| | Imitation Of Life DVD (5 Customer Reviews)
| Category | Dramas DVDs, Recommended Movies, Classic Videos, Family Interaction, Essential Cinema, Based On A Novel, Love, Love Triangles, Self-Discovery, Love Affairs, Rivalry, Tragedy, Tear Jerker, Race Relations, Melodrama, Racism | | Starring | Sandra Dee, John Gavin, Lana Turner, Susan Kohner, Juanita Moore, Dan O'Herlihy, Robert Alda | | Director | Douglas Sirk | | Cameo | Mahalia Jackson | | Composer | Frank Skinner, Joseph Gershenson | | Director of Photography | Russell Metty | | Editor | Milton Carruth | | Producer | Ross Hunter | | Production Designer | Alexander Golitzen, Richard H. Riedel | | Screenwriter | Eleanore Griffin, Allan Scott | | Special Photography | Clifford Stine | | Story | Fannie Hurst |
Closed Captioned; Soundtrack English In Douglas Sirk's emotionally and visually extravagant final film IMITATION OF LIFE, a life's work of subverted melodrama and razor-sharp social commentary are brought to a resounding and baroque climax. In a role that closely resembles and perhaps parodies her own life, Lana Turner plays Lora Meredith, an aspiring actress and single mother who meets Annie Johnson (Juanita Moore), a black and similarly single and struggling mother. When they move in together, Annie assumes the role of domestic servant and the two women struggle together to raise their two daughters. Annie's daughter, Sarah Jane (Susan Kohner), favors her father whose skin tone resembles her own extremely light skin, and she slowly comes to resent her mother's black identity. Transcending the feminist labeling that IMITATION OF LIFE risked, the film freely mixes Meredith's rags to riches (with a hefty moral price tag) tale with Annie's scarring struggles to teach her daughter to accept her identity. As Meredith climbs higher and higher in her glamorous rise to stage and screen stardom, she ignores her vulnerable daughter Susie (Sandra Dee) and creates a devastating contrast for the racial and social tragedy that transpires in her own household. With a deft mixture of icy detachment and morose sentimentality rendered through a transcendent art direction, Sirk leads the film onto an inimitable crescendo of highly adorned emotion and tragedy. "Imitation of Life" was director Douglas Sirk's last feature film.
The film was a remake of the 1934 version. Imitation Of Life Reviews: "...A prime example of a brilliant director's stealthy use of a denigrated genre to slip in subtle social comment and genuine pathos..."
-- Tim Purtell, Entertainment Weekly "[P]assionately directed..."-- Peter Johnson, USA Today "[A] Lana Turner soap opera turned into an exercise in metaphysical formalism by Sirk's finely textured and densely layered images."-- Dave Kehr, New York Times
This is the only Juanita Moore video. Imitation Of Life Movie Review Average Rating: (4.4 out of 5 stars)   Excellent Classic
Its a wonderful classic with great performances by all the actors. Mahalia Jackson's singing at the end of the movie will move you to tears. Its a must have in your DVD collection.
Submitted by a reviewer (Scottsdale, AZ) 
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 1 of 1 found this helpful.
 Great Movie, Dissapointing Presentation
Universal has chosend to letterbox this film and have cropped some of the image. You do see more of what is on the side but they took off the tops of peoples heads. The sound also has been tampered with so you lose some of the highs. I guess I'm getting to old for DVDs. It's a great movie though.
Submitted by a reviewer (San Francisco)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 1 of 1 found this helpful.
All time classic
Anyone would have to experience this movie at least five times in their lives. It's a truly touching and emotional classic drama. For all that love a good tear jerker, this is it. Truly a all time classic. To tell the film would be so selfish. "Imitation of Life" should be in any dvd or video collectors kingdom.
Submitted by a reviewer (CA, USA)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No Great Motion Picture...if you can watch through the tears!
This film, though a re-make itself, is a classic. Terrific tear jerker and very mushy, but, nevertheless a great film. It has been done in "true" widescreen, which the original picture was not. The only problem with this DVD is that the sound is very poor, even for an "older" film like this (1959).
Submitted by a reviewer (FLA, USA)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No Great Tear Jerker of All Time
Excellent movie, never will go out of style.
Submitted by a reviewer (Jacksonville, Nc, USA)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No | Have you seen this movie? |  |
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