Sirk. Sirk is another great auteur who was completely overlooked at the time (and laughed at a little) in Hollywood for his soapy melodramas mostly “made for women” (aka “women weepies”) starring rock Hudson (who is no great thespian). If you want to talk about how unimportant acting is in comparison with direction Sirk is a great place to start. For the purposes of this list all of his films in the 1950’s bare his signature and his top 3 films (all in the TSPDT top 500) are very worthy of study and admiration. He’s a mise-en-scene master who has influenced many great auteurs after him (see the work of fellow German Fassbinder, Almodovar, and Todd Haynes) and followed in the footsteps of von Sternberg. He’s not quite Htichcock or Ozu but his 4 films in the top 100 in the 1950’s is pretty dominant.
Best film: Written on the Wind. it’s a clear masterpiece and a big one at that. The mise-en-scene is the show here and if you can get by Robert Stack overdoing the melodrama in a scene or two the story, writing, and acting are really his best.
total archiveable films: 10
top 100 films: 0
top 500 films: 3 (Written on the Wind, All That Heaven Allows, Imitation of Life)
top 100 films of the decade: 4 (Written on the Wind, All That Heaven Allows, Imitation of Life, Magnificent Obsession)
most overrated: Imitation of Life is #171 on TSPDT. If you listen to them it would mean this is Sirk’s best work. I think the melodrama is tougher to stomach than in my #1 and #2 films of his (Written and Heaven) but it’s not just that, and if I thought Imitation of Life had the best mise-en-scene I’d pick it as his #1– but I think it’s third in this category as well. I have it at #443 all-time.
most underrated: Written on the Wind is here again- it’s at #339 on TSPDT and I have it at #140 so we’re 200 slots off.
gem I want to spotlight: All That Heaven Allows. I think this is a masterpiece as well and since it comes the year before Written I think this is the place to start if you’re just going to do a Sirk film or two. It’s just so meticulously crafted its costume, lighting, set design and completely décor– it’s impossible deny for any lover of cinema.
stylistic innovations/traits: What is it with the Germans and vibrant expressionistic mise-en-scene? In 1968 in his famous book Sarris wrote “Time, if anything, will vindicate Douglas Sirk,”. Boy was he right. As I said in the opening Sirk was dismissed by critics as a sentimental director of popular films (that amongst other things now look like a great time capsule of affluent post-WWII suburban America). Now it’s impossible to talk about mise-en-scene too long without mentioning Sirk—the colors, set design, splashes of avant-garde lighting– He himself said “I thought which has gone into every angle. There is nothing there without an optical reason.”
top 10
- Written on the Wind
- All That Heaven Allows
- Imitation of Life
- Magnificent Obsession
- The Tarnished Angels
- There’s Always Tomorrow
- A Time to Live and a Time to Die
- A Scandal in Paris
- Summer Storm
- Lured
By year and grades
| 1944- Summer Storm | R |
| 1946- A Scandal In Paris | R |
| 1947- Lured | R |
| 1954- Magnificent Obsession | HR |
| 1955- All That Heaven Allows | MP |
| 1956- There’s Always Tomorrow | R |
| 1956- Written on the Wind | MP |
| 1957- The Tarnished Angels | R |
| 1958- A Time to Love and a Time to Die | R |
| 1959- Imitation of Life | MS |
*MP is Masterpiece- top 1-3 quality of the year film
MS is Must-see- top 5-6 quality of the year film
HR is Highly Recommend- top 10 quality of the year film
R is Recommend- outside the top 10 of the year quality film but still in the archives
Found your site a few weeks ago and I have loved combing through it and reading your writing on these fantastic films and directors.
I just noticed on your 1955 page you list All That Heaven Allows as a Must-See and 5th best of that year, but here it is a masterpiece. I was wondering which is more up-to-date? It is also currently ranked #330 in your list of 500 films, so do you think it should now be ranked higher with other masterpieces?
@Declan– thanks for visiting the site and the comment. This page here was updated more recently (not by much but the dates are in the web address at the top). So this one is more up to date. I do think All That Heaven Allows is a masterpiece and i’ll be higher when I update my top films of all-time list.
Great to hear – All That Heaven allows is personally my favourite Sirk but Written on the Wind isn’t far behind. What a wonderful site you have built here too, you offer some great perspectives and as a list-lover I appreciate the thought you put into each of them.
@Declan- thank you for the kind words on the site. It has been a work in progress– and will continue to be so- but I’m very pleased to hear you enjoy it. Keep the comments and feedback coming when you have the time.
Interestingly, in the late 70s when Sirk was working as a film professor in München, he and some of his students directed a short film, Bourbon Street Blues, that starred none other than Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Just thought it was interesting that not only did Fassbinder get to meet his idol, but even worked with him as well.
My ranking of Hawks` films that I`ve seen:
1. Written on the Wind MP
2. All That Heaven Allows MP
3. Imitation of Life MS/MP
4. Magnificent Obssesion HR/MS
@RujK- Great work with these batch of updates. Love seeing Sirk especially
Have you seen All I Desire? If not, I’d highly recommend checking it out. I honestly think it’s in his top 3. The framing and deep focus photography in that film is fantastic and some of the best visuals of any of his films. Though that’s just my opinion.
@Sean Crowbeck- Thank you for visiting the site and the comment. Appreciate the recommendation. I’ll keep an eye out for it.