One of the great filmmakers who best captured the American spirit was the late, great George Stevens. From his lighter films such as Woman of the Year or The More The Merrier to western tales such as Shane or Giant, there always seemed to be some key insight into our country that he could convey so thoughtfully. One of his most powerful and memorable efforts was the 1951 drama A Place In The Sun which was based on the 1925 novel An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser. While the core material is based on a real-life event that happened in 1908, creative minds have used the scenario to spin a complicated and tragic tale of love and class disparity. The film was a success in its time both financially and critically, ultimately garnering nine Academy Award nominations and winning six of those including Best Director for Stevens. Even 70 years later, the film remains a monumental feat of cinema despite our culture moving further away from the values of this period. While never forgotten, it is a film that deserves to remain a part of our cultural lexicon.
Montgomery Clift (From Here To Eternity) takes on the tricky role of George Eastman, a man of very little means who clings to the fact that his uncle Charles Eastman (Herbert Heyes) is a very wealthy industrialist. After a chance meeting with his uncle in which he is politely told to visit next time he is in town, the ambitious George makes use of that invitation in rapid succession. Although technically family, the Eastmans do not look upon George with any particular fondness, yet Charles is noble enough to give him a job working in his factory which he happily accepts. George feels all he needs to prove himself is a chance, and he does not intend to squander this one. George is headstrong in his pursuit, although he does find himself distracted a bit by Alice (Shelley Winters, A Patch Of Blue), a poor factory worker who he begins dating against company rules. While this hidden relationship blossoms quite nicely at first, it becomes more complicated as he rises up the ladder and catches the attention of Angela Vickers (Elizabeth Taylor, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof), a high-society girl he has desired since he first came to town.
Clift does a delicate job of trying to keep George relatable enough that we do not mind following him into the darkness while also not betraying his natural drive for more out of this world. You do not leave this film feeling bad for George, but you may be disgusted by the circumstances that society puts in place that would lead to this struggle. Elizabeth Taylor is captivating as young Angela, a girl who does not realize the beast she is unleashing as she introduces him into the high-society lifestyle. Angela and her friends are care free because they have never really had a reason to expect life would not turn out positively for them. This lifestyle seems alluring to George, but everything changes upon learning that Alice is pregnant with his child. Winters is quietly devastating in this role of a girl just as out of her depth as George but without the drive to radically change things. The only option given to her by society is to get married to George, even if she knows he desires more than a small life with her. This clash of desires leads to some dark and devastating places that will hit you like a ton of bricks.
Stevens shoots this one as if it is a film noir with many brutally dark shots elevating the atmosphere of certain tense situations. Inherently the film is a melodrama, but the tone taken at various points in the latter half of the film tiptoes that line. The film is bubbling with such passion and even romance that you feel that anything might transpire, and if you have never seen the picture certain developments will not be ruined by this review. Admittedly, there are moments where the melodrama gets applied a bit too thick for more modern sensibilities, and certain plot developments feel a bit contrived, but when you view this as commentary of this time and place in America it still holds up. One of the most intriguing aspects of this film is that it leaves the audience with mixed emotions, and much of this can be attributed to the incredible performances from the main trio of performers. A Place In The Sun will not work for all modern audiences, but most should be able to find something tragically compelling about the intersection of morality and wealth.
Video Quality
Paramount Home Entertainment presents A Place In The Sun with a lovely new 1080p master transfer sourced from a 4K restoration. This Paramount Presents line has been a great resource for film fans with one release after another offering a stunning upgrade. A Place In The Sun may not rank as the pinnacle of the presentations from the line, but it is still quite a sight to behold. The film features some gorgeous black-and-white photography that maintains a fairly strong contrast. The black levels are quite deep, but sometimes fine detail begins to falter in shadows. The level of detail and clarity is often stunning outside of fleeting moments where it fluctuates. The film does not present with any digital manipulation as it maintains the appropriate amount of natural film grain. The film has been cleaned up immensely, but some specks arise to foul up the otherwise pristine nature of the production. The team at Paramount has done a really nice job of bringing this production to disc.
Audio Quality
Paramount has delivered a pleasing presentation featuring a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that gets the job done. The track balances vocals with the environmental sounds quite well but basic fidelity feels the slightest bit weak due to the original condition of the soundtrack. The track does not utilize the multi-channel roots to the fullest effect as information stays very much in the front center channels. There are a few odd moments where the track appears a bit crunchy, but it is not a consistent issue. A very mild underlying hiss is also noticeable for those who listen close enough. While music sometimes presents as a bit hot, the normal dialogue comes through clearly from beginning to end. Paramount has provided a really strong audio presentation that presents the film quite capably. The disc also comes with optional English (SDH) subtitles.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: George Stevens Jr. and Ivan Moffat offer sporadic recollections from the film that are insightful if not exactly thrilling. The effort is appreciated but this may be left for the most dedicated film fans in the audience.
- Filmmaker Focus – Leonard Maltin on A Place In The Sun: A nearly eight-minute featurette in which the famous critic discusses the career of George Stevens, the relaxed pacing of the film, the cinematography, the characters and performances in the film, the chemistry between the stars, the film’s legacy and more.
- George Stevens And His Place In The Sun: A 22-minute vintage special which explores the life and career of George Stevens, the themes of the film, the performances, the romance on screen and more. The real delight of this piece is having insights from Elizabeth Taylor regarding her time on the film.
- George Stevens – Filmmakers Who Knew Him: A 45-minute collection of interviews in which Warren Beatty, Frank Capra, Rouben Mamoulian, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Alan J. Pakula, Antonio Vellani, Robert Wise, and Fred Zinnemann recall memories of George Stevens. This may be the most valuable supplement on the disc.
- Theatrical Trailers: There are trailers provided for A Place In The Sun, Shane and Sunset Boulevard.
Final Thoughts
A Place In The Sun is one of the great pieces of 1950s cinema that gamely tackles the idea of success and morality in America. Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor and Shelley Winters are a dynamite trio of performers that bring this story to life quite beautifully. The Oscar-winning direction from George Stevens still holds up 70 years later as something worthy of the award. Paramount Home Entertainment has released a long-awaited Blu-Ray featuring a really great A/V presentation and a decent assortment of special features. Fans of this classic should be more than pleased to finally own this one in high definition. Recommended
Paramount Presents A Place In The Sun is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
