My biggest problem with it is that it drags a fair amount at times. Other than that it is a fairly well done melodrama. A lavish and classy production it even has a few surprises.

3 things: Rock Hudson's Hair, Technicolor, Robert f****** Stack smackin' chicks around. If you don't want to see this move now than I don't know what else I can say to convince you. It is very well made and it makes me want to see more Douglas Sirk... (read more) 3 things: Rock Hudson's Hair, Technicolor, Robert f****** Stack smackin' chicks around. If you don't want to see this move now than I don't know what else I can say to convince you. It is very well made and it makes me want to see more Douglas Sirk films; I have a soft spot for melodrama.

Saying this movie is unrealistic is an understatement. It's unbelievably absurd. It's as subtle as a.... I dunno, you get my point. It actually reads like a comic book from the 50s, where stuff like a man proposing to a woman he met two hours before ... (read more) Saying this movie is unrealistic is an understatement. It's unbelievably absurd. It's as subtle as a.... I dunno, you get my point. It actually reads like a comic book from the 50s, where stuff like a man proposing to a woman he met two hours before would be standard. All of the leads fall flat. Robert Stack was a parody of himself even before Airplane! and Rock Hudson and Lauren Bacall want to make me sleep. Dorothy Malone is the most interesting character here, and she's the villain.

Yet, despite the extreme melodrama, Douglas Sirk seems like he's making a romance comic book onscreen. The colors are rich and beautiful, and the camerawork is good too.

It takes some getting used to, and you may be laughing your ass off by the end (I was, at least), but as far as melodramas go, this one's pretty damn good. Just let it sink in.

An utterly absurd and mean-spirited soap opera, significantly enhanced by Sirk's gorgeous use of color, Dorothy Malone's unforgettable performance and the fascinating sexual ambiguity of Rock Hudson's character (this is perhaps the closest that the c... (read more) An utterly absurd and mean-spirited soap opera, significantly enhanced by Sirk's gorgeous use of color, Dorothy Malone's unforgettable performance and the fascinating sexual ambiguity of Rock Hudson's character (this is perhaps the closest that the closeted actor ever came to playing himself). A worthwhile film, but not the satiric masterpiece it is often hailed as.

Now, I don't think it's "bad" and Dorothy Malone was great, but....
It came off as "Giant" but at the end someone gives Rock Hudson an HJ via a miniature Oil Dyke. Plus I kept waiting for Robert Stack to walk towards the camera and explain the myster... (read more) Now, I don't think it's "bad" and Dorothy Malone was great, but....
It came off as "Giant" but at the end someone gives Rock Hudson an HJ via a miniature Oil Dyke. Plus I kept waiting for Robert Stack to walk towards the camera and explain the mystery I was watching. The directing was excellent though, it's just that it was primarily done with B list actors. Color was used EXTREMELY well though and I dug the quasi-future that it takes place in.

Often written off as romantic swill, I say give Douglas Sirk's best film a chance. Robert Stack is more than Unsolved Mysteries in his best performance ever, and Lauren Bacall is dazzling and gorgeous.

Je marche à fond dans les mélos, toujours fascinée par l'équilibre précaire entre la surface éblouisante (technicolor et robes à se pâmer) et les torpeurs troubles de la passion que révèlent le film. Ce mélo-ci est un fort bel exemple du g... (read more) Je marche à fond dans les mélos, toujours fascinée par l'équilibre précaire entre la surface éblouisante (technicolor et robes à se pâmer) et les torpeurs troubles de la passion que révèlent le film. Ce mélo-ci est un fort bel exemple du genre, même si Dorothy Malone en fait beaucoup trop — c'est pas la peine chérie, Sirk s'occupe de l'emphase pour dix !

Another great Sirk melodrama satirizing post-war American ideals and cultural memes. It's all rather flat until the last half hour, unless you're in on the joke, which isn't hard when looking at some of the more over-the-top elements. A Fun watch.

As good as he was, Douglas Sirk inspired better films than the ones he made ("Ali: Fear Eats The Soul," "Far From Heaven," etc.), but this one's every bit as good as Haynes or Fassbinder's best. A ravishing Technicolor soap opera about one gloriously... (read more) As good as he was, Douglas Sirk inspired better films than the ones he made ("Ali: Fear Eats The Soul," "Far From Heaven," etc.), but this one's every bit as good as Haynes or Fassbinder's best. A ravishing Technicolor soap opera about one gloriously f***ed-up oil family, it makes "Dallas" look milquetoast in comparison.

Now this is melodrama done right. This could so easily have traded alcohol, impotency and death for laughs and been a Doris Day picture but Sirk sinks his hooks into the underbelly beneath the beautiful surface. Metty's photography is superb as are t... (read more) Now this is melodrama done right. This could so easily have traded alcohol, impotency and death for laughs and been a Doris Day picture but Sirk sinks his hooks into the underbelly beneath the beautiful surface. Metty's photography is superb as are the performances of the main trio, particularly Rock Hudson in a brilliantly dignified and restrained portrayal.