Was der Himmel erlaubt (1955)

Was der Himmel erlaubt: Directed by Douglas Sirk. With Jane Wyman, Rock Hudson, Agnes Moorehead, Conrad Nagel. An upper-class widow falls in love with a much younger, down-to-earth nurseryman, much to the disapproval of her children and criticism of her country club peers.

“There is nothing to add to all the other comments about Sirku0026#39;s wonderful direction, color palette, camera placement, etc. Sumptuous visual story telling! u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhat compels repeated viewings, though, is Jane Wymanu0026#39;s amazing accomplishment here. Especially compared to Sirku0026#39;s subsequent sudsy masterpiece featuring Lana Turner, u0026quot;Imitation of Life.u0026quot; u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWyman was always good and always INTERESTING. She held the camera. No doubt about that. Was she a great actress? Did she ever get a script that let her PROVE she was? Itu0026#39;s arguable.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBut here I think she truly WAS. Line for line, this is fairly pedestrian material. (u0026quot;I let others make my decisions for me.u0026quot;) Each scene, like a string of pearls, is well-constructed. The plot too contains emotional conflicts and arcs that sustain the whole and reward us in the end.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBut the lines themselves? In lesser hands the entire enterprise would have laughably bombed.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe supporting cast is top-notch. They ALL know their way around a line. Especially Agnes Moorehead and Jacqueline de Wit.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eEven the early Rock Hudson, another star not known for impressive acting chops, who later found his REAL niche in light comedies with Doris Day, in which he was terrific, shines here. What heu0026#39;s asked to do he does naturally, easily, sincerely and affectingly. His sexual heat, jaw-dropping good looks, that voice and, yes, manliness, were perhaps never before or afterward captured so effectively on screen.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBut u0026quot;All That Heaven Allowsu0026quot; is Jane Wymanu0026#39;s picture all the way, and sheu0026#39;s heavenly in all of it.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThough everything she does looks unstudied and completely naturalistic, hers is a consummate technical display of film acting on the highest level.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eListen to her vocal inflections alone. Completely naturalistic. Except dramatically varied and supported by heightened emotion that is anything but u0026quot;naturalu0026quot; and is all u0026quot;art.u0026quot; (She could also sing, and sing well.) u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWatch her movements. Same thing. All in character, not an ounce of phoniness. But so precise, economical and scaled for the camera that, again, youu0026#39;re watching the art of a well-trained professional performing at a high level.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThen, watch her amazing close-ups. You can read her every thought and emotion and reaction — widely varying throughout the emotional plot arcs — without her saying a word. Without an ounce of overplaying.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHer seeming simplicity here, as an artist, an actress, is so focused yet subtle that she pulls you in and holds you completely every moment sheu0026#39;s on screen.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThat, without being a natural or classic u0026quot;beautyu0026quot; like Lana Turner or Elizabeth Taylor, and without the aggressive showiness of actresses like Bette Davis or Joan Crawford or Katharine Hepburn.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe script doesnu0026#39;t offer Wyman the histrionic fireworks of more flamboyant roles given some other actresses.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBut the layered richness and honesty of Wymanu0026#39;s performance here is the central achievement that keeps you returning to u0026quot;All That Heaven Allowsu0026quot; again and again.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eYes, itu0026#39;s a great performance.”