That's not to say that Sirk's 1954 remake of a 1935 film, and adaptation of the 1929 novel by Lloyd C. Douglas, is not a melodramatic gem. The story focuses on reckless playboy Bob Merrick (Rock Hudson, in his first leading role), whose boat-crashing antics inadvertently kill Helen Phillips' (Jane Wyman) husband. When Merrick falls for the widow, he learns a lesson in selflessness and giving to others -- but not before Helen is blinded in an accident that was once again a result of Merrick's actions. Whereas the melodrama in Sirk's major works are supported by substantive themes that still resonate today -- the racism that forces Sarah Jane to abandon her mother in Imitation of Life, for example -Magnificent Obsession drowns in its sentimentality.
Although Sirk and company shoot for a theme of redemption, they fall short. The fundamental plot flaws are to blame for this one. While the dark cloud of a clichéd blindness plot device that allows Merrick to become a part of Helen's life without her knowing overshadows Merrick's do-gooder lessons, the cloud that shuts out any hope of thematic light comes in the final third when Merrick becomes a doctor. Degrading nearly to an episode of TV's General Hospital, Merrick -- now, an accomplished brain surgeon -- is the only one that can save Helen's life. Not only does that, he restores her vision to boot!
Appreciation for Sirk as a director comes from his ability to deliver tear-jerking melodrama with genuine emotion. Magnificent Obsession doesn't quite hit all the marks, but it still sends enough emotion through its performances and beautifully-compositions to make the eyes swell, just before you remember how silly it all is in the first place. For Sirk fans, it's a chance to see the first pairing of Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman before they once again ignited the screen in All That Heaven Allows. For everyone else, it's a shameless emotional escape on a lazy Saturday afternoon.
The Criterion Collection DVD includes two discs, including the 1935 version of the film from John M. Stahl. Thomas Doherty offers commentary on the 1954 version, plus video interviews with Sirk's contemporaries (Allison Anders?, Kathryn Bigelow?), plus an 82-minute documentary featuring Sirk looking back on his career.
