The movies I viewed for this paper are both really impressive, with very interesting stories. The main conflicts in both works are the same – the relationships between women and their daughters, career and love matters, and, of course, the most important issue brought up in the films – the racial self-definition. The film ended up making a significant impact on the African American community of the United States of America (Bogle).
The movies suggest that there is a racial problem in America, the character expressing all the tension in that sphere is the black lady’s daughter. The girl does not look black and since her childhood becomes neurotic and aggressive, trying to pass for a white girl, she is full of hatred to her lifestyle of a black person, the treatment towards her and, as a source of all these problems, the girl hates her mother, the living indicator of her owning the “black blood”.
The girl grows up ashamed of her own roots, yet the mother’s love and loyalty never change, even though the daughter refuses to admit they are related, in public she asks: “do I look like her daughter?” (“Imitation of Life”, 1934). Years after the black lady keeps trying to win her daughter’s appreciation and become closer with her, she never succeeds, because of that her heart is broken all the time and this leads to her illness and death from being “as tired as she ever wants to be” (“Imitation of Life”, 1959).
The films present stories of two women – a black lady and her daughter, and a white one, who also has a little daughter. Both women are single and have to go through life on their own. The movies show these women’s lives and development of their relationships through years. Despite the similarities of the movies, the works are basically very different.
It is interesting to observe how the manner of acting changed though several decades, the movements and presentation of actors are different in both movies. Besides, it is hard not to notice that the film from 1959 starts using more advanced sound, there is music playing on the background, accompanying the scenes and emphasizing the emotional meaning of these scenes.
The main differences of these two films are visual. Stahl tends to use what Jeremy Butler called “frames-within-the-frame structure of the shots” (par. 20). In the film of 1934 the director shows many rectangular shapes and forms; there are multiple straight lines, correct frames. Moreover, the movie by Stahl is visibly much more static than the film by Sirk. The actors do not move as much within a scene, we could see them mostly sitting or standing. Even in the scene where Bea is dancing with the suitor, the couple looks very static.
To see the dynamic of the film made in 1959 we could pay attention to the opening scene at the beach – we will notice many people moving in the background, the girls running around, additional characters participate and add more variety to the scenes created by Sirk.
Another typical object for Sirk to use is a mirror – it is featured in many tragic scenes of the movies – such as scenes of daughters having conflicts with their mothers. My favorite specialty Sirk’s movie has is the use of shadows. They are used in almost unnatural way, creating dramatic frames, accenting different spots of the scenes, actors’ faces.
In conclusion, the movie by Stahl has more balance and stasis; its scenes are not overcrowded with characters. Sirk’s work is more dynamic, filled with interesting shapes, color and music. The stories are similar, but the impressions they leave are very different.
Works Cited
Bogle, Donald. “Imitation of Life”. TCM. 2014. Web.
Butler, J. B. Imitation of Life, Style and the Domestic Melodrama. 2006. Web.
Imitation of Life. Dir. Douglas Sirk. Perf. Lana Turner, Juanita Moore, John Gavin.
Imitation of Life. Dir. John Stahl. Perf. Claudette Colbert, Warren William, Rochelle Hudson.