Imitation of Life (1959)'s comments

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Siskoid

Every time Imitation of Life (1959) has something interesting to say, it turns its head and forces us to watch the trite melodrama of Lana Turner's character trying to make it big (or bigger) on Broadway and her love affairs. It's a real shame. The only thing of any real interest here is Sarah Jane (Susan Kohner), a fair-skinned African-American girl who can "pass" as white resenting her mother played by Juanita Moore. When Sarah Jane is a little girl (as the movie spans more than a decade of soap opera), we get glimpses of this, but then the false-sounding Lana drama takes over every time. I do wish the film would do more with the friendship between Turner and Moore's two mothers, but there's something more than off-putting about Moore's character happily acting like a servant to the family and calling the woman who is ostensibly her best friend "Miss Laura". I mean, the movie knows it's at least in part about race relations and racial identity, but look at that poster or how far down Juanita Moore is in the credits. There's about a half-hour of intriguing, progressive content, but the rest is quite dated. Sappy to a fault, I felt like it was trying to wring tears from me through the last act, but it felt so scripted and overwrought that I actually shouted at the screen in frustration a couple times.

5 years 6 months ago

-1flb2-

Excellent movie, very powerful. Strong characters and a strong message. Should be on more lists and seen by everyone. A real gem.

8 years 2 months ago

Miss Jitterbug

Much better than I expected it to be... Should definetely be in more lists!!!

10 years 9 months ago

Camille Deadpan

I really like Juanita Moore's performance. The movie itself is such a drama you just have to like it ;)

11 years 5 months ago

Dan Bull

I much preferred the 1934 version to this one. That film told the story in a simpler and more effective way, with less shrieking and syrup (pancakes aside).

3 years 6 months ago

locovoco

Wow...I'm surprised dombrewer didn't go after Mahalia Jackson too!...I mean she might have been a little pitchy dog...I'm only sayin'!

7 years 2 months ago

Skyscore

http://www.afisha.ru/movie/179355/review/154842/

12 years 10 months ago

beehivespirit

cornball shit

10 years 11 months ago

dombrewer

I'm absolutely gob-smacked why this film is considered an all-time classic - Sirk made his entire career out of crowd pleasing melodramas, and this doesn't pretend to be anything else, but a thumpingly leaden script devoid of any subtlety or subtext and two-dimensional performances from the entire cast make it an absolute chore to sit through (Juanita Moore may be the only exception - she plays a stereotype, but does it with simplicity and sincerity). Sandra Dee gives one of the most eye-clawingly annoying performances I've ever watched on film, and both Lana Turner and Susan Kohner, appropriately pouty in the "bad girl" role, overact mightily; gasping, sobbing and shrieking and generally draining away any potential sympathy, if there were any to be had in so clumsy a screenplay. As for the end - spoiler

. I disliked it entirely - a film for the easily pleased and the terminally sentimental.

12 years 4 months ago