All That Heaven Allows - Douglas Sirk - 1955

Have wanted to put this melodrama in for awhile now, memory all foggy about it, oh what beautiful colors. The year 1955, right smack dab in the middle of the decade i am in the phase for, i can feel the stipulations relax so i can embrace ALL the oldies, including previous decades, next order may include some of them.

This film is one of Sirk's most well known, Sirk is the king of melodrama, and he made a big impact on one of my favorite directors - Rainer Werner Fassbinder, who would in the 70's do a more daring version of All That Heaven Allows with Ali Fear Eats the Soul.

Rock Hudson was the male star in Sirk's big ones, and this tells the story, scandalous at the time, of a "young" man falling madly in love with an "older" lady. There are discreet little flaws in 50's society the film shines a light on, and that is one of the reasons why it's so interesting for people in modern times now, what usually went on in the movies from this era was sort of like propaganda for white collar social norms, Sirk was one of those who deftly put up some criticisms of the status quo, dressing it up as lavish dramas. For me they are priceless time capsules, and currently this is the only Sirk in my collection. A beautiful film, oozing with turbulent emotions.