Wednesday 3 May 2023

Far From Heaven (2002 Todd Haynes & scr)

Haynes' glorious recreation of Douglas Sirk films, almost a mixture of All That Heaven Allows, Written on the Wind and Imitation of Life, with a perfect Russell Metty impersonation from Ed Lachman. With of course subject matter that wouldn't be allowed then, Haynes may be saying to us, 'Have things really moved on?' At least that's what I think. And of course he is also saying, 'The fifties weren't really like this'. Just like Sirk's fifties weren't the fifties.

Sirk's devices are all present - flowers, nature, bars, mirrors - but in one respect it's quite different - Haynes and editor James Lyons use a lot of dissolves, whereas Sirk preferred straight cutting..

Lovely score from Elmer Bernstein.

The silent ending is perfect - makes me think of (the mood of) Brief Encounter, a film which is definitely referenced in Haynes' Carol.

Julianne Moore, Dennis Haysbert, Dennis Quaid, Patricia Clarkson, Viola Davis. 

Miro




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