A Place in the Sun first caught my attention in an article I had read about Montgomery Clift. Even though the article went into no great depth about explaining the plot or story-line of the film, what was written about it was rather favourable. I decided to have a look at some reviews and even some viewer comments on the IMDb to get a better idea of what the film was about, and to see what other people thought of it. Based on what I found written about it I decided that I might be interested in looking at it, even though it sounded suspiciously like another Hollywood love story.
The film turned out to be one of the best dramas I have ever seen, in fact it was so good that not even Elizabeth Taylor's mediocre talent could ruin it. The characterizations and story line were outstanding, far surpassing those of George Steven's other masterpieces, Shane and Giant. This was one of those rare movies, another being 'Dead Man Walking' where I found myself not knowing whether or not to feel sympathy for the main character, which I imagine was exactly the audience impartiality that Stevens was aiming for.
There is more than one theme prevalent in this movie which makes it so good, the main one centering on love breaking through social barriers, not an uncommon theme, but well executed. There is also an underlying theme of betrayal which is offsets the former theme and is what makes this movie such a success.
Even though the movie is centred on the characters of Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor, it is Shelley Winters that steals the show. Winters performance is flawless, successfully gaining sympathy for her character, which in turn is what creates a confliction of feelings for the audience towards the main character.
An absolute must see
The film turned out to be one of the best dramas I have ever seen, in fact it was so good that not even Elizabeth Taylor's mediocre talent could ruin it. The characterizations and story line were outstanding, far surpassing those of George Steven's other masterpieces, Shane and Giant. This was one of those rare movies, another being 'Dead Man Walking' where I found myself not knowing whether or not to feel sympathy for the main character, which I imagine was exactly the audience impartiality that Stevens was aiming for.
There is more than one theme prevalent in this movie which makes it so good, the main one centering on love breaking through social barriers, not an uncommon theme, but well executed. There is also an underlying theme of betrayal which is offsets the former theme and is what makes this movie such a success.
Even though the movie is centred on the characters of Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor, it is Shelley Winters that steals the show. Winters performance is flawless, successfully gaining sympathy for her character, which in turn is what creates a confliction of feelings for the audience towards the main character.
An absolute must see