Montgomery Clift Movie Recommendation #2

A Place in the Sun (1951)- 2 hrs 2 mins

George Eastman (Montgomery Clift) is not well off, but he is a young man determined and anxious to make his way in the world and to find his rightful place in upper class society. His big break comes when he gets a job as a factory worker in his wealthy uncle's company. There George takes an interest in the demure and equally poor Alice Tripp (Shelley Winters). It does not take long before George starts making his way up the corporate ladder and is introduced into the upper class society that he has always wanted to be a part of. He is now able to finally meet the beautiful socialite Angela Vickers (Elizabeth Taylor) - the girl that he's been in love with ever since he first laid eyes on her. Just as all of his dreams begin to come true, Alice harbors a secret that poses a threat to all of George's lofty aspirations. His passions may just rob him of his "place in the sun."

Acclaimed at the time of the film's release as “the greatest movie ever made about America" by Charlie Chaplin, the second screen realization of Theodore Dreiser's novel An American Tragedy became a huge hit, garnering 9 Oscar nominations and immortalizing Clift and Taylor as some of cinema's most unforgettable lovers.* Although the film's main premise may seem dated, A Place in the Sun remains an unquestionable classic. Montgomery Clift's performance as George Eastman is unforgettable. Clift looks like an underdog. He's thin, his shoulders are slumped over, and he exudes young and anxious timidity. He's a young man who wants to make good. As the New York Times put it, he is a "pitiful yet strangely brave individual," and "despite his weaknesses, he is a strong figure." In this way, Clift makes George Eastman sympathetic to every young and striving generation. He gets you to draw close to his character and then allows the film's twist to happen. Not every actor can pull that off by just looking straight into the camera.

*Thomson, David. The New Biographical Dictionary of Film. Third Edition. New York: Knopf, 2002.

Oscar-Winning Score by Franz Waxman

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