Review of Written on the Wind (1956) by Christopher S — 25 Mar 2009

The words "Hollywood melodrama" will make the majority of high-brow film critics sneer - however when you add another two words, Douglas Sirk, that sneer turns into a smile. What is it about this director, who essentially laid the groundwork for the modern soap opera, that appeals to both the film as art and film as trashy entertainment audience? Sirk knows he's making a silly melodrama, and therefore he ups the absurdities and has his fun. The performances are over-the-top, the sets are phony, the drama is exaggerated... it's not only an early soap opera, it's a brilliant exploitation of melodrama as a genre.

Rock Hudson stars as Mitch Wayne (I can't decide which name is more manly), the stalwart hunk of the picture. Mitch, although born to different parents, grew up with the Hadley family on a Texas ranch. Jasper Hadley (Robert Keith), the millionaire who made his fortune with oil, had two children - Kyle (Robert Stack) and Marylee (Dorothy Malone). Mitch was raised along with them, and became great friends with Kyle. Marylee, on the other hand, was firmly set on marrying Mitch since she was a young girl.

The female equivalent of Mitch shows up in Lucy Moore (Lauren Bacall) - an intelligent, well-mannered, and genuinely good person. Although Lucy and Mitch seem perfect for each other, it's Kyle's shameless aggression and riches that are able to sweep Lucy off of her feet. Later on, the couple decide to have a child - and when Kyle is told he has weak sperm, he divulges in his past demons as an alcoholic and becomes a complete violent wreck.

Dorothy Malone won an Oscar for her performance, and it's a good one. Her character is essentially nothing more than lust personified - she's an irresistible temptress who looks more like a Barbie doll than a woman. My favorite performance of the film, however, was Robert Stack. Although the performance is completely over-the-top and absurd, it's interesting to watch Kyle's phony exterior disintegrate throughout the picture until he becomes the villain that he is at the end. It's a smart performance done in the least subtle manner imaginable.

"Written on the Wind" is appealing for it's compelling story, enjoyable performances, and shameless exaggerations that make it a guilt-free guilty pleasure. While subtlety is not it's strong point - it's not supposed to be. "Written on the Wind" is wildly entertaining, and subscribers to NetFlix should certainly check it out on their Instant View service.