The first of the run of lush Cinemascope dramas Sirk did for Universal is this re-make of the 1935 Stahl film, with Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman this time in the leading roles. Hudson is the selfish, rich layabout who discovers a "new way of living" only after he indirectly causes both the death of Wymna's husband and her blindness. And they proceed to fall in love! Only in Hollywood, I guess, but this crazy plot is miraculously made touching and real by Sirk, who films it in glorious colour compositions. The constant Sirk theme of the dissatisfied, idle rich is portrayed well by Hudson, whose movie-star hunk image is the perfect facade for Sirk to tear down in showing the initial emptiness of Bob Merrick's life. He and Wyman would do better work in "All That Heaven Allows" a year later, but this may be the better test of whether or not you "get" Sirk. If you can look past the outlandish plot, no, actually look inside it and find depth, you'll know you like Sirk.
Review of Magnificent Obsession
