A Place in the Sun (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
In 'A Place in the Sun' (directed by George Stevens & based on a 1925 novel, An American Tragedy), Montgomery Clift stars as George Eastman, an aimless, taciturn, but charming young man who wants to make something of himself in life. He hitchhikes his way to the opulent home of his wealthy uncle to see if he can get a job in one of his factories. Sure enough, he's put to work packing bathing suits on an assembly line. Though there's a company policy forbidding romances in the workplace, the lonely George has a one-night stand with similarly lonely, yet sly co-worker, Alice Tripp (Shelley Winters). But he forgets all about Alice when he falls for gorgeous socialite Angela Vickers (Elizabeth Taylor), a woman who enjoys the kind of upper-class lifestyle he aspires to.
Alice can't forget about George, however, as she is pregnant with his baby. She demands that George marry her or else she'll expose their affair/pregnancy to his new society friends. And so, with a plan to murder Alice, the recently promoted George takes her out rowing in a lake by the Vickers' summer residence, knowing that she can't swim. He can't go through with the murder. That said ... someone dies, a murder trial unfolds, and the lives of everyone will be forever changed.
What a movie. Now, I hear that this social drama/romance is a bit overblown compared to the source material. But this is the motion picture medium, so some added narrative energy/melodrama is sometimes necessary. Some critics also mention that the novel's sharp social commentary on the horrors of capitalism takes a backseat to the centerpiece Hollywood love story. Again, to that I say, 'some of those social commentaries simply would not translate to a movie'. But I digress. Most critics thought this was a masterpiece. It's in the AFI's Top 100 films of All-Time(!) - I wouldn't go that far, haha. And it made a killing at the box office.
This stately, if sometimes too slow-moving love story works mostly because of George Steven's impeccable craftsmanship, the sensitive performance by 29 yr. old Montgomery Clift, the tender/sensual portrayal by 17 yr. old Elizabeth Taylor, as well as 30 yr. old Shelley Winters, who played against type (she was typically known for bombshell roles) as the plain factory worker, Alice. Raymond Burr's forceful performance as D.A. Marlowe in the court scenes is also worth mentioning. One note on Clift/Taylor: this is the film where these eventual best friends met. Clift's characterization of a cowardly/downtrodden man who can still elicit sympathy from us viewers is quietly effective. And Liz has mentioned in interviews that she learned the true art of acting (inhabiting a character) from Clift.
This film won a staggering 6 Academy Awards, including Best Director (but not Picture); and I can see why it cleaned up in several categories. Stevens composes each & every scene with masterful precision; his shot lengths & attention to details are superb. The black-&-white cinematography is beauuuutiful. The production design (lavish mansion, et al) is a wow. Edith Head's costumes look amazing on Liz Taylor. The script, if not wildly exciting, is intelligent. There are quite a few poignant moments; including a chilling death of one of the characters. And I was mesmerized by one particular close-up of Taylor as she lovingly kisses Clift. 'A Place in the Sun' is just a quality film from top to bottom; even if loyalists think it misses the mark from the source novel. And to that, I think this movie DOES capture the essence of that source -- that one's lofty ambitions to be a member of the frivolous upper-class society can be one's undoing.
Alice can't forget about George, however, as she is pregnant with his baby. She demands that George marry her or else she'll expose their affair/pregnancy to his new society friends. And so, with a plan to murder Alice, the recently promoted George takes her out rowing in a lake by the Vickers' summer residence, knowing that she can't swim. He can't go through with the murder. That said ... someone dies, a murder trial unfolds, and the lives of everyone will be forever changed.
What a movie. Now, I hear that this social drama/romance is a bit overblown compared to the source material. But this is the motion picture medium, so some added narrative energy/melodrama is sometimes necessary. Some critics also mention that the novel's sharp social commentary on the horrors of capitalism takes a backseat to the centerpiece Hollywood love story. Again, to that I say, 'some of those social commentaries simply would not translate to a movie'. But I digress. Most critics thought this was a masterpiece. It's in the AFI's Top 100 films of All-Time(!) - I wouldn't go that far, haha. And it made a killing at the box office.
This stately, if sometimes too slow-moving love story works mostly because of George Steven's impeccable craftsmanship, the sensitive performance by 29 yr. old Montgomery Clift, the tender/sensual portrayal by 17 yr. old Elizabeth Taylor, as well as 30 yr. old Shelley Winters, who played against type (she was typically known for bombshell roles) as the plain factory worker, Alice. Raymond Burr's forceful performance as D.A. Marlowe in the court scenes is also worth mentioning. One note on Clift/Taylor: this is the film where these eventual best friends met. Clift's characterization of a cowardly/downtrodden man who can still elicit sympathy from us viewers is quietly effective. And Liz has mentioned in interviews that she learned the true art of acting (inhabiting a character) from Clift.
This film won a staggering 6 Academy Awards, including Best Director (but not Picture); and I can see why it cleaned up in several categories. Stevens composes each & every scene with masterful precision; his shot lengths & attention to details are superb. The black-&-white cinematography is beauuuutiful. The production design (lavish mansion, et al) is a wow. Edith Head's costumes look amazing on Liz Taylor. The script, if not wildly exciting, is intelligent. There are quite a few poignant moments; including a chilling death of one of the characters. And I was mesmerized by one particular close-up of Taylor as she lovingly kisses Clift. 'A Place in the Sun' is just a quality film from top to bottom; even if loyalists think it misses the mark from the source novel. And to that, I think this movie DOES capture the essence of that source -- that one's lofty ambitions to be a member of the frivolous upper-class society can be one's undoing.