Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		2.0

Imitation of Life Blu-ray Movie Review

Gone With the Pancakes.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III June 1, 2023

Perhaps one of the most "For its time..." movies ever, John M. Stahl's Imitation of Life is the rare 1930s drama that actually attempted to address race issues in the form of a unique friendship formed by widowed working mother Bea Pullman (Claudette Colbert) and her live-in housekeeper, Delilah Johnson (Louise Beavers), who each have a daughter in Jessie and light-skinned Peola. During the course of presumably several decades, it follows the unconventional family from the formation of a successful business -- fueled by Delilah's not-so-secret pancake recipe, which borrows liberally from the "Aunt Jemima" legacy -- to the turbulent growth of their daughters, including Jessie's infatuation with Bea's new suitor Steve Archer (Warren William) and Peola's mostly-failed attempts to pass herself off as white.

An unabashedly manipulative tear-jerker at its core, Imitation of Life admirably tackles social issues that even now haven't been fully smoothed over, and for that it certainly deserves a place in film history. But plot-wise it's broadly uneven, with at least two unnecessary detours that threaten to clog its 110-minute running time; chief among them is Bea's -- and partially Jessie's -- ongoing romance with Steve, which couldn't be less interesting and absolutely pales in comparison with the film's three core stories: the curious and at times frustrating relationship between Bea and Delilah, the latter's turbulent relationship with her daughter and, to a lesser extent, Bea's uncomfortableness in her own skin. Though peppered with moments of brilliance, anchored by its two leads, and aided by excellent cinematography, the film's stagy melodrama doesn't always land cleanly and its blend of mixed social messages leaves something of a sour aftertaste between the high points. This is, by far, one of the toughest films in recent memory to connect with when viewed through a contemporary lens -- something that we're supposed to be able to do as critics, but it's increasingly hard when old films are resurrected on home video like strange relics unearthed from a time capsule.

As such, I'm a little less forgiving of the film's flaws in comparison with former reviewer Michael Reuben, who wrote a detailed synopsis and warmer appreciation of Imitation of Life in his review of Universal's 2015 Blu-ray, which remains exclusive to their 2-Movie Collection along with Douglas Sirk's 1959 adaptation. Oddly enough, Criterion has issued this 1934 original on its own Blu-ray, which uses the exact same 4K master as Universal's older disc while ever-so-slightly changing the A/V presentation and, to a greater extent, the extras. But for several reasons, this is a mostly superfluous release for the boutique label and probably not the best choice for newcomers at Criterion's price point.

Imitation of Life Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in a 1.35:1 aspect ratio, Criterion's 1080p transfer of Imitation of Life looks more or less indistinguishable from Universal's 2015 Blu-ray offered as part of their 2-Movie Collection along with Douglas Sirk's 1959 adaptation. Indeed, Criterion's fold-out insert indicates that this 4K-sourced transfer was supplied by Universal with no claims that any additional visual restoration steps were taken. Although negligible encoding differences are present, in my opinion they are not large enough that the vast majority of viewers would be able to tell these discs apart in motion. In my opinion, neither are perfect presentations (especially in comparison to what Warner Archive puts out on regular basis) but they're still generally strong with noticeable grain, excellent image detail, and robust black levels.

Please note that the first six screenshots from this review are approximate (not frame-perfect) matches of images included in Michael Reuben's coverage of the Universal Blu-ray, linked above.

Imitation of Life Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Although Criterion's included booklet indicates that "additional audio restoration" was done for this disc, I again don't hear any major improvements from Universal's Blu-ray; both are generally quite good and free from most age-related wear-and-tear within expectations. Prevailing hiss is a slight distraction during one or two scenes and a faint amount of crackling can be heard along the way, but absolutely nothing major and certainly nothing on the level that prevents dialogue from being understood clearly. Fun fact: Imitation of Life took home a statue for "Best Sound Recording" at the 7th Annual Academy Awards, if only because It Happened One Night won just about everything else.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are offered during the main feature only, not the extras.

Imitation of Life Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in Criterion's stocky keepcase with attractive cover artwork and the usual fold-out leaflet with cast/crew credits, notes about the A/V presentation, and an essay by Northwestern University associate professor Miriam J. Petty ("On Passing Between"), who also appears in one of this release's exclusive featurettes. Only one other new bonus feature is offered, as well as an interesting trailer carried over from Universal's 2015 Blu-ray; sadly, a full- length audio commentary recorded for that older release was not licensed for inclusion here.

• Introduction by Imogen Sara Smith (24:11) - The noted film critic, no stranger to John M. Stahl's work, offers a well-rounded overview of Imitation of Life and its unique place in film history. Brief callbacks to other woman-centered films by Stahl -- most of which have not been released to Blu-ray or even DVD -- like Seed, Back Street (1931), and Only Yesterday are included, as well as details about the director's early years, his visual style, and of course the film itself, from potential social backlash to a few behind-the-scenes battles involving then-new Hays Code restrictions, including the insinutation of Peola as a mixed-race child.

• On Passing and Blackness (19:58) - Another new interview recorded exclusively for Criterion, this piece features Northwestern University associate professor Miriam J. Petty -- who also contributed the booklet essay -- and focuses more intently on the idea of "passing" as portrayed in Imitation of Life; that is, Peola's attempt at passing herself off as a white child to boost what Petty calls "her social currency". (In fact, for a fun drinking game, take a shot every time Petty says "currency".) This is another interesting piece, all things considered, with more than a few interesting points made along with several valuable visual aids along the way.

• Trailer (1:15) - Created separately by Universal for black-only theaters (an unprecedented marketing tactic at the time), this promotional piece focuses on the performances of Louise Beavers and Fredi Washington.

Imitation of Life Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

John M. Stahl's Imitation of Life is a culturally important but frankly quite uneven film that will raise the eyebrows of audiences unfamiliar with early 1930s social mores. This first adaptation of Fannie Hurst's then-new 1933 novel was arguably bested by Douglas Sirk's 1959 adaptation, yet it still has some power and features solid lead performances along with memorable cinematography. That said, Criterion's stand-alone Blu-ray package is baffling: it uses the same 4K master as Universal's 2015 Blu-ray offered as part of their 2-Movie Collection... which also included a commentary, the Sirk adaptation, and is currently priced less than Criterion's disc. Its two exclusive featurettes are interesting, but in my opinion this is one of the boutique label's least essential Blu-rays and thus for die-hard fans only.