#600

624

556

Douglas Sirk without his highly artificial colors is just not that fun. Also I'm kind of tired of this "Hollywood High Drama" style of movie, which is also highly artificial but not in a good way

It's true that some of Sirk's striking, expressive visual style is lost without the colors, but The Tarnished Angels is still very good. It's a bit similar to his more celebrated Written on the Wind (Rock Hudson is after Robert Stack's woman) and I actually like this one a bit better. It's not an easy movie. Goes without saying it's a contrived melodrama that betrays the genre by being so dense and complicated, but this one also has not one likable character, not even Hudson's.

# 573

Photographically, this is some of Sirk's best work, even in black and white... especially in the stunning aviation sequences, but also the moody lighting. And some of the dialogue sparkles (which is likely more Faulkner's doing than Sirk's) and Hudson delivers a speech worthy of Chayefsky. But otherwise it's not that hot. Sirk does melodrama better than anyone, and the movie is certainly watchable, but there just isn't much to it. Still worth seeing, though.

Sirk melodrama's just not the same without technicolor. Even so, it's pretty enthralling and the characters are deeply flawed but still make you root for them.

Unsatisfactory attempt to reunite the talents of _Written on the Wind_; a dull story, very boringly presented.