What you often hear in the cinema crowd about Douglas Sirk, the titan on melodrama direction, is that he was nothing more or less than a studio artist. Melodrama for the longest time, was the place that female film theorists could progress in (the term womans picture likely caused this) and dismissing his work as that of a studio artist, helps enforce this and discount those who seriously analysed it. This is shameful. As equally so, as those who completely ignored John M. Stahl and his work, which again was often ignored for being to woman centric and to melodramatic. I thank god above that Criterion collection, in a knock out, one two, have allowed both directors a chance to shine with three releases. The first was the brilliant 1935 verison of AN IMITATION OF LIFE (remade by Sirk), that we failed to get reviewed in time but is stunning! Then ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS, which is forth coming and finally, the two versions of MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION.

The story is slightly ludicrous. Reckless playboy Bob Merrick (Rock Hudson) crashes his speedboat while riding to fast on a lake. He almost dies but thanks to the town’s only resuscitator, survives. Fate however has meant that the towns beloved doctor at the very same moment, had a heart attack and died. The device couldnt be in two places at once. The doctor’s widow, Helen (Jane Wyman), and most of the town blame Bob for being reckless and ignorant to the needs of others. He wants to make amends and tries to pay something forward. However, when Helen is blinded due to a leison, after an accident, caused by Bob chasing her, it seems that he is that bad penny which wont leave your side.

Though neither Sirk nor Stahl’s best film, the two versions, both HD restored and looking sometimes great, others bleached to death, MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION feels comprehensively brilliant. We have missed serious adult drama for a while and though this has some truly unbelievable plot devices, it feels grown up and responsible. Allison Anders and Kathryn Bigelow (I mentioned woman and Melodrama and Criterion chooses heavy hitters to get this point across) seem to labour this point. This is serious drama and Sirk visually excels at making the small, seem superior to the IMAX, smash and grab, big. The sad part is that he didnt really talk about it and so the extras are filled more with other films and even the screen writer seems to be more compelled to talk about that earlier version, which Stahl makes god like actors, glycerine broken, heart string pulling saints.

High-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray

• Audio commentary from 2008 featuring film scholar Thomas Doherty
• Magnificent Obsession, John M. Stahl’s 1935 adaptation of the same novel, newly restored
• From UFA to Hollywood: Douglas Sirk Remembers (1991), a documentary by Eckhart Schmidt
• Interview from 2009 with screenwriter Robert Blees
• Interviews from 2008 with filmmakers Allison Anders and Kathryn Bigelow, in which they pay tribute to director Douglas Sirk
• Trailer
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: An essay by critic Geoffrey O’Brien