The story sounds too soapy to be any good. If it weren't for its players, it may have never gotten any recognition. But with George Stevens, Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor, and Shelley Winters along for the ride it was a success; and more than that, it is a very good movie.
Montgomery Clift plays George Eastman, a man with nothing much to his name except an uncle who owns a factory. That uncle gives him a job working on the assembly line where he meets Alice Tripp (Shelley Winters), and the two of them begin to see each other even though it is against the rules. Soon George moves up in the ranks of the factory and meets Angela Vickers (Elizabeth Taylor), a wealthy and vivacious young woman. Angela's wealth and status offer George luxury and security, and he must make a heavy decision regarding Alice.
The subtlety of this movie is remarkable. George spends much of the movie proclaiming his love for Alice and Angela, but is he ever really in love with either of them? Or are they just objects of his desire? The film never answers the question and that is as it should be. We also never see exactly what happens at the two moments that change George's life forever. We never know fully what decisions he makes. All we see are the ramifications.
Montgomery Clift and Shelley Winters are remarkable. Clift especially creates a full portrait; we never quite know what he's thinking and we get the feeling he is not sure either. I suppose that could be construed as bad acting, but I think it is quite the opposite. George was meant to be a waffling character, untrustworthy and deceitful, and Clift's infuses him with uncertainty mixed with impassioned desire. Elizabeth Taylor is good, but she is not given much to do.
This is the first movie I have seen of George Stevens's. It is an intense and suspenseful commentary on greed and the caste system inherent in our society in the early 20th century. Is it relevant to today? Well does it matter? It has great performances and the plot was good enough to hold my attention for 2 hours. If you like classic movies, you'll love it.
Montgomery Clift plays George Eastman, a man with nothing much to his name except an uncle who owns a factory. That uncle gives him a job working on the assembly line where he meets Alice Tripp (Shelley Winters), and the two of them begin to see each other even though it is against the rules. Soon George moves up in the ranks of the factory and meets Angela Vickers (Elizabeth Taylor), a wealthy and vivacious young woman. Angela's wealth and status offer George luxury and security, and he must make a heavy decision regarding Alice.
The subtlety of this movie is remarkable. George spends much of the movie proclaiming his love for Alice and Angela, but is he ever really in love with either of them? Or are they just objects of his desire? The film never answers the question and that is as it should be. We also never see exactly what happens at the two moments that change George's life forever. We never know fully what decisions he makes. All we see are the ramifications.
Montgomery Clift and Shelley Winters are remarkable. Clift especially creates a full portrait; we never quite know what he's thinking and we get the feeling he is not sure either. I suppose that could be construed as bad acting, but I think it is quite the opposite. George was meant to be a waffling character, untrustworthy and deceitful, and Clift's infuses him with uncertainty mixed with impassioned desire. Elizabeth Taylor is good, but she is not given much to do.
This is the first movie I have seen of George Stevens's. It is an intense and suspenseful commentary on greed and the caste system inherent in our society in the early 20th century. Is it relevant to today? Well does it matter? It has great performances and the plot was good enough to hold my attention for 2 hours. If you like classic movies, you'll love it.