Douglas Sirk’s Imitation of Life will be playing at Film Forum in a pristine new restoration, from April 3 to April 9. The 1959 classic is a lush adaptation of the Fannie Hurst novel from 1933, which had been adapted into a film starring Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers in 1934. Lana Turner stars as widowed actress Lora Meredith, whose career only blossoms when she receives the help of Annie Johnson (Juanita Moore) a single mother who becomes her housekeeper in order to support her fair-skinned daughter Sarah Jane (Susan Kohner) who refuses to accept she’s half black. While the social and racial politics of the film seem rather dated, Imitation of Life has in fact a lot to say about our times, which is why we offer you five reasons why not to miss this exclusive theatrical engagement.
5) The film went on to influence other artists.
From R.E.M. to Diana Ross, and Todd Haynes, Imitation of Life proved to be a landmark in terms of how it resonated with artists who found inspiration in the characters’ need to be someone else in order to achieve happiness, but failed to recognize how much they’d already been given. “You want the greatest thing/The greatest thing since bread came sliced/You've got it all, you've got it sized” sang Michael Stipe in the eponymous song from his band in 2001, to say those lines perfectly capture Sarah Jane’s plight would be an understatement.
4) The 4k transfer.
Douglas Sirk was a unique aesthete who knew how to make the most out of the film frame. His films usually overflow with beautiful elements that, contrary to popular belief, do more than provide eye candy. His use of space, color and art direction usually convey the things that could only remain unspoken by the characters, making his films perfect examples of the oneiric qualities of cinema. Imitation of Life might very well be his pièce de résistance and in a new 4k transfer, the cinematography by Russell Metty gets yet another chance to shine brighter than ever.
3) Lana Turner gives a great performance!
It took Lana Turner more than almost any other blonde bombshell, to overcome the notion that she was nothing but a sex symbol. While the actress’ range was rather limited when compared to other thespians of her generation, she knew better than to stray from what she did best, and in Imitation of Life Sirk allows her to play a selfish actress, desperate to show the world she is more than meets the eye. Perhaps the part was a bit too custom made for her (her character in the novel was a restaurant owner after all) regardless, it remains truly unforgettable.
2) Melodrama FTW!
Melodramas and “women’s pictures” tend to lend themselves to be automatically dismissed as camp by modern viewers who fail to realize that there was a time before Method acting and naturalism, when emotions were supposed to be larger than life. While this kind of acting has become more associated with soap operas, television would never do justice to seeing Lana Turner cry on the big screen, each of her tears seemingly carrying all the pain in the world.
1) Juanita Moore and Susan Kohner
The relationships between mothers and daughters give the film its emotional backbone, and while Lora’s relationship with her goody-two-shoes daughter Susie (Sandra Dee) is cute, nothing prepares you to the rollercoaster of heartbreak provided by Annie and Sarah Jane. The former’s blind, relentless devotion to her daughter is almost Biblical in its amount of sacrifice, while the latter’s lack of awareness when it comes to seeing how much her mother does is plain terrible. However, Sirk knows better than to point fingers, and allows both characters to mature, so much even, that we might identify ourselves with them, even if our specific problems don’t necessarily align with theirs. Annie and Sarah Jane also have one of the most devastating reunions in all of cinema history, so much even, that it required a cameo from Mahalia Jackson to convey how much pain they carried in their souls.
Imitation of Life will play in a limited engagement starting April 3. For tickets and more visit Film Forum.
