"A Place in the Sun" 1951 Movie Review - Episode #84

[@eduardo_corrochio]

This movie is a gem. It pulls you in and creates a totally believable romance with these two stars; the characters' newly discovered love kind of sweeps you up and has a sort of magic to it. You mentioned the white gown, and it's stunning. It's so gorgeous I wouldn't mind having it as a decoration on a dressmaker's dummy. Of course it was the work of Edith Head, such a talent in Hollywood's golden age. George rising from his humble beginnings to new possibilities only to unintentionally dash his dreams to debris is not easy to take. You feel so badly--- for all three characters. And yes, by the climax where his hair is so shorn, it's just heart-wrenching. Some consider APITS something of a film noir. I can see the elements that give such a vibe. I was talking with a friend recently about strong drama films and this movie came to mind. I haven't seen it in several years so I will be dusting off the old DVD this weekend to experience it again.

[@nolagospeltracts8264]

Good job on the review. The movie filled me with anxiety for some reason.

[@ianpatrickclassicreviews]

Thank you so much! I hope you stick around for future reviews. Yea, the movie has a lot of built up suspense...especially that boat scene!

[@iloveclassicmovies8377]

George Stevens is one of the all time greats, that's for sure. It's a matter of taste, of course, but I prefer his light-hearted stuff over the heavier stuff he did. Katherine Hepburn even complained to him and pleaded with him to go back to making comedies. I come at this from a slightly different angle, because I saw An American Tragedy (1931) first. I went into that movie completely cold, and was very shocked by it. I literally had no idea what it was about, and would probably be less shocked if I rewatched it. In any event, Phillips Holmes struck me as very troubled, and detached emotionally, like you would imagine a killer to be. Montgomery Clift is the only other actor I could see pulling off anything similar. Like Phillips Holmes, he seems very troubled. Maybe not quite as detached and cold as Phillips Holmes, but definitely troubled. I don't see a clear winner between the two versions, as each has their pluses and minuses, but I do have to say that I prefer the character played by Sylvia Sidney a little bit more than the one played by Shelley Winters. They're both great, don't get me wrong, but Sylvia Sidney comes across as more innocent and vulnerable to me, and not quite as 'demanding'. I put 'demanding' in quotes because clearly she has every right to get tough with Montgomery Clift and demand that he do the right thing. The side effect of this justified defiance is that she comes across as slightly less vulnerable and innocent. My favorite Phillips Holmes movie is Broken Lullaby (1932) by the great Ernst Lubitsch. I highly recommend it. I actually painted a scene from it, that's how much I like it. He plays someone tormented by the memory of a soldier he killed in World War I and actually goes to visit the family to say how sorry he is. It's very gut wrenching. He can't get the words out, and the tension builds and builds over the course of the movie. One of the all time great anti-war movies.