All That Heaven Allows (1955) Criterion 1080p BluRay x265 HEVC AAC-SARTRE

This heartbreakingly beautiful indictment of 1950s American mores by Douglas Sirk follows the blossoming love between a well-off widow (Jane Wyman) and her handsome and earthy younger gardener (Rock Hudson). When their romance prompts the scorn of her children and country club friends, she must decide whether to pursue her own happiness or carry on a lonely, hemmed-in existence for the sake of the approval of others. With the help of ace cinematographer Russell Metty, Sirk imbues nearly every shot with a vivid and distinct emotional tenor. A profoundly felt film about class and conformity in small-town America, All That Heaven Allows is a pinnacle of expressionistic Hollywood melodrama.

Extras


• Rock Hudson's Home Movies (1992) - A fascinating documentary focusing on Rock Hudson's sexuality and celebrity status narrated by filmmaker Mark Rappaport (Mozart in Love, From the Journals of Jean Seberg). The documentary features a large collection of clips from films with Rock Hudson and some archival stills. In English, not subtitled. (64 min, 1080i).

• Behind the Mirror: A Profile of Douglas Sirk - Presented here are interview excerpts from the 1979 BBC documentary Behind the Mirror: A Profile of Douglas Sirk. The legendary director discusses the socio-political climate in Germany after Hitler's rise to power, his work in Holland and consequently in Hollywood, his collaboration with Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson on Magnificent Obsessions and All That Heaven Allows, the visual style of the latter, etc. In English, not subtitled. (58 min, 720p).

• Contract Kid: William Reynolds on Douglas Sirk - In this featurette, actor William Reynolds, who played Cary Scott's son in All That Heaven Allows, discusses his acting career and the various films he made with Douglas Sirk. William Reynolds started his career at Paramount, where he was discovered by the great director William Wyler (Ben-Hur, Roman Holiday). The featurette was produced by Robert Fischer for Fiction Factory. In English, not subtitled. (24 min, 720p).

• Cinema cinemas - Presented here is an archival interview with director Douglas Sirk, directed by Pascal Thomas, which originally aired on the April 14, 1982, episode of the French television program Cinema cinemas. The director discusses the importance of light and shadow in his films, the camera movement and the manner in which faces are captured in his films, the crucial role music has in his films, his cutting/editing preferences, etc. A good portion of the footage was shot in Lugano, Switzerland. In English, with printed French subtitles. (16 min, 720p).

• Commentary - Film scholars John Mercer (Melodrama: Genre, Style, Sensibility) and Tamar Jeffers-McDonald discuss the romantic relationship between Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson's characters, the unique use of color throughout the film, Douglas Sirk's careful framing, the social overtones in the film, the key conflicts in the film, the different reviews the film received, etc. The audio commentary was recorded exclusively for Criterion in 2014.

• Trailer - Original trailer for All That Heaven Allows. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 720p).