WRITTEN ON THE WIND

US, 1956, 100 minutes, Colour.
Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack, Dorothy Malone, Robert Keith.
Directed by Douglas Sirk.

Written on the Wind has become one of Douglas Sirk’s most popular and acclaimed films. It is melodrama at its highest – a characteristic of Sirk’s films during the mid and later 1950s.

Sirk was born in Germany and his name was Detlef Sierck. He began directing in Germany in the mid-1930s and continued until the outbreak of World War Two. He then moved to the United States directing his first film in 1943, significantly called Hitler’s Madman. For ten years he directed a great number of effective films, some B-budget, some A-budget which include Thunder on the Hill with Claudette Colbert and Ann Blyth and some slight musicals at Universal, No Room for the Groom, Has Anybody Seen My Gal, Meet Me at the Fair. With All I Desire he moved into the higher ranks and made a number of the early Cinemascope films for universal: Sign of the Pagan, Captain Lightfoot. With Magnificent Obsession he hit the big time, the adaptation of Lloyd C. Douglas’s book about a woman being accidentally blinded and the doctor studying in order to heal her. It starred Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson. Hudson also appeared in a number of Sirk films including All That Heaven Allows and Battle Hymn as well as Written on the Wind.

After Written of the Wind, Sirk also directed a number of romantic films but most especially succeeding with Imitation of Life, starring Lana Turner.

The film has a strong cast with Rock Hudson and Robert Stack (who was to appear in Tarnished Angels) has childhood friends who fall out, especially over their love for Lauren Bacall. In the background is Robert Stack’s sister, played by Dorothy Malone – with the touch of the malevolent and the struggle for power by betrayal. Dorothy Malone won an Academy Award as best supporting actress for her performance. Robert Stack was nominated for his.

This was the year that Giant won some Oscars and the location is similar: the Texas oilfields, the wealthy families, the spoiled children of these families and their mutual betrayals and struggles.

The song was also Oscar-nominated and was written by Victor Young and Sammy Cahn.

Probably one of the best examples to look at if one is to assess the impact of melodrama in the 1950s. It is worth comparing with the 2002 film, Far From Heaven, with Julianne Moore and Dennis Quaid, which is writer-director Todd Haines’ tribute to Sirk as well as an imitation of his style and issues.

1. The appeal of the soap opera? To men, to women? The popularity of this style in the 50's, the glossy treatment?

2. The significance of the title, reference to the family, the visual presentation, the credits, the credit song and its lyrics? The use of colour?

3. The reputation of the director and his popularity in this kind of film? The impact of the stars in their time, now? Dorothy Malone’s award winning performance?

4. The dramatic impact of the structure: the initial drive by Karl Hadley, the people at the windows, the flashback structure, the use of the diary blowing back? The nature of' suspense and audience curiosity as to what led up to the initial sequence?

5. Where did audience sympathies lie? Which were the most sympathetic characters, why? Audience interest in their interactions, the background of their lives? Audience interest in the lives of rich, high society people and their conflicts? Their sadness and the meaninglessness of their lives?

6. The focus on Lucy and Mitch? The initial delineation of character, the presuppositions about each other, the fact that they missed out on being happy from the beginning? Circumstances leading, to unhappiness? The comparison with the childhood memories of Karl and Mary Lee and days of happiness - leading to tragedy and unhappiness? The irony of the interaction of events in people’s lives, the consequences?

7. How attractive a person was Lucy, a good woman, competent in her work, curious about Karl, succumbing to the trip, changing her mind, wary of Mitch, attracted towards him? Karl pursuing her and her feeling that she knew him, consenting to marry him? Her motivation, trying to build him up? The honeymoon and its joy, the apprehension about the gun? Her response to her father-in-law and the acceptance in the house? The taunts of Mary Lee? Her experience of Karl’s change and her not being able to understand? Her achievement within the family, her being hurt? The temptation to go with Mitch? The importance of her pregnancy, the miscarriage? The impact of the
court sequence, ultimate happiness? A portrait of' a good woman of a soap opera?

8. Mitch as the hero? His childhood background, place in tha Hadley family, being relied on by the father, a bad comparison with Karl? His own father and his frankness with him. his attraction Lucy, yet missing his chance at the beginning by suspecting his competence in work? His concealing his love but telling the truth to his father? The various details in which he helped Mr Hadley, his rescuing of Karl from brawls and drunkenness, rescuing Mary Lee from the police? His appropriate decision to go away, his anger with Karl, the circumstantial evidence, his becoming a victim of Karl and of Mary Lee, especially the blackmail? The court sequence and its suspense, his vindication?

9. Karl and Mary Lee, the family background and their wealth, the town named after them, their being able to buy anything and being saved from anything? Disappointment to their parents, sense of rivalry, the desperate nature of their loneliness? Drink and the film's comment on family and wealth? The father and his anger at the young man who accused Mary Lee of being a tramp?

10. The relationship between Karl and Lucy, the flippant nature, the serious change, depression, the gun and drink, impotence, fighting and suspicion, the ultimate drive, death? The irony of Karl’s last words?

11. The importance of memories, especially the voice over with Mary Lee at the river? The explanation of her behaviour as an nymphomaniac, as a tramp? Her stories and her seducing of Karl’s judgment? The impact of her frenetic dance and the death of her father? Her behaviour before the court scene and the blackmailing, of Mitch? How convincing was her change of heart in the court?

12. How enjoyable are such American glossy films? Yet easy to take parables of happiness and unhappiness, wealth? Selfishness? The accidents of life?