“Ossessione” / 「郵便配達は二度ベルを鳴らす」, Original Japanese Movie Poster 1979, Luchino Visconti, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) C271

This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster printed in 1979 for the first Japanese theatrical release of Ossessione (released in Japan as 郵便配達は二度ベルを鳴らす, The Postman Always Rings Twice), Luchino Visconti’s landmark 1942 debut feature.

A striking and highly collectible Japanese poster for one of the foundational works of modern European cinema, this piece is especially important not only as a poster for Visconti’s first feature, but as a Japanese release poster for a film that did not receive its official Japanese theatrical premiere until 1979.

Film background
Released in 1942, Ossessione is widely regarded as one of the key precursors to Italian neorealism and one of the most important debut features in world cinema. Loosely adapted from James M. Cain’s novel The Postman Always Rings Twice, the film tells the story of drifter Gino Costa and Giovanna Bragana, whose illicit attraction leads them into a world of desire, betrayal, and ruin.

Long surrounded by censorship issues and legal complications, the film circulated in a fragmented and often difficult history outside Italy, which gives this 1979 Japanese first-release poster particular appeal. It marks the moment Japanese audiences were finally able to encounter Visconti’s early masterpiece properly on the big screen.

Poster design
This Japanese B2 design is exceptionally bold and memorable, using a high-contrast black-and-fiery-orange palette that perfectly conveys the film’s atmosphere of fatal passion.

The left half of the poster is dominated by the vertically stacked Japanese title 郵便配達は二度ベルを鳴らす, rendered in monumental white and vivid orange-red block lettering. The typography alone gives the piece tremendous wall power and makes it one of the most visually assertive Japanese posters for a European art film of the period.

At upper right, the poster presents a dramatic, shadow-heavy close-up of the film’s doomed lovers: Massimo Girotti and Clara Calamai, their faces partially submerged in darkness and orange light. The image feels both intimate and ominous, matching the film’s volatile emotional intensity.

In the lower-right corner, a small vignette shows the pair on a roadside, the man smoking while the woman follows behind with luggage—an understated but evocative visual summary of the film’s restless, itinerant mood.

The surrounding Japanese text emphasises the film’s status and significance, including:

「ルキノ・ヴィスコンティ監督 幻の処女作！」
“Luchino Visconti’s legendary phantom debut feature!”

and a bold 日本初公開 (“First release in Japan”) notice, which further enhances the poster’s historical importance.

The original Italian title OSSESSIONE also appears in Roman letters with the Japanese gloss 〈妄執〉, reinforcing the psychological and obsessive core of the film.

Collector significance
This is a particularly desirable poster for collectors of Italian cinema, Luchino Visconti, film noir-related material, and Japanese art-house theatrical posters.

Its appeal lies in several overlapping areas:

• Visconti’s debut feature, now universally recognised as a major work
• Japanese first-release status in 1979, decades after the film’s production
• A superb graphic design, with unusually powerful typography and colour contrast
• Strong crossover interest for collectors of European auteurs, post-war film culture, and Japanese poster design

Among Japanese posters for European classics, this is the sort of sheet that stands out immediately for both its historical significance and its visual force.

Condition
Excellent condition. Please review the photo carefully, as it shows the exact poster for sale.

The poster presents extremely well, with strong colour, bold contrast, clean imagery, and excellent overall display presence. It remains a particularly attractive example of this scarce Japanese release poster.

This is an original 1979 Japanese theatrical poster for the film’s first Japanese release.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

It is over 45 years old.

Certificate of Authenticity included.