Today's feature comes to us courtesy of my good friend Marvin Dangerfield. Check out his thoughts on Imitation of Life.
Imitation of Life (1934/1959 film)
First, let me say that I’ve copied lots of information from Wikipedia and I guess it could have been easy for me to say just go to Wiki and read about this, but since I wanted to add a few words of my own (my 3 cents) in between that of what I copied from Wiki, I will ask for your attention and beg that you read on and then after you’ve digested my 3 cents, then go to Wiki and maybe even youtube and read about and watch the movie. Thank you and now let’s begin.
My 3 cents:
As you can grasp from the title of the film there is some type of soul searching going on here, somebody is living in a lie or a fantasy. Well yes, that is true, but not exactly a Hollywood or Bollywood type fantasy of today, no CGI or special effects going on here, just true to life despair, put on the big screen, not once but twice. The original film was made in the 1930’s (no joke!) and the remake was made in the 1950’s (again no joke). You’re like that is old, how in the heck can this film be relevant today or worthy of discussion?
Well the movie was based on a novel written by Fannie Hurst (a Jewish novelist), so why did I mention Jewish and what does that have to do with the “imitation of Life”. Ok, here we go. The story has too many plots, but several sub plots all wrapped together tightly and the actors and actresses who performed in the film did Academy Award nominee level work.
Plot 1: A White lady and a Black lady become friends back when this was not really cool to do. The Black lady works as a servant, but by choice to help the White lady (strange but true in the movie.) They both have daughters who grow up together in the same house and are like sisters. (strange but true in the movie)
The White lady becomes a movie star, but the Black lady still plays the role of maid, but is a true friend to the white lady and the white lady never treats her bad because she loves her friend.
Plot 2: The Black lady’s daughter is very very very light skinned. She basically she looks white and unless she told someone she was black, they would never guess it. So now we are getting there. Since this little Black girl looks White and grows up like a little white girl, she decides to hide the fact that she is Black and let’s everyone think that she is related to the rich White lady and not the daughter of the Black lady servant. This is the deepest part of the “Imitation of life”, Black girl looks white, has a dark skinned mom, but runs away from her so that no one will know that she is really black and she breaks her moms heart, to the point of illness and and then death of a broken heart.
Plot 3: The White lady’s daughter hardly knew her mommy growing up as she was busy becoming a star, so they have no real mommy daughter connection. The White daughter falls in love with mommy’s BF and stirs up a lot of mess.
Now can you feel me?! A Jewish lady born back in the old old old days comes up with this story of a black girl hiding the fact that she is black, a rich white girl hating mommy for not being there, when she needed her… all this going on back in the 30’s SAY WHAT!? The 30’s then again in the 50’s, when American was basically White washed and Blacks lived with Blacks unless they were servants and nothing bad ever crept into the basic White washed American world.
So, that is why I think this story was historical and should have won more acclaim back in the day, but remember America was White washed back then. If we had made this story in the 60’s or even the 70’s it would have opened many eyes.
Think about the plots and tell me that this is not real, not deep, not something to think about and then think about when the film was made. WOW!! End of my present 3 cents.
I hated Troy Donahue after I saw this movie, but I guess that is a compliment to his acting. He was the BF of the light skinned black girl who pretended to be white. He was a joke and a ‘letter man” and when he found out the truth, he beat the crap out of the girl, that’s why I hated him. All the actors and actresses were great in the movie!!
Well I will say that this was one of the most heart breaking movies, I’ve ever watched and it changed my life completely. I, being of very light skin, remember when I was young wishing I was darker, like my mom and my brothers and sisters and feeling out of place. I kinda understood that the black girl wanted to blend in. But I decided, I’d never try to blend in, I’d always be me and represent my ethnic heritage.
It also opened my eyes to the fact that a black person could love a white person and visa versa, skin color is only that and true love lies within our hearts and minds.
As for the other plot of lack of communication with the mother and daughter, I make every effort to communicate and educate my children as much as possible. Even when I am extremely busy, I will listen to them and make sure they know I love them.
In the movie there is a sad ending, but also a ray of light, in that the black girl decided not to pretend to black anymore and to live her life as a black woman and the little white girl and mom were able to mend bridges and start communicating.
It is such a sad and enlightening movie and story that was written well before its time. Go to wiki and read about this and then go to youtube and watch the movie. (See the embedded video below.)
Peace out!
Marvin
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