--- In a_film_by@yahoogroups.com, Tag Gallagher <tag@s...> wrote:
>
>
> >
>
> Sirk is considered by some people who don't know his work and
prefer to
> regurgitate clichés from others who don't know his work to the
effect
> that Sirk was making commentary on bourgeois American l life --
> specifically, they mean acidic commentary, since (as we know) it's
> difficult to think of any American filmmaker who has not made
commentary
> on bourgeois American life.

True. But let's not forget that Sirk himself has encouraged
misreadings of his films, notably in the famous (or infamous)
Halliday book-length interview "Sirk on Sirk". If what Sirk says in
that book about the "message" and social criticism of Imitation of
Life is true then I don't think his commentary on "bourgeois American
life" is worth all that much. He sounds so superior to and
contemptuous of his characters. "Her life is a very cheap imitation"
etc... Of course I've been taken to task in the past for
misunderstanding Sirk when I was just pointing out the fallacy of
some of his unconditional admirers...
JPC