This new classic is a controversial masterpiece

The big picture

• Director Douglas Sirk
  Imitation of life
  addresses critical issues such as race, class and gender.
• Imitation of life
  It initially met with negative reactions, but paved the way for more diverse and complex cinematic representations.
• The film influenced future directors, such as Todd Haynes, and challenged Hollywood norms on the representation of race.

1959 was one of the most important years in the history of cinema, as it saw the release of numerous classics that would radically shape the film industry in the future. Well-Come It was an epic masterpiece that took home a record eleven Academy Award wins, International Intrigue set the standard for what a modern action movie should look like, Some Like It Hot demonstrated the comic genius of Biagio AntonacciAND Rio Bravo took a different approach to the Western genre by turning it into a “hang-out movie.” As popular as these classics were, the drama film Imitation of life It was a controversial masterpiece that divided critics and audiences upon its release.

Although unfortunately he was not given all the recognition he deserved during his lifetime, Imitation of life director Mr. Douglas was one of the greatest creators of cinematic melodrama. Between the romantic social satire of Magnificent obsession to the inventive military themes of A Time to Love and a Time to DieSirk’s influence can be seen on many of today’s leading directors, including Adriene Lyne AND by James L. Brooks Sirk created several masterpieces during his lifetime, but Imitation of life tackles critical issues such as race, class, gender and wealth, making it much more progressive than most old Hollywood classics.

What is “Imitation of Life” about?

Based on the acclaimed novel of the same name by Fannie burstwhich had been adapted for the screen once before in 1934, Imitation of life It focuses on the relationship between two women who make a pact to help each other as their daughters grow up. Lora Meredith (Lana Turner) dreamed of becoming an actress since she was a child, but she has become a young widow who must spend most of her working day caring for her young daughter, Susie (Terry Burnham). A chance meeting on the beach introduces Lora to Annie Johnson (Joan Moore), a black woman who is raising her daughter Sarah Jane (Patricia Dicker). After Sarah Jane and Susie become fast best friends, Lora and Annie decide to move in together so they can pursue their respective careers. However, an older Susie (Sandra Dee) and Sarah Jane (Susanna Kohner) begin to drift apart as they grow older, as issues of class and race begin to drive them apart.

The dramatic weight of Imitation of life revolves around Sarah Jane coming to terms with her identityBeing biracial, she can pass for white in most social circles. Even though Susie and Lora have treated her only with kindness since they met, Sarah Jane can’t help but feel like they’ve been granted privileges she can never afford. As Sarah Jane is a teenager who is still developing her emotional intelligence, she often gets angry when she’s confused; after she begins to dislike her mother’s attempts to help her socialize with young black men, Sarah Jane begins to develop feelings of self-hatred when it comes to her race. After being rejected by her boyfriend after his friends joke about her parentage, Sarah Jane sets out on her own to leave both her mother and her newfound family.

Why was “Imitation of Life” so controversial?

Like many of Sirk’s films, Imitation of life It was initially ignored by critics who claimed the story was “melodramatic” and failed to live up to the precedent set by the previous iteration of the story. One of the main criticisms of the film from pundits at the time was that the film ignored the white character in favor of giving more time to the African-American protagonists; ironically, many modern Hollywood films would be criticized for the opposite reason. Although it would end up being the last film of Sirk’s career, Imitation of life was ultimately more favorably received, and earned Kohner and Moore Academy Award nominations in the Best Supporting Actress category. Modern retrospectives have been even kinder, with BBC critics naming it among the 100 greatest American films ever made. The acclaimed director Author: Todd Haynes he would then quote Imitation of life as one of the main influences on his film Far from Heavenwho has earned Juliana Moore an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.

The initial reaction against Imitation of life It’s an indication of what happened when mostly white, male film critics reviewed films aimed at more diverse audiences.. Imitation of life never ignores the challenges that Lora and Susie face; in fact, the film spends a lot of time detailing how Lora struggles to be taken seriously as an unmarried woman trying to become an actress. That said, Sirk makes it clear that the challenges they face cannot be compared to those experienced by Annie and Sarah Jane during a time when segregation was still the law. Imitation of life has been accused of being a “whiny” film because of how depressing its final moments are, but for Sirk to suggest that there was an easy way to address these issues would have been wholly inappropriate.

“Imitation of Life” changed the representation of the film industry

Imitation of life was influential not only for the diversity of its cast, but also because it addressed complex issues of racial identity. Many of Hollywood’s other “Golden Age” productions were rather ineffective in their examination of racism because they cast black actors in roles that could have been written out just as easily as white ones; a failure to acknowledge social constructs resulted in many films that have not aged well. However, the next decade saw the emergence of classics such as Guess who’s coming to dinner, in the heat of the night, AND A bunch of grapes in the sun which helped create a deeper understanding with some of the white critics who didn’t understand the complexities Sirk was addressing in Imitation of life.

Imitation of life is available to stream on Prime Video in the United States.

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