Program – Children of Heaven

Last week we saw "All That Heaven Allows". This week, we look at two movies that were inspired by Sirk's melodrama. They're very different -- essentially movies of their own time and consciousness. Both are beautiful and worth watching together because their riffs on "forbidden love" are just the start of what you can take from them.


"Ali: Fear Eats the Soul" (German) is Fassbinder's homage to Sirk. There may have been close-ups within the movie, but I don't remember any. Instead, the shots are composed to frame the actors in their environment, and tell the story in a visual manner, more effectively than the dialogue alone. Fassbinder uses color differently than Sirk, but in a striking way.





"Far From Heaven" initally seems like it tries to outdo the originals. The color is more vibrant than the Technicolor of "All That Heaven Allows". The setting seems more glossy and artificial. Unlike the inspiration, but similar to "Ali: Fear Eats the Soul" the men suffer as much (if not more) for their love and identities. As is typical for her, Patricia Clarkson feeds the movie without stealing it in a supporting role. If you can, watch this one on the biggest screen you can see.