Theme
The theme of the movie, to the modern eye, deals with very important issues — passing, the role of black servants in white families, maternal affection—and remains very watchable. Some scenes seem to have been consciously filmed to highlight the fundamental unfairness of Delilah's position—for example, when, in Bea's fabulous NYC mansion, Delilah descends down the shadowy stairs to the basement where she lives while Bea, dressed in the height of fashion, floats up the stairs to her rooms, rooms that have been built on Delilah's recipe. Others highlight the similarities between the two mothers, both of whom adore their daughters and are brought to grief by their self-centeredness. Still others permit the audience to view Delilah as a figure of fun, often because of her ignorance about finance or her desire to stay in her humble role, yet by the end of the movie—especially with the long processional portraying a very dignified black community, Delilah has become a saintly icon to Bea and the audience.
Read more about this topic: Imitation Of Life (1934 Film)
Famous quotes containing the word theme:
“The theme of my autobiography could only be repetition.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)
“Children became an obsessive theme in Victorian culture at the same time that they were being exploited as never before. As the horrors of life multiplied for some children, the image of childhood was increasingly exalted. Children became the last symbols of purity in a world which was seen as increasingly ugly.”
—C. John Sommerville (20th century)
“It seems to me that upbringings have themes. The parents set the theme, either explicitly or implicitly, and the children pick it up, sometimes accurately and sometimes not so accurately.... The theme may be “Our family has a distinguished heritage that you must live up to” or “No matter what happens, we are fortunate to be together in this lovely corner of the earth” or “We have worked hard so that you can have the opportunities we didn’t have.””
—Calvin Trillin (20th century)