it be ironic that during the 50 and when douglas sirk be at his most successful in term of audience appeal and he be virtually ignore by the critic he be now see and however and a a director of formidable intellect who achieve his best work in melodrama write on the wind be about the downfall of a texan oil dynasty surround by worthless reputation and alcoholism and and nymphomania it be about the twisted and fatal connection between sex and power and and money . stack draw a compelling portrait of a tormented drunken destroy by frustration and arrogance and jealousy and insanity and and some deep insecurity dorothy malone succeed a an attractive woman with an excessive sexual appetite and degrade herself for hudson and to other fellow in town her best line represent i be filthy . in one frantic scene and we see her shaking and quivering and sweat to a provocative mambo in another weep alone over a model oil derrick at her father desksymbol of excessive wealth and masculine tyranny the frenetic atmosphere be both make palatable and intensify by sirk magnificent use of color and light and and careful use of mirror .