Waste of time

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

I had heard of Rock Hudson, but had never seen any of his movies. This was based on a book which is fairly obscure. The movie tells the story of a guy named Bob Merrick who falls in love with a woman named Helen. He starts off by having a bad relationship with her. Then she gets into an accident that leaves her blind and he realizes he can start anew. She doesn't know who he is at first, but eventually figures it out.This is a pretty obscure movie and while not a classic, it's quite good. The pacing is very nice, especially towards the end. It really is a sweet and heartwarming story about a guy learning to develop as a person to get the girl he wants. I admit that it does seemed to be filmed in the dark too much. It's simply a well acted film. It's sad to know that in real life Rock Hudson hid his sexuality, but I'm glad we live in an era where gay marriage is legal. ***

Douglas Sirk made two remakes of John M. Stahl's films, one is IMITATION OF LIFE (1934) which his remake came out in 1959, another one is this, Stahl's original film is made in 1935. Generally acknowledged as the breakthrough vehicle for his star Rock Hudson, who will continue their collaborations in Sirk's later works, including a reunion with Wyman in ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS (1955). Lloyd C. Douglas' source novel is a quintessential melodrama markedly at the mercy of fate, there is no single villain-like character in the film, by sheer accidents, Bob Merrick (Hudson), a rakish young man born with a silver spoon in his mouth, have to bear the consequences of his unintentional behaviours. And being sermonised by the "magnificent obsession" of doing good deeds in a secret way in pursuit of destiny fulfilment through Edward Randolph (Kruger), a painter who is also a beneficiary of such deed. The self-worth upraising process of Bob is motivated by the tragedy inflicts on Helen Phillips, a saintly newly-widowed woman on the verge of bankrupting, then suffers a fatal car accident and has lost her sight, both thanks to Bob Merrick, again it is never his own intention (why on earth there is only one resuscitator is available?), mishap happens, c'est la vie! Eventually he will fully pay the old debt in the most unbelievable way and procure a teary happy ending. Certainly there is a whiff of Christianity preaching overhanging, but Sirk uses a rather light touch to emphasise on it. The script can be as maudlin as one can possibly imagine, but refuses to capitalise too much on the lies, which could be worse if the identity revelation card being overplayed. Nevertheless it is Sirk's trademark subdued lighting and graceful composition stands out of the story itself, and Wyman accomplishes an adequate job in her virtuous embodiment of a woman too good to be true in a mundane real world, despite that she is such a fine actress can effortlessly arouse audience's sympathy with her poised existence, and she is honoured with an Oscar nomination, but one jarring thing is the wanting of chemistry between Wyman and Hudson, like her character, it could only happen in a fairytale that she can be so all- forgiving and altruistic without a moment of lapse. Hudson, on the other hand, contrives to crystallise a more dramatic trans-formative arc of Bob, it is my first Hudson's movie, so on a whole, it is quite middling, plus Sirk also teases us with showing Hudson's brawny bod in a really nonsensical scrubbing scene for our eyes only. Moorehead is brilliant as always against a one-dimensional setting as nurse Nancy, she really shows off her agility and expertise of a proficient nurse, this is truly acting with top calibre. Barbara Rush as Joyce, Helen's stepdaughter, personifies a more rational profile in her than we might consider in a secondary role. Finally, Otto Kurger, impresses with his sagacity and squeezes as much leverage as possible in a larger-than-life scenario which can feasibly become a laughing stock. Lastly, Frank Skinner's schmaltzy score, can be overbearing sometimes, but frankly speaking, it is quite pleasing to my ears, entirely, the film is a competent studio product, but under the helm of Sirk, it imbues a distinctive élan that is inexplicably charming which can overshadow the narrative itself. Maybe Sirk is really the criminally under-appreciated maestro as many critics and devotees fervently contend, and I am just beginning to familiar with his school of aesthetics, yet, the first encounter is hearteningly rosy against all the odds.

When I saw this for the first time I already knew the plot in the film. The script for this is really horrible. I understand why the director did not want to make it. I knew the climax of the film before it was 30 minutes old. I hung around hoping it would get better. It did not.The film has little to say in favor of it for me except for Hudson who tries desperately to make it seem real. No one could bring that off. He is too young to be romancing Wyman and too old to be with the younger actress.Think this could be redone better starting with a new script. Then we need to get more dramatic moments in it. This one definitely is not the best platform for any one in the cast. I think this could have been so much better, a waste of talent and some of the window scenes are obviously fake. Universal did no one any favors with this movie.

The reckless and arrogant playboy Robert Merrick (Rock Hudson) has an accident with his motorboat but he is resuscitated with the resuscitator of the famous Dr. Wayne Phillips. Coincidently at the same time, Dr. Phillips has a heart attack and needs his apparatus, but he dies. Dr. Phillips's young wife, Helen (Jane Wyman), and his daughter Joyce (Barbara Rush) blame Bob Merrick for his irresponsibility and hate him. Sooner they discover that Dr. Phillips had secretly helped many people that adore him. When Merrick sees Helen Hudson, he flirts with her, but his unrequited affection irritates her. One day, Merrick is drunk and meets the artist Edward Randolph (Otto Kruger) by chance and he learns that Dr. Phillips secretly helped people without expecting any return or acknowledgement. One day, Merrick sees Helen in a restaurant and gets in her taxi. However Helen leaves the car upset with Merrick, another car runs over Helen and she becomes blind. Later Merrick meets Helen on the beach and lures her, introducing himself as Robinson. Meanwhile he financially helps her and hires a team of specialists to examine Helen in Switzerland. Helen is examined but the doctors advise her that they will not operate her. Meanwhile Merrick and Helen fall in love with each other but when Merrick proposes her, he discloses his true identity. On the next morning, Helen vanishes without any trace from the hotel with her nurse and friend Nancy (Agnes Moorehead). Merrick studies medicine and years later, he returns to Detroit and Randolph tells him that Helen is very sick in a small sanatorium in New Mexico. He heads to meet Helen with Randolph and finds her terminal, needing an urgent surgery. Without alternative, he has to operate her."Magnificent Obsession" is a remake without the magnetism of the original film. The story has minor modifications, actually updates and color, but the black and white movie of 1935 is better and better. The charm and chemistry of Irene Dunne and Robert Taylor are unrivalled. My vote is six.Title (Brazil): "Sublime Obsessão" ("Sublime Obsession")