Written on the Wind (1956)

[Akijama]

SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

On the Blu-ray: New 2K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
On the DVD: Widescreen digital transfer, enhanced for 16x9 televisions
Acting for Douglas Sirk, a 2008 documentary featuring archival interviews with Sirk; actors Rock Hudson, Robert Stack, and Dorothy Malone; and producer Albert Zugsmith (Blu-ray only)
New interview with film scholar Patricia White about the film and melodrama (Blu-ray only)
Trailer
Trailer for All That Heaven Allows (DVD only)
The Melodrama Archive: An annotated filmography of director Douglas Sirk with hundreds of behind-the-scenes and production photos, plus vintage lobby cards (DVD only)
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
PLUS: An essay by filmmaker and critic Blair McClendon (Blu-ray only); an essay by film theorist Laura Mulvey (DVD only)

Blu-ray cover illustration by Sam Hadley (pictured); DVD cover by Michael Boland

Douglas Sirk’s Technicolor expressionism reached a fever pitch with this operatic tragedy, which finds the director pushing his florid visuals and his critiques of American culture to their subversive extremes. Alcoholism, nymphomania, impotence, and deadly jealousy—these are just some of the toxins coursing through a massively wealthy, degenerate Texan oil family. When a sensible secretary (Lauren Bacall) has the misfortune of marrying the clan’s neurotic scion (Robert Stack), it drives a wedge between him and his lifelong best friend (Rock Hudson) that unleashes a maelstrom of psychosexual angst and fury. Featuring an unforgettably debauched, Oscar-winning supporting performance by Dorothy Malone and some of Sirk’s most eye-popping mise-en-scène, Written on the Wind is as perverse a family portrait as has ever been splashed across the screen.

[Show spoiler]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mPmbly...me_continue=14


Ed Lachman confirmes a Criterion BD release. Check around 22:40 mark.

[silverlakephil]

Great news. Dorothy Malone is great in this Douglas Sirk classic. The French import looks pretty decent, so I'm sure Critrion can only improve it. Hopefully, they'll eventually release Magnificent Obsession as well.

[James Luckard]

Thanks! I was THIS close to ordering the French edition, along with the other French Sirks.

[BluPat]

About time! Now we need Magnificent Obsession (1954).

[okcmaxk]

Originally Posted by BluPat

About time! Now we need Magnificent Obsession (1954).

https://www.criterion.com/films/973-...cent-obsession

[NoirFan]

Originally Posted by silverlakephil

Dorothy Malone is great in this Douglas Sirk classic.

Her

[Show spoiler]'dance of death'

is one of my favorite sequences, but nothing beats the outrageous (and quite daring) capper to this scene:

Written on the Wind Drugstore scene - YouTube

[AaronJ]

Sirk was a genius.

[captveg]

Originally Posted by okcmaxk

https://www.criterion.com/films/973-...cent-obsession

On Blu-ray.

[silverlakephil]

Originally Posted by NoirFan

Her

[Show spoiler]'dance of death'

is one of my favorite sequences, but nothing beats the outrageous (and quite daring) capper to this scene:


Written on the Wind Drugstore scene - YouTube

Her dance of death scene was a hoot. When I watched this film for the first time, I was a lost for words. Her performance was so over the top, it was like a woman doing drag but for a female lead! And for that they gave her an Oscar.

[javi92]

Feel like I've been waiting forever for this title. But I guess it's that way with a lot of titles that Criterion is rumored to have.

[BluPat]

Originally Posted by okcmaxk

https://www.criterion.com/films/973-...cent-obsession

Yea I meant on Blu-ray.

[NoirFan]

Ms. Malone is mamboing in heaven now.

Writtin On The Wind--Mambo!!! - Dorothy Malone & Rock Hudson - YouTube

NYT obit

[ArnoldLayne56]

OK, where is it?

[MifuneFan]

They just released Magnificent Obsession, so I imagine they'll want to space out another Work title. I'm sure it'll be sometime in 2020 though.

[ArnoldLayne56]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

They just released Magnificent Obsession, so I imagine they'll want to space out another Work title. I'm sure it'll be sometime in 2020 though.

Catching M.O. on TCM occasionally is enough for me, but I am looking forward to this one. Perhaps next November :-) Thanks....

[James Luckard]

The recent Criterion MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION looks basically identical to the Elephant Films region-free French version:

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film6/blu-r...on_blu-ray.htm

Obviously it has more extras, but the transfer appears to be the same.

If (like me) you can't wait for the eventual Criterion WRITTEN ON THE WIND, it will also presumably look identical to the Elephant version, which plays on American machines:


https://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B01BXUKTCE/

[FragnitoM]

Is written on the wind the one where she’s holding the oil rig statue like it’s her penis? That’s next level mise-en-scene

[bonehica]

Originally Posted by FragnitoM

Is written on the wind the one where she’s holding the oil rig statue like it’s her penis? That’s next level mise-en-scene

Yes

[Show spoiler]

[cs2341]

Love this movie, want the criterion version. Hopefully soon!

[Matt89]

This is my favourite Sirk film and it's one of the few films of his that is still unavailable on Blu-ray in region A. Go figure. Yes I know there's (region free) imports, but this movie deserves a special edition. Hopefully Criterion plans on restoring and releasing it soon. Dorothy Malone is amazing in it. So over the top.

~Matt