Raintree County was intended to repeat the glory of Gone with the Wind, but despite the similarities, it is still its own movie in its own right. If you go into it comparing it to one of the universal favorite films of all time, you'll be disappointed. Elizabeth Taylor is the Scarlett O'Hara type, a shallow, flirtatious Southern belle, and Eva Marie Saint plays the meek Melanie character. In this movie, however, there's no Rhett Butler substitute. The male lead is a sensitive dreamer, Montgomery Clift, reminiscent of Ashley Wilkes.
The plot is slightly different, even though it's a Southern epic during the Civil War. Monty is a student who enjoys the finer things, and he has a lot in common with his childhood friend, Eva Marie. When the visiting Liz comes to town and wows him with her gorgeous gowns, beautiful face, and tight bathing suit, Eva Marie doesn't stand a chance. But why does that mean our loyalties should lie with Eva Marie for the rest of the movie? Yes, she got thrown over for a prettier girl, but is that the end of the world? She never gets over it, and she spends the rest of the movie lurking around like a bad penny. It's obvious Monty and Liz are deeply in love, so if you want to root for them, go right ahead.
After all, not only did they make a sizzling pair onscreen, but they were lifelong friends in real life. It's always nice to know when costars actually got along during the filming, but this movie had a terrible tinge of sadness to it. The handsomest star of his era was horribly maimed in a car accident in the middle of filming Raintree County. The production was halted, but when it resumed, and for the rest of his life, he was never the same. The physical and emotional changes were heartbreaking. His costars, his dear friend, and director Edward Dmytryk had their hands full, and it's a labor of love for them to have finished the last picture featuring the man he used to be.
On a brighter note, Johnny Green's beautiful score won the Rag Award in 1957. It has many lovely themes and truly puts you in the setting of the film. Elizabeth Taylor also earned a Rag nomination for her surprisingly dramatic performance. You'll also see Lee Marvin, who at that point had been steadily showing his face in featured roles. I'm not a fan of his, but I can totally understand why he became more of a star after this movie. He has a very memorable part, and a very endearing key scene.
The plot is slightly different, even though it's a Southern epic during the Civil War. Monty is a student who enjoys the finer things, and he has a lot in common with his childhood friend, Eva Marie. When the visiting Liz comes to town and wows him with her gorgeous gowns, beautiful face, and tight bathing suit, Eva Marie doesn't stand a chance. But why does that mean our loyalties should lie with Eva Marie for the rest of the movie? Yes, she got thrown over for a prettier girl, but is that the end of the world? She never gets over it, and she spends the rest of the movie lurking around like a bad penny. It's obvious Monty and Liz are deeply in love, so if you want to root for them, go right ahead.
After all, not only did they make a sizzling pair onscreen, but they were lifelong friends in real life. It's always nice to know when costars actually got along during the filming, but this movie had a terrible tinge of sadness to it. The handsomest star of his era was horribly maimed in a car accident in the middle of filming Raintree County. The production was halted, but when it resumed, and for the rest of his life, he was never the same. The physical and emotional changes were heartbreaking. His costars, his dear friend, and director Edward Dmytryk had their hands full, and it's a labor of love for them to have finished the last picture featuring the man he used to be.
On a brighter note, Johnny Green's beautiful score won the Rag Award in 1957. It has many lovely themes and truly puts you in the setting of the film. Elizabeth Taylor also earned a Rag nomination for her surprisingly dramatic performance. You'll also see Lee Marvin, who at that point had been steadily showing his face in featured roles. I'm not a fan of his, but I can totally understand why he became more of a star after this movie. He has a very memorable part, and a very endearing key scene.