A Place in the Sun

Composite Score: 86.43

Starring: Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor, Shelley Winters, Anne Revere, Keefe Brasselle, Fred Clarke, Raymond Burr, and Herbert Hayes

Director: George Stevens

Writers: Michael Wilson and Harry Brown

Genres: Crime, Drama, Romance

MPAA Rating: Approved

Box Office: $7.00 million worldwide

My take on Watching This Film:

                A Place in the Sun is the film adaptation of Theodore Dreiser’s novel and Patrick Kearney’s play, An American Tragedy, about a working-class man who becomes romantically entangled with two women from very different walks of life and the unfortunate events that befall them. The film stars Montgomery Clift as the leading man George Eastman, the nephew of a wealthy factory owner who receives a job at said factory, Elizabeth Taylor as Angela Vickers, the young socialite who befriends and falls in love with George as he rises through the ranks at his new job, and Shelley Winters as Alice Tripp, the young woman who works on the factory line and is George’s first fling when he comes to town. It was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Clift), and Best Actress (Winters), winning six of those, including Best Director (George Stevens) and Best Screenplay.

                Though it serves as an excellent example of some of the best performances of the era, with Clift and Winters fully deserving their recognition, the film itself doesn’t hold up quite so strongly here seventy years later. On the one hand, its commentary on gender roles, social inequity, and justice for the victims of deadbeats feels fairly progressive and fits right in among the all-time greats, but its morality and takes on social climbers feels rather reactionary in comparison. The film’s take on sex feels like something from the coach in Mean Girls (“You will get pregnant, and you will die.”), taking an almost puritanical stance on the issue and expecting the audience to simply go along with it. Likewise, the film’s treatment of George as the villain (though villain he is) feels more motivated by classism than by any sense of actual desire for justice. It seems to be saying that because he was born low/came from nothing, his descent into criminality is a foregone conclusion, especially once he tries to insert himself into areas above his station.

                Ultimately, A Place in the Sun is an inconsistent film, carried by strong leading performances bolstered by some interesting social commentaries that end up falling short of their potential due to the norms and mores of the era. Clift and Winters at least are worth watching the film for once, but I wouldn’t necessarily put it at the top of your watchlist. Currently, you can stream this film with ads on Pluto TV or rent it on most streaming services.