Le secret magnifique

I am a Douglas Sirk devotee and regard him as one of the screen's more underrated directors. Having said that, I regard "Magnificent Obsession" as a bit much, even for Sirk. I like Sirk because, even though he is a master of soapers, he is more than that. His films contain social commentaries that are often biting, and they often contain good character studies. In this preachy film the social commentary is absent and the characters are one dimensional. But I can forgive all this because the acting is good--Wyman, Kruger, and Moorhead are excellent--and Sirk showed that Rock Hudson could act if properly directed. This was Hudson's breakthrough film. But the music is almost too much to bear! I have never heard such wretchedly maudlin, and loud, movie music in my life. The heavenly choruses in the background are shameless. In spite of all this, however, it is all quite entertaining. 7/10

This is a nice remake of the classic 1935 film of the same title that starred Irene Dunne and Robert Taylor, this 1954 adaptation is fathful to former original . This time is starred by Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson, both of whom give fine acting . It deals with a drunken playboy : Rock Hudson inadvertently causes death Jane Wyman's husband, but then Wyman to be knocked down in an automobile accident and eventually blinded. The the alcoholic playboy plagued by guilt leaves his previous roguish life and devots his existence to studying medicine in order to restore the widow's sight . Stricken with remorse , he gets redemption by becoming a surgeon and attempting to cure her . The story of a woman's need for a man that will become one of the great emotional tour lifetime ¡ .The great love story by the author of "The Robe" by Lloyd C. Douglas . Here is a love story that will become one of the deepest emotional thrills of your lifetime !.

A melodramatic movie with emotion , romance , fatalism, sacrifice and tragedy . Starring duo are pretty well, Rock Hudson as the playboy who for a deep feeeling of guilt he becomes a brain surgery, though he looks a touch bewildered but toughs it out , this role lifted Rock to stardom. However , this character was firstly offered to Jeff Chandler , but he turned down, the reason for considering the film was too much soapy . While Jane Wyman as the mature widow takes it in her stride, she had Academy Award Nomination but lost to Audrey Hepburn for "Roman Holiday" directed by William Wyler . Other secondaries are frankly well , such as : Barbara Rush , Paul Cavanagh , Otto Kruger , Gregg Palmer, Richard Cutting, Mae Clarke and Agnes Moorehead.

It contains luxurious and colorful cinematography by Russell Metty . As well as sensitive and romantic musical by Frank Skinner .The motion picture lavishly produced Universal Pictures/Ross Hunter was compellingly directed by Douglas Sirk. He was an expert on melodrama, though also made other genres , such as : " A scandal in París" "Lured", "First Legion", "All I desire", "All the Heaven allows", "Written on the Wind", "Tarnished Angels", "Battle Hymn" , "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" , "Athila King of Huns" , "A Time to Love and a Time to Die" , "Imitation of Life" , among others. The yarn will appeal to Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman fans . Rating : 7/10. Better than average . Well worth seeing .

Bob Merrick (Rock Hudson) gets his commuppance and learns to be not such a reckless rich twat, with the help of a fairy godfather and falling in love with a woman he made go blind!

If you've never heard of Douglas Sirk, be prepared that this will be melodrama city. Production values are superb, though. Sirk was a very talented craftsman, as well as creating a beautiful aesthetic for these films.

Sirk made the hospital and the classic American home look as artificial and sanitised as he could: with lipstick so bright and full the lips jump off the faces, sculpted hair and good looks, everything in its right place and colours so stark it looks like a children's colour book. These locales are contrasted with a couple of other places, darkly beautiful: the scene where Rock is sitting at a bar, which starts with the rather loose and drunk looking woman leaning up against the wall, with curls of cigarette smoke and beautiful light in the background. The other is the night scene in Paris, with such exquisite light coming through the doors of the apartment.

Rock is actually pretty good in the film, and really perfect looking. I can see why Sirk picked him out - he's a Ken doll - playing the fantasy American: rich, beautiful and devil-may-care. And after this flick, he was also a star.

3/5. I liked La Habanera better, though.

Douglas Sirk is known as the melodrama man,but all his movies are not exactly what we call melodrama:"All that heaven allows" and"tarnished angels" are closer to realist stories;"A time to love and a time to die" transcends melodrama to become a tragedy.Three major movies seem to belong to the genre:"written on the wind" "imitation of life " and of course this one."Magnificent obsession " has a plot so unlikely,so incredible that,in the hands of a lesser talent,it would have gathered nothing but horse -laugh:The beginning of the film is a succession of coincidences and combinations of circumstances so improbable you wonder whether Sirk will get away with it.Against all odds,he succeeds in this absurd task.Someone tells the hero that the one who devotes his life to others has chosen the rocky road,someone has been crucified for that.But once he has begun,this task will obsess him,and it's a magnificent obsession.So the selfish hero will undo the harm he's done . It's a double feat:Hudson's struggle is moving and Sirk ,who goes for broke,pulls off this extravaganza with panache.

Having seen both versions of Magnificent Obsession, I have to say I prefer the remake. It's glossier and more melodramatic, which is the point of such a soapy story. However, neither movie grabs me or makes me reach for the Kleenex box. In 1936, I couldn't stand Robert Taylor, and in 1954, I didn't like Jane Wyman very much. Mild dislike wins out over an intense one, so if you're going to rent one of the versions, I'd recommend this one.

Rock Hudson is a careless playboy, and when he endangers himself in a senseless accident, he uses up valuable emergency medical equipment that could have gone to someone else-literally. Because the equipment was used to save Rock's life, a beloved doctor in a nearby hospital died. Rock feels very guilty and tries to make it up to the man's widow, Jane Wyman, but she understandably hates him and can't forgive him. Then, in another cruel twist of fate, Rock accidentally hits Jane with his car and blinds her! The movie is titled Magnificent Obsession because he makes it his mission to make up for all the wrong he's done to her, so if that story appeals to you, you'll probably like it.

It really is an interesting, melodramatic story that could have stood another remake. If you like the chemistry of the two leads, you can check out the other romance they made together, All That Heaven Allows. I would have preferred another choice for this movie's lead, someone more tragic like Jennifer Jones or Susan Hayward. Then again, Jane Wyman did play tragic figures in Johnny Belinda and The Glass Menagerie, so if you like her style, you might really like her in this.