An outrageous but entertaining "women's picture" directed with great style.

"What people don't quite give Sirk credit for nowadays in their rush to justify his intellectual credentials is the fact that if he didn't necessarily believe in the cheesecake he served up." - Eric Henderson

79.750

As always with Sirk, there's the curious combination of a legitimate weepie and the "OMG, this is so over-done, it's funny"-factor. The promising premise was never fully explored... until 'Pay It Forward' bastardized it years and years later, that is. I hate to admit this but Wyman is too unattractive (plain, I guess is the PC wording) for me to invest in the romance. And is it just me or does Rock Hudson look a bit like Sly? (or maybe it's just his acting style?)

Magnificent Obsession is hardcore melodrama, much of it definitely silly, with simplistic moralism to top it off. It's also involving, well-paced, saturated with color, and within the confines of a genre founded on exaggeration, most of it is notably believable and effective. Classic Douglas Sirk, in other words.

A beautiful, humanistic morality tale. Sensitively shot, with wonderful performances, colour, and a score that seems to master both a plaintive hue and a rousing swell. I was enamored. It doesn't have the power, style, or provocation of say, A Patch of Blue, but I love the chocolate box stuff, too.

Fucking ridiculous. A lame story of hard-earned redemption with simplistic, banal morality. The problem is that Hudson's character, blamed for all the catastrophes that occur throughout the film, isn't really guilty of anything except being hard-headed. Laced with overcooked sentiment and soapy performances, this one doesn't have the provocative charm that would later mark the superior All That Heaven Allows.

Not as subversive as Sirk's better works, but I've decided that the subversion is not the real reason I like him so much. It adds an extra layer of depth, but it's really just a sideshow. The main attraction is Sirk's wonderful flair for melodrama, the way he elevates it above the usual soapiness one expects. You never feel the characters are being stupid or unreasonable. And this is a mighty fine melodrama. Tears were jerked. Hudson and Wyman are better in ATHA, but they're wonderful here too.

Upon a retrospective of Sirk's work, Fassbinder spoke of a "direct tenderness" that he found unique and startling - I understand this now. I won't deny there's some hokum involved, but if you find yourself attached to these characters, everything is accepted. Wyman & Hudson are two of the finest actors that have ever lived.

Douglas Sirk's best film. The ultimate in Extreme Chick Pictures. Half the audience will be in tears, and the other half will be laughing