhattan divorcee (played by Shirley MacLaine) who comes to believe that her brother is possessed by the spirit of a deceased serial killer. One of the things that distinguishes it from other possession-based films of the period is that, unlike the generally Christian-based notions of demonic possession portrayed in the other movies, the possession in this film is based around the African diasporic religion of Santería. I had personally never heard of Santería, but in the film, it is depicted as being practiced by members of the Puerto Rican community in New York’s Spanish Harlem. I don’t think the religion is ever specifically mentioned by name, however, and to an ignoramus like me, the imagery and practices looked rather akin to a kind of voodoo, but with a more pronounced Christian influence.

One of the themes that the film deals with is disparities between class and race—specifically the upper-class New Yorkers and the working-class Puerto Rican community. However, this aspect also had a strange ambiguity to it, as, while the economic disparity was clearly depicted, the Puerto Rican community was also portrayed as a of kind closed-off alien community that practices a strange superstitious religion.

I enjoyed The Possession of Joel Delaney and am looking forward to watching it again with more accurate expectations, but I had somewhat mixed feelings about it. The elements that I appreciated most were the 1971 period setting, replete with its high-class fashions and trappings (many of the characters are wealthy socialites and there are several party scenes). The wintery setting of snowy New York was also very atmospheric. I felt, though, that the film was a bit lackluster in terms of its plot and character development. I can’t quite put my finger on what the problem was, but it just didn’t seem to have quite enough forward momentum or depth. That’s an unusual criticism from me, I think, as I generally like slow-burning, downtempo horror films. Despite the film’s overall low-key atmosphere, however, there are a few genuinely shocking scenes, particularly its controversial ending.