Featured Audience Ratings

• Daniel M

  
  In my review of High Society, I remarked that it is often the way that the first adaptation of a story often does it the 'tough', 'proper' way, then a second, softer version comes along which has more success but less going for it artistically. This is not just the… More
  In my review of High Society, I remarked that it is often the way that the first adaptation of a story often does it the 'tough', 'proper' way, then a second, softer version comes along which has more success but less going for it artistically. This is not just the case with commercial hits - A Place in the Sun won six Oscars at a time when Alfred Hitchcock was beginning to hit a rich vein of form. Looking at it now, it's like many of the films that go on to win Oscars: well-meaning, and in some areas well-made, but also far too safe and a little bit dull. A Place in the Sun is the second adaptation of Theodor Dreiser's lengthy, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel An American Tragedy, first published in 1925. The novel drew inspiration from the story of Grace Brown, who was found dead in Big Moose Lake, Upstate New York in mid-1906; she was later found to have been murdered by her lover Chester Gillette, who was subsequently sent to the electric chair. The novel was turned into a play in 1926 and filmed under its original title by Josef von Sturnberg in 1931. Prior to this adaptation (of which Dreiser disapproved), there were rumours of a collaboration between Sergei Eisenstein and Charlie Chaplin to bring this story to the screen - rumours which sadly came to nothing. There is a natural comparison between A Place in the Sun and Gone with the Wind, in that both works take a very long time to say relatively little. Both film adaptations successfully translate the baggy storytelling without explaining the emotional appeal of the books (if there is any). A Place in the Sun may be half as short as its patience-stretching predecessor, but even at 2 hours long there is not enough of a story to fill half that length, at least at the pace of George Stevens' direction. Stevens, like George Lucas, is a far better producer than he is a director. He is very good at assembling talent, getting Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in their respective primes. But he is not so adept when it comes to the actual mechanics and language of cinema: he can make sure the characters turn up on time, but he can't really tell a story with them. His editing is very lazy, his lighting if often third-rate (especially the car scenes), and his camera angles and composition are frequently amateurish. During the scene where Shelley Winters go to her doctor, there is all manner of junk cluttering up the foreground which is a distraction from a narratively vital conversation. Despite being broadly speaking a melodrama, A Place in the Sun is an unusual mix of genres within this. It begins as some kind of rags-to-riches drama, then becomes a love story, then turns into a whodunit in which we already know the culprit, and then finally ends up as a courtroom drama where all the previous events are recapped. You feel like the sensible thing to do would be to pick one genre, use the section set in that genre as a starting point and flesh out the plot either forwards or backwards from there. But in the absence of a more highly skilled director, the material is just allowed to sit on the screen in the hope that at least some of it will take flight. While the 1931 version was a relatively close adaptation, A Place in the Sun differs quite drastically from the novel in several key areas. Like a lot of 1950s films, whatever rough edges were in the source have been smoothed out or removed entirely, presumably to improve the film's chances of commercial success. While the novel begins with our protagonist being introduced to alcohol and prostitutes while working as a bell-boy, the film begins with George Eastman at the side of the road, going to work in the shirt factory. His past as a bell boy is mentioned very fleetingly in a conversation with the other Eastmans, and there is relatively little in Clift's performance to suggest a dark and shameful past. While the lead character in the novel is of a genuinely lowly background, George Eastman is merely a distant relative of the man who owns the company. By having him as a long-lost nephew or even black sheep of the family, the film doesn't quite work as a story about social status. Because Eastman is not an outcast from the beginning, there is less of a sense of ambition, he has less to lose, and there is less inherent tragedy to his story. Perhaps the film's success lay in the seemingly scandalous idea that such a crime could be perpetrated by the well-off, but that in itself is not a new idea, nor is it conveyed here better than in other films. Compared to High Society, A Place in the Sun does attempt to convey what remains of its themes through the central dynamic of its characters. Montgomery Clift isn't as overtly sociopathic as his 1931 counterpart, but he does give a convincing performance as a man who can never be properly accepted by polite society. Because he is no longer a rags-to-riches character in the strictest sense, the dynamic between Clift's character and that of Shelley Winters does work; we understand why Eastman cannot lower himself to her standards. Eastman represents the frustrations of the little man, the lower-middle-class man for whom the Angela Vickers of this world are unobtainable and the Alice Tripps are insufficient. The film is also a convincing argument against infidelity, if only because the consequences of Eastman's actions are so severe. Clift's performance carries the film, as we see his sense of tribulation and frustration at having to cover his tracks to prevent Alice finding out about him and Angela. Coming from a generation where Fatal Attraction is the core text for the consequences of sleeping around, the reactions of the characters may seem relatively tame. But at least they seem vaguely believable: even though Winters is as annoying as hell, at least she is convincingly annoying. But as much as it makes a decent fist to convey these ideas, for the most part A Place in the Sun feels just another melodrama about a love triangle. By about the fifteen-minute mark, where we are introduced to Elizabeth Taylor, we've got a pretty good idea of where it's going, and who Clift is going to end up with. The film plays so fully to the conventions of The Philadelphia Story and the like that there is no real dramatic tension, so we spend most of our time willing Stevens to get on with it. Even Alice's death isn't entirely a surprise: we may not have predicted how she would die, but we know who did it, why he did it, and what will happen to him at least half an hour beforehand. There are also several sections of A Place in the Sun which are, in tone at least, completely silly. Some of this is bound up in the melodrama itself: only in these kinds of films could we cut to a lake shortly after a character mentions that she can't swim. But even if we overlook little things like this, there are moments where Stevens loses control and things get quickly out of hand. The random scene of the whole Eastman clan boarding a speedboat feels like it's escaped from a Gene Kelly film, while Alice's death is very unconvincing; while in the novel she is hit in the face with a camera and then drowns, here she simply falls in. The courtroom scenes are some of the most uncertain in the film. Courtroom dramas are by their very nature a little ridiculous: the smallest actions have to be made histrionic in order to create drama out of what in real life is usually quite boring. But the trial scenes in A Place in the Sun make even the loudest moments in A Few Good Men look subtle by comparison. Eastman's prosecutor is downright cartoonish: with his sunken-in eyes and hobbling gait, you'd swear he was working for a Bond villain. And that's before he expresses his anger at Eastman by bringing the boat he was rowing into court, raising an oar above his head and then proceeding to smash up the boat while addressing the jury. A Place in the Sun is a well-meaning but ultimately dull second attempt to adapt Dreiser's novel. Despite the good performance of Montgomery Clift and the few moments in which its themes come to the fore, it settles for soft edges and the safety of convention when it should have been trying to push the envelope. It scores over High Society in actually having something to say, and there is nothing about it that could possibly offend. But like High Society, having nothing with which to offend, or provoke any real response, if perhaps its greatest failing.

• Aditya G

  
  Oscar winning director George Stevens produced and directed one of the most popular films of our time, "A Place in the Sun" starring Montgomery Clift, Liz Taylor and Shelley Winters. Based on the novel "An American Tragedy" by Theodore Dreiser, the screenplay… More
  Oscar winning director George Stevens produced and directed one of the most popular films of our time, "A Place in the Sun" starring Montgomery Clift, Liz Taylor and Shelley Winters. Based on the novel "An American Tragedy" by Theodore Dreiser, the screenplay written by Michael Wilson and Harry Brown tells the tragic story centering around a young, ambitious yet financially poor man named George Eastman (Montgomery Clift) who leaves behind the religious missionary work his parents were a part of and moves out with the hopes of seeking some decent employment with his business tycoon distant uncle Charles Eastman (Herbert Heyes). Initially perceived as socially "misfit" amongst the Eastmans, George is given a menial packaging task on the Factory floor. Early on, George seems to have developed the hots for a beautiful socialite and wealthy family friend of the Eastmans, Angela Vickers (Elizabeth Taylor). But she hardly even notices him in the beginning, and believing her to be way out of his reach owing to his social status, George probably decides to leave it aside. [img]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-BgvnA5bC3s0/Tnd5DyvJ8BI/AAAAAAAACBA/TMqSIHSo3Cc/vlcsnap-2011-09-19-22h45m50s178.jpg[/img] Meanwhile, breaking one essential rule of not mixing with the female co-workers, George gets romantically involved with one Alice Tripp (Shelley Winters). Their romance heats up quickly enough and George also finds himself steadily climbing the ladder in the Eastman industry, thanks to his hard work and last name Eastman! Soon enough he finds himself shoulder to shoulder with some of the who's who in an Eastman party and Angela Vickers finally notices him and predictably enough, falls for his boyish charms! George seizes the opportunity and gets involved in a passionate affair with Angela. Things however take a turn for the worse when Alice declares she is pregnant with George's child....... "A Place in the Sun" is one of those rare motion pictures which unfold in a predictable fashion, yet manage to hold our attention, thanks to the riveting performances and the superbly written scenes full of exciting drama. So we all know how it's all gonna turn out...at least initially! The romantic relationships build up most predictably and you know very early in the film how the love triangle will eventually take its shape. We all know then that there is bound to be some turbulence when Alice gets pregnant. Now it is post this point that the protagonist starts to take drastic decisions and we immediately begin to sense the outcome for his every action! [img]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-iYB1I9rv2lY/Tnd5DcZfoSI/AAAAAAAACA4/8YrxuJP8iCY/vlcsnap-2011-09-19-22h19m29s252.jpg[/img] Yet George Stevens manages to give us a highly watchable film. A film that starts with sugar-candy-floss romance, soon turns into a bleak noir-like drama! The quality of the film is only enhanced by William C. Mellor's Oscar winning cinematography and William Hornbeck's crisp editing. Stevens takes the helm of this project and ably delivers a solid drama. Only one wishes the romance wasn't as cheesily portrayed and the dialogs weren't as excessively sappy! I mean how many times have we heard "I've loved you since the first moment I saw you"!! And this is said by the protagonist to Angela not long after he has confessed his "everlasting love" to Alice! It is only human to behave like that...succumb to ravishing beauty (especially when you have the likes of Liz Taylor eating out of your hand), but Clift's portrayal of his character looks calm and gentle with a discreet charm, a far cry from being a suave, yet sly womanizer who would two-time two beautiful ladies. Clift was nominated for an Academy award for his portrayal, yet I felt something was certainly lacking, especially in later scenes where he is required to emote, more so for a person or character who finds himself in the sticky situation he is in! He has done a far better job in some of his other films. Taylor looks ravishing enough as a high society girl, whose every move makes headlines in the local papers. So even if she goes on a boating trip somewhere, she is captured by the paparazzi and it appears in the morning papers! For a girl spoilt by the media like that, it is quite surprising that she turns out to be such a fool for love, falling for a man whom she hardly knows about and even being ready to marry him! One would think such a girl would have a jolly time with several young men dying to woo her and get close to her! The only character that is the most realistically portrayed, then, is Shelley Winters' Alice Tripp. It is a spectacular performance that deserved the Academy award nomination. Winters clearly understands her character, that of a poor girl working in a factory; one who's afraid to bring boys to her humble rented apartment, for fear that she would be in trouble if her landlady found out. One who gives her everything to the man she loves; one whose angst is visible when she begins to sense betrayal, just as her lover gets a taste of the rich and famous (read Angela Vickers!). It is a solid performance that deserves most accolades. Of the supporting cast, it is Raymond Burr's portrayal of the limping District Attorney R. Frank Marlowe, that holds our attention, although he has but a few scenes to his credit. "A Place in the Sun" is definitely worth checking out. The sappy romance and some unconvincing character traits notwithstanding, it is one of the most accomplished works in American cinema. Score: 8/10

• Saskia D

  
  MWEEEH not what I hoped or expected. Taylor's character was boring and bland, I know that she can do a lot better. Clift annoyed the crap out of me, in his attempt to play the sexy mysterious psychopath (if he really is one). The so called love interest was just not believable… More
  MWEEEH not what I hoped or expected. Taylor's character was boring and bland, I know that she can do a lot better. Clift annoyed the crap out of me, in his attempt to play the sexy mysterious psychopath (if he really is one). The so called love interest was just not believable and lacked chemistry, I really didn't get why Angela falls in love with this George. He's probably different from all the other guys she usually meets, but he misses character and depth.

• Stella D

  
  rip liz :'( the film is a showcase for ms taylor at the height of her beauty, along with her male counterpart, montgomery clift. i don't believe there ever was a more breathtaking couple. good suspense tho things get slow when the action moves into the courtroom. shelley… More
  rip liz :'( the film is a showcase for ms taylor at the height of her beauty, along with her male counterpart, montgomery clift. i don't believe there ever was a more breathtaking couple. good suspense tho things get slow when the action moves into the courtroom. shelley winters is great but she can't evade her fate....

• AJ V

  
  Sometimes this movie was very good, romantic, dramatic, and brilliant, but at other times I was bored, and it was too melodramatic. Overall a pretty good movie, but it could have been better.

• Devon B

  
  Maybe it was the Hays code or maybe it's just the 1950s sense of morality, but when a man knocked up a girl back then, it was his duty to marry her, whether he loved her or not. Woe to the man who fell in love with another after impregnating his previous girlfriend, for love has… More
  Maybe it was the Hays code or maybe it's just the 1950s sense of morality, but when a man knocked up a girl back then, it was his duty to marry her, whether he loved her or not. Woe to the man who fell in love with another after impregnating his previous girlfriend, for love has no place in marriage when honor is at stake. Barbaric times like these could drive a man over the edge, perhaps to murder. And that's just the thing: is desiring to kill someone just as bad as actually killing someone? Montgomery Clift stars as George Eastman, the nephew of a wealthy business tycoon who wants to escape his impoverished factory life and get in good with the wealthy side of the family. Charles Eastman (Herbert Heyes) is all too happy to have his nephew come and work for the family and starts him off in packing, to learn the business. It's there he meets a sweet girl by the name of Alice (Shelley Winters). The two begin a flirtation which leads to dating and then you-know-what. Meanwhile, George has also become acquainted with Angela, a glamourous and wealthy socialite (Elizabeth Taylor) and they also begin dating. George plans to break it off with Alice until she drops the bombshell on him: she's pregnant. He knows he must marry her, even though it will ruin his career and social standing. He tries to put it off, to continue living the good life, but Alice tracks him down and threatens to tell everyone the truth (she also threatens to kill herself) unless he marries her that day. Trapped in a corner, George let's himself be taken over by dark fantasies. A Place in the Sun is a fascinating morality play, and while it's not always riveting, the overall effect of the film is successful. Elizabeth Taylor is probably as beautiful as she would ever be, and Shelley Winters delivers a multi-layered performance. Two people paid dearly for wanting something which they couldn't have, but was so tantalizingly within their reach. The film, based on the novel "An American Tragedy" by Theodore Dreiser, lives up to it's original name.

• Mark H

  
  Unforgettable drama concerns young George Eastman, a destitute, though charming, blue collar worker who becomes romantically entangled with two women, one who works in his wealthy uncle's factory and the other a beautiful socialite. Rarely has a romantic tragedy been so… More
  Unforgettable drama concerns young George Eastman, a destitute, though charming, blue collar worker who becomes romantically entangled with two women, one who works in his wealthy uncle's factory and the other a beautiful socialite. Rarely has a romantic tragedy been so emotionally graphic in exposing the true yearning of people in love. Profound drama cuts through the depths of human behavior in a way that will make you uncomfortable. There is real heartbreak here, but also real desire. The full facial close-ups of Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor enrapt in passion are nothing less than spellbinding. Taylor, in fact, is breathtakingly gorgeous and Clift is fascinating as the morally troubled young man. Shelley Winters, who also stars, is a standout as the woman who will not be ignored. And this film is not to be missed.

• Jennifer X

  
  This is basically a showcase for two exceptionally beautiful people, a proverbial f*ck-you to those who complain of overbloated big budget projects celebrities simply use to exploit their public images with no artistic merit at all. Judging by how egocentric such a project can be,… More
  This is basically a showcase for two exceptionally beautiful people, a proverbial f*ck-you to those who complain of overbloated big budget projects celebrities simply use to exploit their public images with no artistic merit at all. Judging by how egocentric such a project can be, it's not all-in-all such a bad movie.

• Veronique K

  
  "a place in the sun" is the milestone for the careers of montgomery clift and elizabeth taylor, adapted from theodore dreiser's another classic called "an american tragedy"...inevitably the movie is somehow embellished with the dreaminess of first love, how… More
  "a place in the sun" is the milestone for the careers of montgomery clift and elizabeth taylor, adapted from theodore dreiser's another classic called "an american tragedy"...inevitably the movie is somehow embellished with the dreaminess of first love, how could audience resist such a divine bond of clift and taylor who could two of the most fair-looking people on earth? it's a sad tale about a poor young lad named george who intends to evolve himself by purchuing a work position in his uncle's enterprise. then to cope with loneliness and his raging libido, he dives into a frivolous relationship with his female co-worker(winters)...but trouble occurs as he encounters his goddess heaven above, angela, the symbol of everything he craves for: wealth, fame, status, of course she's also so damned beautiful that he's immediately capitivated as the prisoner of his love for her. amazingly angela also falls head over heels in love with timid but gorgeous george. meanwhile his transient girlfriend happens to be conceived of his child... now george has to confront a moral issue, how should he get rid of this nuisance who will hinder his life ambition, his career and his mostly intense passion? then he schemes to drown her in some lake as some unknown victim...could george be able to pull this task off??? as usual, the production romanticizes the story by savoring taylor's role as a debutante socialitte who is an indifferent snob in the original, and the script beautifies her as a prime gently innocent woman firstly in love with a poor lad. when it comes to the part of monty clift, this movie does do justice to the inward conflicts of the protagonist who is ashamed of his prole background and tangled with mental chaos of "to be or not to be"....at the scene he's on the boat with shirley winters in the lake, his pupils are foggily dazed with various complexity, you could sense hatred, animosity shimmered upon his transparent pupils, but a sudden ease of mercy strikes, the gaze of his eyes get softened right away. thru various scenes, the audience feels the empathy of diverse emotions thru monty's effectively expressive eyes relentlessly, then you shall witness the essence of good actings. despite the romanticism of taylor and clift, this flick still vents the core of the protagonist's disorientated thoughts thanks to monty's performance, such as his aspiration to climb toward the top by staring into the company advertisement and the expensive convertible of taylor's. basically the original novel attempts to render a sort of existentialistic bewilderment when the protagonist approaches the death sentence still without a sense of salved comprehesion toward his god nor a bit mercy granted by the rich girl whom he thught he loved, at last he suffers from the angst of estray life right toward his demise. but in the flick, everything's relieved due to the baptism of love and his finally enlightened atonement: the last image flashes to monty's mind is taylor's contour as she kisses him while he's looming toward the gas chamber. but this flick is still worthy of acclaim for its daring attitude to tackle the taboo of pre-marital pregancy and possibly concocted abortion at moralistic 50s with maccthyism. but what intruded the censor to forbid this flick and require some edited revison for release? the long ignited kiss of taylor and clift. ha.

• Tim S

  
  That rich poon gets you every time. Clift is genius.

• Lanning :

  
  Poor Shelley Winters. What a way to go. Clift is excellent, and Taylor lights up the screen. It really is the intention. The chair is inevitable.

• jay n

  
  brilliant performances and Elizabeth Taylor is almost supernaturally beautiful but the film drags here and there

• Michael G

  
  A great but not truly amazing film. I Liz Taylor makes my teeth sweat in this film.

• Mike T

  
  Instead of focusing on one genre's specifications, this film transcends the styles of numerous genres. The result is a masterpiece. This is a dark, painfully human film filled with fantastic performances and striking uniqueness. Inspired filmmaking.

• Robert F

  
  Interestingly filmed. Shelly Winters gave the standout performance.

• cody f

  
  The great Monty and Liz in her prime all under the genius of George Stevens. Great movie that always makes you want to kill your nagging wife and mess around with a Rich Beauty Queen.

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