Directed by Douglas Sirk

Like a teutonic Baudelaire, Douglas Sirk made his name in film in a relatively short period and then all but abandoned the art (save for a brief coda in the 70s). Between 1952 and 1958, however, Sirk made the entire oeuvre of lush melodrama his own – and in the company of Barbara Stanwyck and Lucille Ball, created movies like Imitation of Life a... show more >

Like a teutonic Baudelaire, Douglas Sirk made his name in film in a relatively short period and then all but abandoned the art (save for a brief coda in the 70s). Between 1952 and 1958, however, Sirk made the entire oeuvre of lush melodrama his own – and in the company of Barbara Stanwyck and Lucille Ball, created movies like Imitation of Life and Magnificent Obsession, largely derided at the time, hugely re-evaluated in the 70s and, these days, felt to be an immense influence on directors as diverse as Todd Haynes, Lars Von Trier, Fassbinder and Pedro Almodovar. All told, his narrow canon of movies is nigh on essential for any film buff. < show less