When I first saw this movie (at age 13) I was frustrated with the inept, impotent bureaucrat portrayed by Clift. The when I next saw it (age 16), I was vexed by his girl, who seemed to be too patient and wise. The third time (age 18) had me trying to take sides on this complex question - does the good for the many always trump the good for the few, or the one? And I was hooked on this complex, multi-layered drama - I'll see it again whenever and wherever I can. See it if you can find it. Although it's one of Kazan's best, and one of his favorites, it's STILL not in public distribution.
61 Reviews
Untilled, or discovered Kazan with heart-breaking Lee Remick and Damaged and Brilliant M. Clift!
shepardjessica-128 October 2004
A touching unknown Kazan film ('60) that delves into the American psyche like Welles did in Touch of Evil ('58)..kind of. The plot is too basic and pure to explain, but it's not. This is also Bruce Dern's first film and possibly Rip Torn's. Monty Clift is (post-accident) still a brilliant actor (with half a shattered face for 10 years) who conveys the ambiguity of job-man to this lovely, young mother (Lee Remick) who was not even nominated for an Oscar, and it's down Alice's Rabbit Hole with Jo Van Fleet (OScar winner in previous Kazan film playing much older than she really was..again..like actors should be able to do in famous Hollywood films) decrepit, sane, just and bigoted ...all in the same paragraph (while sitting in a rockintg chair) with mud, dogs, Negroes, corruption, and the Tennessee commission.
A wonderful film. An 8 out of 10. Best performance = Lee Remick. There are other gliding Southern performances that grace the Magnolia trees, gator bait, and overalls that we have all come to love in an artistic, American way. Find this one!
A wonderful film. An 8 out of 10. Best performance = Lee Remick. There are other gliding Southern performances that grace the Magnolia trees, gator bait, and overalls that we have all come to love in an artistic, American way. Find this one!
A flop, and I can't imagine why
marcslope17 August 2016
Lee Remick's own favorite among her movies, and fine late Elia Kazan, this historic romance of the TVA and progress vs. tradition is beautifully crafted, gorgeous to look at, exquisitely acted, and quite frightening in its depiction of potential mob violence. Cleverly adapted from two books by Paul Osborn, it takes its time spinning out a gripping tale of a government agent (a restrained Montgomery Clift, his private life a wreck, but none of it shows on screen) trying to evict a stubborn, proud old woman (Jo Van Fleet, magnificent; Shirley Jones won over this? Really?) from her island so it can be flooded and power brought to all those poor Tennesseeans. He enlists the aid of her widowed-mom granddaughter, Remick, and the relationship between her and Clift is wonderfully ambiguous and rich. It's intelligent, moving, and convincing, and nobody went to see it in 1960. Very worth seeking out.
An Enduring Legacy Of The New Deal
bkoganbing30 November 2009
Warning: Spoilers
According to Robert LaGuardia's biography of Montgomery Clift, director Elia Kazan got the germ of the idea for Wild River while working temporarily for the Department of Agriculture during the New Deal years. He saw how the creation of these government agencies changed American life and waited for about 20 years before finally getting to do his New Deal film.
The agency he chose was one that has lasted and changed the lives of people in about seven states that the Tennessee River and tributaries flow through. The Tennessee Valley Authority was one of the great achievements of the Roosevelt administration bringing cheap hydroelectric power to a region that private companies would not service because it wasn't profitable. The dams on the tributary rivers and on the Tennessee itself became part of a whole system that changed everyone's lives in the region for the better.
Well, almost everyone and that's what the story of Wild River is all about. A family named Garth headed by matriarch Jo Van Fleet lives and farms on an island in the river which will be flooded over when the dams are finished. TVA administrator Monty Clift is sent to deal with the situation, but also gets personally involved with Van Fleet's grand daughter Lee Remick.
The film really belongs to Van Fleet. You'll not forget her portrayal of an aged and stern pioneer farm woman who is just fighting for the place that's been home all her life. In my opinion Kazan got just as good a performance out of Jo Van Fleet maybe even better than the one she got an Oscar for in East Of Eden. In fact the whole film is sadly overlooked when judging Elia Kazan's work. I think it's a masterpiece.
As for Clift, Kazan originally wanted Marlon Brando, but when Brando proved unavailable he hired Clift who was becoming more available simply because of his unreliability due to his increased drinking. While he didn't stay clean and sober for the shoot, he respected Kazan and the film enough to be letter perfect on his days before the camera. Monty was on a sad downward spiral in his life though you would not know it from this film, the one preceding it Suddenly Last Summer and the one following it, Judgment At Nuremberg for which he got an Oscar nomination. He was one of the greatest screen actors there ever was, most of his work is classic. Ironically Marlon Brando would be hired when Clift died in 1966 for the starring role in Reflections Of A Golden Eye.
Kazan has a real feel for the times in Wild River. It's not only good entertainment, but ought to be assigned viewing by political science professors who want to demonstrate the impact of the New Deal in American life during that period.
And this review is dedicated to a man who worked for over 15 years to get the Tennessee Valley Authority through Congress. Senator George W. Norris was one of the giants of the US Senate, his is a career for the most part that ought to be studied and emulated. We could use a lot more like him today in government.
The agency he chose was one that has lasted and changed the lives of people in about seven states that the Tennessee River and tributaries flow through. The Tennessee Valley Authority was one of the great achievements of the Roosevelt administration bringing cheap hydroelectric power to a region that private companies would not service because it wasn't profitable. The dams on the tributary rivers and on the Tennessee itself became part of a whole system that changed everyone's lives in the region for the better.
Well, almost everyone and that's what the story of Wild River is all about. A family named Garth headed by matriarch Jo Van Fleet lives and farms on an island in the river which will be flooded over when the dams are finished. TVA administrator Monty Clift is sent to deal with the situation, but also gets personally involved with Van Fleet's grand daughter Lee Remick.
The film really belongs to Van Fleet. You'll not forget her portrayal of an aged and stern pioneer farm woman who is just fighting for the place that's been home all her life. In my opinion Kazan got just as good a performance out of Jo Van Fleet maybe even better than the one she got an Oscar for in East Of Eden. In fact the whole film is sadly overlooked when judging Elia Kazan's work. I think it's a masterpiece.
As for Clift, Kazan originally wanted Marlon Brando, but when Brando proved unavailable he hired Clift who was becoming more available simply because of his unreliability due to his increased drinking. While he didn't stay clean and sober for the shoot, he respected Kazan and the film enough to be letter perfect on his days before the camera. Monty was on a sad downward spiral in his life though you would not know it from this film, the one preceding it Suddenly Last Summer and the one following it, Judgment At Nuremberg for which he got an Oscar nomination. He was one of the greatest screen actors there ever was, most of his work is classic. Ironically Marlon Brando would be hired when Clift died in 1966 for the starring role in Reflections Of A Golden Eye.
Kazan has a real feel for the times in Wild River. It's not only good entertainment, but ought to be assigned viewing by political science professors who want to demonstrate the impact of the New Deal in American life during that period.
And this review is dedicated to a man who worked for over 15 years to get the Tennessee Valley Authority through Congress. Senator George W. Norris was one of the giants of the US Senate, his is a career for the most part that ought to be studied and emulated. We could use a lot more like him today in government.
The movie is great
llmann-111 January 2008
I had to say this movie was so stunning for me. The beginning black and white newsreel of a man who lost his three children in a flood is actually a real clip and it is my grandfather, so I was so amazed to see this. He passed away in 1972. My father lost his brothers and sisters in the flood which was in the 1930s Trumansburg, NY. I believe is was the flood of 1935. How amazing to see an actual news reel of my grandfather!!! I had a hard time finding the movie until I come across it on ebay. My father once had it, but he ended up losing it as the movie was not marked it was a blank VHS and it was unfortunately thrown away. I am holding onto the movie that I got until his birthday. It will make a unforgivable gift.
The wildness of nature meets the discipline of art.
gregcouture28 May 2003
Once again I endured American Movie Classics' merciless mangling of one of their rarely shown archival masterpieces, "Wild River," shown non-letterboxed, interrupted excessively by endless strings of commercials and their completely unpalatable promotions for showings of future films and special programs. I've complained about this in other IMDb comments I've posted so I won't give into the almost irresistible temptation to rail against AMC once more. That said...
This film contains one of the all-time greatest performances by an American actress that it is possible to see. Jo Van Fleet is so convincing as the intransigent matriarch, who refuses to leave her island, that the injustice of her not receiving an Academy Award nomination for her performance still rankles. Perhaps the members of the Academy could not decide to grant her a nomination as the lead actress or as an actress in a supporting role and muffed the chance to show their admiration. Other comments here aptly point out all of the other outstanding elements in this film and the pain of seeing it so diminished in this TV broadcast (I did see it during its theatrical release, but had forgotten how eloquently most of it was done.) was, nevertheless, worthwhile. I join others who have expressed a desire for a DVD release (where the CinemaScope ratio would be approximated, we can hope.) Wish we could persuade Fox Classics to see if the response to a video audience would exceed the neglect this film was subjected to during its first exposure to the paying public.
This film contains one of the all-time greatest performances by an American actress that it is possible to see. Jo Van Fleet is so convincing as the intransigent matriarch, who refuses to leave her island, that the injustice of her not receiving an Academy Award nomination for her performance still rankles. Perhaps the members of the Academy could not decide to grant her a nomination as the lead actress or as an actress in a supporting role and muffed the chance to show their admiration. Other comments here aptly point out all of the other outstanding elements in this film and the pain of seeing it so diminished in this TV broadcast (I did see it during its theatrical release, but had forgotten how eloquently most of it was done.) was, nevertheless, worthwhile. I join others who have expressed a desire for a DVD release (where the CinemaScope ratio would be approximated, we can hope.) Wish we could persuade Fox Classics to see if the response to a video audience would exceed the neglect this film was subjected to during its first exposure to the paying public.
Mature and Sensitive Story of Social Change.
rmax30482328 August 2009
Warning: Spoilers
In the middle of the Great Depression, President Roosevelt's Tennessee Valley Authority is building dams across the great river to prevent the calamitous periodic floods and provide jobs for the people of Appalachia. Montgomery Clift arrives in a small town as the TVA agent to see that everything is in order before the new dam submerges the farm acreage behind it.
Some folks 'round here like it; most don't. They'll sell, though, because the TVA offers a fair price and, heck, ain't nothing' doin' 'round here anyhow. But one of the hold outs, who REALLY objects to being displaced, is old Ella Garth, Jo Van Fleet, who owns an island in the middle of the river.
How is Clift going to get her out of her broken-down ancient house and off her devitalized farm? That's Problem A. Problem B is that Clift enlists the aid of Van Fleet's granddaughter, the distraught and horny Lee Remick. She has two small children, is engaged to a local nonentity, Frank Overton, and she falls desperately in love with him. Her grandma might not be much for social change, but, man, is Remick ready for a change in circumstances. What's Clift going to do about HER? There are ancillary problems. Albert Salmi runs a tiny cotton plantation and is the leader of the anti-TVA faction in town. He's paying his black cotton pickers two dollars a day and the TVA is offering "the coloreds" five dollars. This discrepancy causes Salmi to offer active resistance to Clift and his plans.
Van Fleet does an impeccable job as the tough old lady. Such roles are her strong suit. She's played variations on the role a number of times, yet ALL of her tough old broads are different from one another. There is probably a "tough old lady" default setting somewhere in Van Fleet's repertoire but she doesn't activate it. One of her tough old ladies is always slightly different from the others. This one is uniformly sullen and unsmiling and imbued with dignity.
Lee Remick gets the job done, but I'm not sure about Montgomery Clift. This was after his accident and he was no longer the beautiful young man. On top of that he was going through booze and prescription drugs at an alarming rate. He's skinny and tic-ridden. When a distracted Remick swishes past him in her tight Levis, and Clift blinks, and remarks, "I wish you wouldn't walk like that," it's a little hard to believe him because he doesn't seem virile enough. Nobody wants John Wayne, but just someone with a little more masculine heft. Clift is fine being clobbered by Salmi in a fist fight, though, and getting drunk afterward.
Elia Kazan directs the story from William Bradford Huie's novel. Huie, as most Southern writers of the period were doing, showed us the human side of the isolated Southern redneck stereotype. It's more complicated than you outsiders seem to think. Kazan honors the intent. The incidents we witness -- the politeness pregnant with violence -- is thoroughly convincing. It's about as far from "To Kill a Mockingbird" and its humanistic platitudes as you can get. Salmi's character is despicable, true, but also reasonable and practical given his subculture. He doesn't beat his black worker because the guy is black, but because he's breaking the rules. We got our own kinda rules around here, Mister. John Wayne would have approved.
Anyway, if you can put up with the absence of a clear distinction between what the rest of us consider "good" and "bad", if you can put yourself in the shoes of someone very different from the kind of people most of us are, you'll get a lot of help from Elia Kazan and you'll understand that social change doesn't take place without some kind of sacrifice.
Some folks 'round here like it; most don't. They'll sell, though, because the TVA offers a fair price and, heck, ain't nothing' doin' 'round here anyhow. But one of the hold outs, who REALLY objects to being displaced, is old Ella Garth, Jo Van Fleet, who owns an island in the middle of the river.
How is Clift going to get her out of her broken-down ancient house and off her devitalized farm? That's Problem A. Problem B is that Clift enlists the aid of Van Fleet's granddaughter, the distraught and horny Lee Remick. She has two small children, is engaged to a local nonentity, Frank Overton, and she falls desperately in love with him. Her grandma might not be much for social change, but, man, is Remick ready for a change in circumstances. What's Clift going to do about HER? There are ancillary problems. Albert Salmi runs a tiny cotton plantation and is the leader of the anti-TVA faction in town. He's paying his black cotton pickers two dollars a day and the TVA is offering "the coloreds" five dollars. This discrepancy causes Salmi to offer active resistance to Clift and his plans.
Van Fleet does an impeccable job as the tough old lady. Such roles are her strong suit. She's played variations on the role a number of times, yet ALL of her tough old broads are different from one another. There is probably a "tough old lady" default setting somewhere in Van Fleet's repertoire but she doesn't activate it. One of her tough old ladies is always slightly different from the others. This one is uniformly sullen and unsmiling and imbued with dignity.
Lee Remick gets the job done, but I'm not sure about Montgomery Clift. This was after his accident and he was no longer the beautiful young man. On top of that he was going through booze and prescription drugs at an alarming rate. He's skinny and tic-ridden. When a distracted Remick swishes past him in her tight Levis, and Clift blinks, and remarks, "I wish you wouldn't walk like that," it's a little hard to believe him because he doesn't seem virile enough. Nobody wants John Wayne, but just someone with a little more masculine heft. Clift is fine being clobbered by Salmi in a fist fight, though, and getting drunk afterward.
Elia Kazan directs the story from William Bradford Huie's novel. Huie, as most Southern writers of the period were doing, showed us the human side of the isolated Southern redneck stereotype. It's more complicated than you outsiders seem to think. Kazan honors the intent. The incidents we witness -- the politeness pregnant with violence -- is thoroughly convincing. It's about as far from "To Kill a Mockingbird" and its humanistic platitudes as you can get. Salmi's character is despicable, true, but also reasonable and practical given his subculture. He doesn't beat his black worker because the guy is black, but because he's breaking the rules. We got our own kinda rules around here, Mister. John Wayne would have approved.
Anyway, if you can put up with the absence of a clear distinction between what the rest of us consider "good" and "bad", if you can put yourself in the shoes of someone very different from the kind of people most of us are, you'll get a lot of help from Elia Kazan and you'll understand that social change doesn't take place without some kind of sacrifice.
my forty-year search rewarded
gayeshortland30 January 2005
There is little to add to the eloquent appreciations of Wild River by other users. Still, I want to pay my tribute. My father took me to see the film when I was a little girl and it made such an impression on me I have been searching for it for years. Odd, since I remembered nothing of the plot, retaining only fleeting images of autumn colours, Lee Remick's autumnal hair, the old ferry, an indelible impression of Montgomery Clift's face, the old woman surrounded by still 'figures in a landscape'. And the creation of a unique atmosphere so tangible, so lyrical, so elegiac it stayed with me for 40+ years. I've been wanting to know why it clung to me so. And wondering why it seemed to have disappeared without trace. This Christmas, in the fullness of time, my niece presented me with the DVD and I have at last seen it again. Why did it affect me so profoundly? That one's easy. Why had the film disappeared. That one's complex, as you know. What I hadn't expected was that stunning performance from the incomparable Jo Van Fleet. No Oscar? Were they mad? It is intensely interesting and sobering to reflect how politics can hold art hostage.
Engaging and brooding Elia Kazan film slowly paced but well directed by this competent filmmaker
ma-cortes22 November 2017
A young field administrator (Montgomery Clift though first choice was Marlon Brando) for the TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) comes to rural Tennessee to carry out what none of his predecessors have been able , he has to oversee the building of a dam on the Tennessee River . As the dam is already built downstream with that section of the valley soon to be flooded . He finds opposition the local people , in especial from a farmer who objects to his employment of local black workers . He attempts to evict the stubborn octogenarian (Jo Van Fleet) from her home on an island in the River before the rising waters engulf her , but things go wrong . Meanwhile , the young man has a love affair with that woman's widowed (Lee Remick) granddaughter . One of the real problems is that Carol is engaged to kind and caring Walter Clark (Frank Overton) , a man she doesn't like and would only marry for a father for her two small kiddies .
Here Elia Kazan reflects the peculiar characters , rural sets in realism way , folkloric customs , glimmer landscapes as well as evocative interior homes . Much of the screenplay revolves around the eviction of an elderly woman and Kazan achieves a real emotion and sensibility by means of slow-moving scenes and close-ups of protagonists . This dramatic story is full of dialogues dealing with essential and fundamental feelings as family love , lands , friendship or tradition . Elia Kazan is capable of performing miracles with the actors he uses , as Montgomery Clift , as a TVA bureaucrat who comes to evict people , gives a very good acting , though at the time of the film , Clift was alcoholic and sick . Lee Remick as an unfortunate and attractive widow is pretty good . Support cast is frankly excellent , such as : Albert Salmi , Jay C. Flippen , Frank Overton , Barbara Loden , Pat Hingle , James Westerfield , film debut of Bruce Dern and Robert Earl Jones, father of James Earl Jones . Special mention for Jo Van Fleet who steals the show as obstinate and proud grandmother.
The motion picture was well directed by Elia Kazan and considered to be one of the best films of the year , he said it was his favorite of all the movies he made and including biographic elements ; in fact, he worked in this area in 1934 during the height of the Great Depression. During his career, he won two Oscars as Best Director and received an Honorary Oscar, won three Tony Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. Kazan directed four performers to Best Actress Oscars: Celeste Holm, Kim Hunter, Eva Marie Saint and ¨Jo Van Fleet¨. Greek-Turkish director Elia Kazan who being a child emigrated along with his family to United States made magnificent films . Some of them describe memories , emotions and infancy images , narrating the persecution to Greeks and Armenians by Turkish that finished in genocide as in ¨America , America¨ . Kazan directed a string of successful films as ¨Gentleman's agreement¨, ¨Man on a tightrope¨, ¨panic in the streets¨, ¨Pinky¨ , ¨Splendor in the grass¨, ¨Baby doll¨, ¨the engagement¨, ¨a Street named desire¨, ¨East of Eden¨ and especially ¨On the waterfront¨ his greatest hit .
Here Elia Kazan reflects the peculiar characters , rural sets in realism way , folkloric customs , glimmer landscapes as well as evocative interior homes . Much of the screenplay revolves around the eviction of an elderly woman and Kazan achieves a real emotion and sensibility by means of slow-moving scenes and close-ups of protagonists . This dramatic story is full of dialogues dealing with essential and fundamental feelings as family love , lands , friendship or tradition . Elia Kazan is capable of performing miracles with the actors he uses , as Montgomery Clift , as a TVA bureaucrat who comes to evict people , gives a very good acting , though at the time of the film , Clift was alcoholic and sick . Lee Remick as an unfortunate and attractive widow is pretty good . Support cast is frankly excellent , such as : Albert Salmi , Jay C. Flippen , Frank Overton , Barbara Loden , Pat Hingle , James Westerfield , film debut of Bruce Dern and Robert Earl Jones, father of James Earl Jones . Special mention for Jo Van Fleet who steals the show as obstinate and proud grandmother.
The motion picture was well directed by Elia Kazan and considered to be one of the best films of the year , he said it was his favorite of all the movies he made and including biographic elements ; in fact, he worked in this area in 1934 during the height of the Great Depression. During his career, he won two Oscars as Best Director and received an Honorary Oscar, won three Tony Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. Kazan directed four performers to Best Actress Oscars: Celeste Holm, Kim Hunter, Eva Marie Saint and ¨Jo Van Fleet¨. Greek-Turkish director Elia Kazan who being a child emigrated along with his family to United States made magnificent films . Some of them describe memories , emotions and infancy images , narrating the persecution to Greeks and Armenians by Turkish that finished in genocide as in ¨America , America¨ . Kazan directed a string of successful films as ¨Gentleman's agreement¨, ¨Man on a tightrope¨, ¨panic in the streets¨, ¨Pinky¨ , ¨Splendor in the grass¨, ¨Baby doll¨, ¨the engagement¨, ¨a Street named desire¨, ¨East of Eden¨ and especially ¨On the waterfront¨ his greatest hit .
A masterpiece of American cinema.
l-john20626 June 2005
I found this little gem to be an exquisite piece of ensemble work by some of the best screen actors to ever to be in front of a lens. Elia Kazan impeccable direction and a performance by Jo Van Fleet that could be a learning tool for some of these putrid so-called actress that now are being lauded as the neo-contemporary actress's of the day. When you see a film of this artistic magnitude you can easily understand the dumbing down process of the American cinematic media. Not one of the so-called stars of today could measure up to Lee Remicks complex and sensitive portrayal of Carol in Wild River. Montgomery Clift an actors actor , there will never be another. A master of controlled raw emotion and body language. Gone are the days indeed when this kind of movie production will return. Not special effects or remake after loathsome remake or some equally obnoxious star or starlet will match this cinematic jewel.
Definitely worth seeing but not as great as made out to be
a66633325 May 2012
I can see why this movie is considered a classic. A particular version of rural Tennessee is captured very starkly with the characters and atmosphere seeming to walk right out of a painting. That much alone makes it worth a view.
The acting is excellent, especially in the supporting and minor roles. They create and carry the film. Given that, Montgomery Cliff, although a great actor, is not as good as one might expect. The attempts at romantic moments with Lee Remick really fall flat and it seems to be his presence that is the problem not hers or the director's. She puts out a good effort but it is not believable when it is pointed in his direction. His other scenes are much better but even with those, this is not one of the great Montgomery Cliff vehicles.
There is one confrontation scene that is a bit confused in that it is not exactly clear what the motivations of all the participants are and their actions are likewise difficult to make sense of. It almost came across as a scene that was artificially built up with extra characters that the director wanted to show but had no other logical place in which to do it. It could have been scaled back and been more effective.
The acting is excellent, especially in the supporting and minor roles. They create and carry the film. Given that, Montgomery Cliff, although a great actor, is not as good as one might expect. The attempts at romantic moments with Lee Remick really fall flat and it seems to be his presence that is the problem not hers or the director's. She puts out a good effort but it is not believable when it is pointed in his direction. His other scenes are much better but even with those, this is not one of the great Montgomery Cliff vehicles.
There is one confrontation scene that is a bit confused in that it is not exactly clear what the motivations of all the participants are and their actions are likewise difficult to make sense of. It almost came across as a scene that was artificially built up with extra characters that the director wanted to show but had no other logical place in which to do it. It could have been scaled back and been more effective.
An almost forgotten masterpiece
dmwhite5012 April 2001
WILD RIVER is one of Elia Kazan's best films, with brilliant affecting performances, beautiful cinematography, atmospheric settings, and a multilayered plot with important thematic points to make about the rights of the individual vs. the needs of the larger society as a whole. Jo Van Fleet gives one of the all time great performances of the screen in this film as far as I'm concerned. The music is also beautiful and evokes the time and place of the setting, 1930s Tennessee.Why isn't this film on video? Wonderful, one of my favorite movies.
A Battle of Wills
gavin694220 June 2016
A TVA bureaucrat (Montgomery Clift) comes to the river to do what none of his predecessors have been able to do - evict a stubborn octogenarian (Jo Van Fleet) from her island before the rising waters engulf her.
I appreciate the attempt to use a real setting: Exterior locations for "Wild River" were filmed on Coon Denton Island on the Hiwassee River, upriver from Charleston, Tennessee; in the town's old business district; and on a peninsula west of Cleveland, Tennessee, on Chickamauga Lake. I also appreciate how this was the debut film of the now-legendary Bruce Dern.
But this is also just a great story of progress and property rights. You can understand where the TVA is coming from and their quest to provide power for the people of the region is a good cause. But you also have to respect the old woman. She might be offered a good deal of money, and eminent domain may be the law of the land, but there is something very American about holding one's property as the highest ideal.
I appreciate the attempt to use a real setting: Exterior locations for "Wild River" were filmed on Coon Denton Island on the Hiwassee River, upriver from Charleston, Tennessee; in the town's old business district; and on a peninsula west of Cleveland, Tennessee, on Chickamauga Lake. I also appreciate how this was the debut film of the now-legendary Bruce Dern.
But this is also just a great story of progress and property rights. You can understand where the TVA is coming from and their quest to provide power for the people of the region is a good cause. But you also have to respect the old woman. She might be offered a good deal of money, and eminent domain may be the law of the land, but there is something very American about holding one's property as the highest ideal.
Happy ending for some
vrcarr22 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
If the director had shown half the stubbornness portrayed by the protagonist, perhaps the movie would have aged better instead of looking and feeling so dated.
I understand that during the filming in the 1960s, racial views of the 1930s were practically the same if not worse, which contributed to my perception that the director tried his best to avoid offending southerners with showing any characteristics in non-whites as anything other than stereotypes: loyal, subservient, dedicated to the mistress of the plantation above your own family's needs and desires for a better life.
The idea that the character portrayed by Robert Earl Jones (Sam) would stay on the island with "Miss Ella" out of some misguided devotion is sickening. She had strong beliefs about land but, unfortunately didn't express the same concerns for the rights of others whom she abused with low wages and accepted them living in filthy shacks.
The movie did nothing to address the opinions of the townspeople or the local government concerning their unlawful & unethical treatment of the workers. Their problems continued.
I understand that during the filming in the 1960s, racial views of the 1930s were practically the same if not worse, which contributed to my perception that the director tried his best to avoid offending southerners with showing any characteristics in non-whites as anything other than stereotypes: loyal, subservient, dedicated to the mistress of the plantation above your own family's needs and desires for a better life.
The idea that the character portrayed by Robert Earl Jones (Sam) would stay on the island with "Miss Ella" out of some misguided devotion is sickening. She had strong beliefs about land but, unfortunately didn't express the same concerns for the rights of others whom she abused with low wages and accepted them living in filthy shacks.
The movie did nothing to address the opinions of the townspeople or the local government concerning their unlawful & unethical treatment of the workers. Their problems continued.
Jo van Fleet is terrific as usual
pocomarc1 January 2007
This movie features Jo van Fleet, a terrific actress who has been forgotten.
As usual, her performance carries the movie.
Some should remember her as the mother of the James Dean character in East of Eden, where her scenes with Dean are the most powerful in the film.
Elia Kazan, who directed Wild River, also directed East of Eden.
Kazan said in an interview he considered van Fleet a "great" actress, and expressed irritation that she had been "forgotten."
In Wild River the character she plays so believably is decades older than she actually was.
One previous reviewer here is so fixated on politics that he really uses his pretense of reviewing this movie to give his own personal political views, which are of no interest to me, and which do not belong in a forum of this type.
As usual, her performance carries the movie.
Some should remember her as the mother of the James Dean character in East of Eden, where her scenes with Dean are the most powerful in the film.
Elia Kazan, who directed Wild River, also directed East of Eden.
Kazan said in an interview he considered van Fleet a "great" actress, and expressed irritation that she had been "forgotten."
In Wild River the character she plays so believably is decades older than she actually was.
One previous reviewer here is so fixated on politics that he really uses his pretense of reviewing this movie to give his own personal political views, which are of no interest to me, and which do not belong in a forum of this type.
Lee Remick as Carol Grath
buck513418 September 2006
When a movie character evoke the kind of feelings and emotion thought only capable in real life you can't help but wonder. Yet as a young man I literally fell in love with Carol Garth Baldwin in Eli Kazan's Wild River. Obviously you can't help but be attracted to the beautiful Lee Remick yet it is her portrayal of a 23 year old widowed mother of two and the backdrop of an obscure little Tennessee town that sets the stage for one of the true loves of my life. Jack Palance's character in City Slickers refers to a women he saw only once at a distance as being the love of his life. To this I can relate. Remick would go on and do some notable work in the years that followed this 1960 production and sadly die much to young of cancer at age 55. Yet what she and Kazan were able to do with this story and character will always hold a place in my heart. See Wild River, look into Carol's eyes and smell the cool damp October air in her hair. For me it will always be hauntingly magical.
Probably not a film that played well in the South!
planktonrules3 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Years ago, I tried watching "Wild River" but quickly lost interest. After all, the plot is amazingly simply....a man from the Tennessee Valley Authority is trying to convince a recalcitrant old woman to move off her land before the new dam floods her out. However, in hindsight, I was way too quick to dismiss the film...and there is much, much more to the story than this.
In addition to Chuck Grover (Montgomery Clift) trying to convince the woman (Jo Van Fleet) to move, many other issues come up. One is the romance between him and Carol (Lee Remick). The other is the racial prejudices dominant in this era in the Tennessee Valley as well as the anti-federal government sentiments. Together, they weave a very interesting portrait of a bygone era....made all the better by nice acting (particularly by Remick) and top notch direction. All in all, I am very glad I gave this one another try...it's well worth seeing.
In addition to Chuck Grover (Montgomery Clift) trying to convince the woman (Jo Van Fleet) to move, many other issues come up. One is the romance between him and Carol (Lee Remick). The other is the racial prejudices dominant in this era in the Tennessee Valley as well as the anti-federal government sentiments. Together, they weave a very interesting portrait of a bygone era....made all the better by nice acting (particularly by Remick) and top notch direction. All in all, I am very glad I gave this one another try...it's well worth seeing.
Anti-Progress...The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few
nomoons1128 September 2011
Warning: Spoilers
I didn't have any idea what I was gonna see with Wild River but for me it was a mixed bag.
First off I really did like this film. I'm a huge Elia Kazan fan along with Lee Remick. One of my favorites ever is "A Face in the Crowd " so I was eager to see a little gem I didn't know existed in the Kazan canon.
The film itself is extremely well made and acted. Great subject matter and very different for the time it was made. Monty Clift looks a lot better in this then films he did after this. He's crystal clear and coherent with no signs of sickness or illness. He stands out for sure. All the actors make a stand in this film so to me it's an ensemble piece. Not a Clift piece. Lee Remick is just gorgeous in this.
I guess my only complaint would be the racism part. I've grown up in the south my whole life and have known people who are like one of the protagonists in this, very racist and cruel, but I think a lot of films in this time that protracted the south just made everyone seem like they were stupid or backwards and hated everyone black or whatever background they were. There's some mild cases of that in this film also. I'm glad the days of film-making with that tone are over cause not everyone was like that. Seems Hollywood for a long time liked to take that agenda and squeeze it for all it was worth.
It amazed me they took as long as they did to throw this old woman off of her property because it was plainly obvious that the river needed to be redone to fix a lot of issues and appeasing this old biddy didn't make sense to me. She and her "island" bunch wouldn't have held up progress for thousands of people on a principle in this day and age. Of course in the end it all works out but it's still offbeat to me to see that people were like that back in the day. Screw progress and screw everyone else...what's mine is mine. That's selfish and not acceptable in any day and time.
This a nice little Kazan gem. If it passes your eye, stop and grab it. It's worth a watch.
First off I really did like this film. I'm a huge Elia Kazan fan along with Lee Remick. One of my favorites ever is "A Face in the Crowd " so I was eager to see a little gem I didn't know existed in the Kazan canon.
The film itself is extremely well made and acted. Great subject matter and very different for the time it was made. Monty Clift looks a lot better in this then films he did after this. He's crystal clear and coherent with no signs of sickness or illness. He stands out for sure. All the actors make a stand in this film so to me it's an ensemble piece. Not a Clift piece. Lee Remick is just gorgeous in this.
I guess my only complaint would be the racism part. I've grown up in the south my whole life and have known people who are like one of the protagonists in this, very racist and cruel, but I think a lot of films in this time that protracted the south just made everyone seem like they were stupid or backwards and hated everyone black or whatever background they were. There's some mild cases of that in this film also. I'm glad the days of film-making with that tone are over cause not everyone was like that. Seems Hollywood for a long time liked to take that agenda and squeeze it for all it was worth.
It amazed me they took as long as they did to throw this old woman off of her property because it was plainly obvious that the river needed to be redone to fix a lot of issues and appeasing this old biddy didn't make sense to me. She and her "island" bunch wouldn't have held up progress for thousands of people on a principle in this day and age. Of course in the end it all works out but it's still offbeat to me to see that people were like that back in the day. Screw progress and screw everyone else...what's mine is mine. That's selfish and not acceptable in any day and time.
This a nice little Kazan gem. If it passes your eye, stop and grab it. It's worth a watch.
River of emotion
TheLittleSongbird27 May 2020
The three main reasons for wanting to see 'Wild River' were for a story that sounded incredibly powerful on paper, a talented cast (including Montgomery Clift post-accident) and that it was directed by Elia Kazan. Not to mention how positively it has been received by many. The story could have been soapy and over-baked, but the potential for it to have a big emotional punch was massive. Clift, Lee Remick and Jo Van Fleet were great in other things and Kazan was a truly fine and influential director.
One that may have had the odd not so great/good film (i.e. 'Sea of Grass'), like most directors, but his best work (that included 'On the Waterfront' and 'A Streetcar Named Desire) were masterpieces and even lesser work was better than the lesser work of a lot of directors. As cliched as that sounds. 'Wild River' may not be one of his all-time greatest or his most important. It is though incredibly powerful and near-uniformally fantastic, that it was a commercial failure at the time apparently is hard to fathom. As is that it is not better known, though it is brilliant that many hold it in very high regard.
'Wild River' could have developed its main relationship a little more, as it didn't quite feel fully fleshed out or smoulder enough. Though it is played absolutely beautifully and with intensity and poignancy.
Clift though is wonderful here and gives a contender for his best later years performance, in some of his later performances one can tell how much the accident had more than understandably affected him and how he had not fully recovered but not here. Remick is sympathetic and very touching. The best performance though comes from the richly layered powerhouse that is Van Fleet, that she wasn't even nominated for an Oscar here (when her performance is for me even better than the performance that garnered her a nomination, the excellent 'East of Eden') is one of the biggest mistakes the Academy ever made in my view.
Kazan directs very effectively and one can see what his appeal was and why he was so influential from watching the film, even if other films of his did it even better. His direction of actors and how they interact and how he managed throughout his career to do wonders with getting such great performances from so many actors (including those that didn't always impress elsewhere) are here in 'Wild River'. It is a very beautifully made and shot film, with a lot of atmospheric lighting. The music score is neither too constant or over-bearing, nothing iconic but it fits the film's atmosphere expertly.
In terms of writing, 'Wild River' is very intelligently written without resorting to over-wordy rambling or over-bubbled soap. The story is deliberate but never dull, again it is intelligent story-telling and also very moving. Will admit to crying and getting goosebumps, have not felt that about every recently seen film.
To conclude, absolutely wonderful. 9/10
One that may have had the odd not so great/good film (i.e. 'Sea of Grass'), like most directors, but his best work (that included 'On the Waterfront' and 'A Streetcar Named Desire) were masterpieces and even lesser work was better than the lesser work of a lot of directors. As cliched as that sounds. 'Wild River' may not be one of his all-time greatest or his most important. It is though incredibly powerful and near-uniformally fantastic, that it was a commercial failure at the time apparently is hard to fathom. As is that it is not better known, though it is brilliant that many hold it in very high regard.
'Wild River' could have developed its main relationship a little more, as it didn't quite feel fully fleshed out or smoulder enough. Though it is played absolutely beautifully and with intensity and poignancy.
Clift though is wonderful here and gives a contender for his best later years performance, in some of his later performances one can tell how much the accident had more than understandably affected him and how he had not fully recovered but not here. Remick is sympathetic and very touching. The best performance though comes from the richly layered powerhouse that is Van Fleet, that she wasn't even nominated for an Oscar here (when her performance is for me even better than the performance that garnered her a nomination, the excellent 'East of Eden') is one of the biggest mistakes the Academy ever made in my view.
Kazan directs very effectively and one can see what his appeal was and why he was so influential from watching the film, even if other films of his did it even better. His direction of actors and how they interact and how he managed throughout his career to do wonders with getting such great performances from so many actors (including those that didn't always impress elsewhere) are here in 'Wild River'. It is a very beautifully made and shot film, with a lot of atmospheric lighting. The music score is neither too constant or over-bearing, nothing iconic but it fits the film's atmosphere expertly.
In terms of writing, 'Wild River' is very intelligently written without resorting to over-wordy rambling or over-bubbled soap. The story is deliberate but never dull, again it is intelligent story-telling and also very moving. Will admit to crying and getting goosebumps, have not felt that about every recently seen film.
To conclude, absolutely wonderful. 9/10
Elia Kazan challenges President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal in this subtle but slow drama.
SAMTHEBESTEST11 April 2024
Wild River (1960) :
Brief Review -
Elia Kazan challenges President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal in this subtle but slow drama. Migration has always been a serious issue for some people. In this film, we see an elderly matriarch lady who is not willing to sell her land for President Roosevelt's "dam" campaign. Though it looks like a fair deal in the beginning, Kazan shows the other side of the story, taking a dig at the president's scheme. You need guts to do so, and Elia Kazan had plenty of them. We have all seen that in "Gentleman's Agreement" (1947), "Boomerang" (1947), and "On The Waterfront" (1954). Wild River is equally challenging and sensitive, but it is unnecessarily slow and drags too much with its dull romance. Clift and Remick, two gorgeous faces, and I just knew that the intimate romance would be coming soon. It happened exactly like that. The first night they spent together saw them making love, and they didn't even know whether they were in love with each other or not. Then there is the second time, and after that, the girl is desperate to marry the man, but the man is unsure. He won't stop seeing her, though. I didn't like these things, but I hated them more when I realised that they took almost 40 minutes from the whole runtime. That was too much and completely unnecessary. It took the buildup away and diverted the narrative from the main context of the film. No film could have recovered from this, but Kazan did it. Wild River touches a sentimental chord and also manages to give a satisfying answer to a sensitive question like migration. Additionally, the racial remarks amongst the labourers community are well highlighted. Montgomery Clift, Lee Remick, and Jo Van Fleet's common sense are noteworthy. Kazan always loved challenging social norms and adding his touch to such stories, and Wild River is exactly that. It may not be as great as his above-mentioned classics, but it is fairly good.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Elia Kazan challenges President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal in this subtle but slow drama. Migration has always been a serious issue for some people. In this film, we see an elderly matriarch lady who is not willing to sell her land for President Roosevelt's "dam" campaign. Though it looks like a fair deal in the beginning, Kazan shows the other side of the story, taking a dig at the president's scheme. You need guts to do so, and Elia Kazan had plenty of them. We have all seen that in "Gentleman's Agreement" (1947), "Boomerang" (1947), and "On The Waterfront" (1954). Wild River is equally challenging and sensitive, but it is unnecessarily slow and drags too much with its dull romance. Clift and Remick, two gorgeous faces, and I just knew that the intimate romance would be coming soon. It happened exactly like that. The first night they spent together saw them making love, and they didn't even know whether they were in love with each other or not. Then there is the second time, and after that, the girl is desperate to marry the man, but the man is unsure. He won't stop seeing her, though. I didn't like these things, but I hated them more when I realised that they took almost 40 minutes from the whole runtime. That was too much and completely unnecessary. It took the buildup away and diverted the narrative from the main context of the film. No film could have recovered from this, but Kazan did it. Wild River touches a sentimental chord and also manages to give a satisfying answer to a sensitive question like migration. Additionally, the racial remarks amongst the labourers community are well highlighted. Montgomery Clift, Lee Remick, and Jo Van Fleet's common sense are noteworthy. Kazan always loved challenging social norms and adding his touch to such stories, and Wild River is exactly that. It may not be as great as his above-mentioned classics, but it is fairly good.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Way ahead of its time in different ways definitely worth watching
manuel-pestalozzi7 November 2005
Having seen this movie recently for the first time I can hardly believe that it was made in the same year as the Oscar-showered Elmer Gantry! Both are in Technicolor, both have several big stars. They depict about the same period (1930ies) and similar settings (rural America). But in style they are entirely different.
Wild River has the feel of a movie of the 1970ies. It is in large parts naturalistic. Most fascinating for me was the part played by Lee Remick, a young, sexually starved widowed mother. The way Remick plays her role (emotionally exhausted, unkempt yet very sensuous and somehow trashy") reminds me of parts played more than a decade later by actresses like Sissy Spacek or Jodie Foster. Her character starts a relationship with the TVA functionary played by Montgomery Clift. It seems to be based almost entirely on sexual attraction and is doomed from the start. The film shows this with a frankness and also a closeness that is much more naturalistic than similar scenes in more artistic" pictures of the period, like Kazan's Baby Doll or Stanley Kubrick's Lolita.
Equally surprising is the ambivalent attitude of the movie towards the activities of the TVA. The technocrats of that state agency are presented as completely ignorant as far as local customs are concerned. The Clift character literally drops out of the sky into Terra Incognita. It soon appears that he is not too sure about the noble cause he represents and would rather like to be somewhere else (this could be Clift's personal contribution to the movie). He drives a black car with TVA scrawled on it in shameful small white letters. It looks a little like a hearse. Clift plays one of those disoriented anti heroes - which is somehow unexpected in the context of the movie and gives it a subversive touch better known from younger movies dealing with openly ecological subjects.
MINOR SPOILERS
When the Clift character meets the matriarch on the island who refuses to vacate her farm, he reminds her that there's always the danger of the river running wild. I love things running wild", replies the matriarch triumphantly. This leaves the functionary speechless. In the end he succeeds in having the matriarch removed from the farm and her house burnt to the ground before the valley is flooded why not just leave it where it is and let it submerge? Probably this unnecessarily brutal act (incidentally performed by African Americans) should have symbolized the cleansing of the Old South of bad customs and narrow mindedness. The effect, however, is wasted as the matriarch comes through as a difficult, openly racist yet somehow heroic" character with principles. She garners more sympathies with the viewers than the TVA representative who is just a man of the system and not a particularly likable one.
The end of the movie shows the TVA man flying off again with the young widow he married (against his and her better judgment) and her children. He is pointing at a dam far, far below, toy like and removed. That seems to be the right place for him to look at things! Sometimes one feels many decision makers of today still choose that perspective and that perspective alone.
Wild River has the feel of a movie of the 1970ies. It is in large parts naturalistic. Most fascinating for me was the part played by Lee Remick, a young, sexually starved widowed mother. The way Remick plays her role (emotionally exhausted, unkempt yet very sensuous and somehow trashy") reminds me of parts played more than a decade later by actresses like Sissy Spacek or Jodie Foster. Her character starts a relationship with the TVA functionary played by Montgomery Clift. It seems to be based almost entirely on sexual attraction and is doomed from the start. The film shows this with a frankness and also a closeness that is much more naturalistic than similar scenes in more artistic" pictures of the period, like Kazan's Baby Doll or Stanley Kubrick's Lolita.
Equally surprising is the ambivalent attitude of the movie towards the activities of the TVA. The technocrats of that state agency are presented as completely ignorant as far as local customs are concerned. The Clift character literally drops out of the sky into Terra Incognita. It soon appears that he is not too sure about the noble cause he represents and would rather like to be somewhere else (this could be Clift's personal contribution to the movie). He drives a black car with TVA scrawled on it in shameful small white letters. It looks a little like a hearse. Clift plays one of those disoriented anti heroes - which is somehow unexpected in the context of the movie and gives it a subversive touch better known from younger movies dealing with openly ecological subjects.
MINOR SPOILERS
When the Clift character meets the matriarch on the island who refuses to vacate her farm, he reminds her that there's always the danger of the river running wild. I love things running wild", replies the matriarch triumphantly. This leaves the functionary speechless. In the end he succeeds in having the matriarch removed from the farm and her house burnt to the ground before the valley is flooded why not just leave it where it is and let it submerge? Probably this unnecessarily brutal act (incidentally performed by African Americans) should have symbolized the cleansing of the Old South of bad customs and narrow mindedness. The effect, however, is wasted as the matriarch comes through as a difficult, openly racist yet somehow heroic" character with principles. She garners more sympathies with the viewers than the TVA representative who is just a man of the system and not a particularly likable one.
The end of the movie shows the TVA man flying off again with the young widow he married (against his and her better judgment) and her children. He is pointing at a dam far, far below, toy like and removed. That seems to be the right place for him to look at things! Sometimes one feels many decision makers of today still choose that perspective and that perspective alone.
Strange romance, but good acting
HotToastyRag15 April 2024
Wild River has a strange story, but if you're a Jo Van Fleet fan and want to see her in a solid character role, you can try it. She stars as an eighty-year-old stubborn woman (still in her 40s in real life) living in the sticks who refuses to vacate her home even though it's not safe anymore. It's on the Tennessee River banks, and not only does she risk the floods every year, but she's also standing in the way of building a dam for the safety of the other town's residents.
Montgomery Clift is a northerner, and when he's sent down to make sure the building of the dam goes smoothly, he encounters a massive culture clash with the residents - not to mention endless arguments with Jo. Jo lives with beautiful Lee Remick, her granddaughter, but the strange part of the story is the romance between Lee and Monty. She's a barefoot hick who doesn't even use proper grammar, and even though she's a natural beauty (she doesn't wear a speck of makeup in this movie), I doubt Monty would really want a relationship with her. His work takes up all his energy, and he wouldn't want to upset Jo any further by sleeping with her granddaughter. But few movies get the green light without a romance, so I understand the addition to the story.
As usual, Monty's conflicted expressions work well in the role, and Jo is a pro who knows how to take a large bite out of her elderly characters. It's fascinating to see Lee on retrospect; later in her career, she played classy and cultured (The Competition), a complex alcoholic (Days of Wine and Roses), a Swedish politician (The Farmer's Daughter), and the devil's assistant (Damn Yankees!). In a role where she has to count on her fingers and toes, she's quite different.
Interspersed in this drama are racial tensions and a battle of one against the world - everything you'd expect from an Elia Kazan film. The supporting cast includes Jay C. Flippen, Barbara Loden, and Bruce Dern in his film debut. If you like this one, check out 1984's The River.
Montgomery Clift is a northerner, and when he's sent down to make sure the building of the dam goes smoothly, he encounters a massive culture clash with the residents - not to mention endless arguments with Jo. Jo lives with beautiful Lee Remick, her granddaughter, but the strange part of the story is the romance between Lee and Monty. She's a barefoot hick who doesn't even use proper grammar, and even though she's a natural beauty (she doesn't wear a speck of makeup in this movie), I doubt Monty would really want a relationship with her. His work takes up all his energy, and he wouldn't want to upset Jo any further by sleeping with her granddaughter. But few movies get the green light without a romance, so I understand the addition to the story.
As usual, Monty's conflicted expressions work well in the role, and Jo is a pro who knows how to take a large bite out of her elderly characters. It's fascinating to see Lee on retrospect; later in her career, she played classy and cultured (The Competition), a complex alcoholic (Days of Wine and Roses), a Swedish politician (The Farmer's Daughter), and the devil's assistant (Damn Yankees!). In a role where she has to count on her fingers and toes, she's quite different.
Interspersed in this drama are racial tensions and a battle of one against the world - everything you'd expect from an Elia Kazan film. The supporting cast includes Jay C. Flippen, Barbara Loden, and Bruce Dern in his film debut. If you like this one, check out 1984's The River.
A near-masterpiece...nearly forgotten
JasparLamarCrabb23 December 2005
This nearly forgotten film from director Elia Kazan has a plot line closer to a Stanley Kramer film, albeit without the bombast. A government man, played by Montgomery Clift in his last great performance, tries to persuade the matriarch of a backwoods family to sell her land so a river can be routed through it. Clift's performance is matched by the always terrific Jo Van Fleet (only 40ish, but playing 80ish --- Kazan clearly indulges her). Van Fleet's performance is electrifying. Although there is a subplot involving Clift and Lee Remick, it takes a back seat to the Clift-Van Fleet showdown. Remick is terrific and Jay C. Flippin is a plus as one of Van Fleet's more intelligent "boys." A couple of drawbacks: the movie's widescreen and color photography soften its overall impact. There's no real sense that this is the 1930s. Nonetheless, WILD RIVER remains Kazan's nearly forgotten, near masterpiece.
more great work from a great director
rupie16 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Did Elia Kazan ever make a bad movie? Having seen Network (my #1 favorite of his), Hospital, Splendor in the Grass, Baby Doll, A Face in the Crowd, On the Waterfront, and Man on a Tightrope, I had become accustomed to his magic hand with film. What a joy to see now Wild River, another gem from the master (and what would we all do without Turner Classic Movies?). A great story, a great script, great acting. I particularly appreciate the movie's complexity and ambiguity. Unlike so many "here-comes-the-evil-developer" flicks, this movie takes a balanced view between respect for the old ways and the need for progress. A rich cinematic experience all around.
Overly directed
smits598 August 2016
Try to see this movie before you spent any money on it, as I did.
Sure, there is a lot of beautiful scenery. And some of the acting is great; Jo van Fleet is brilliant! But Elia Kazan's directing is too heavy handed for Clift and Remmick. Clift does his line and then performs the face he is told to show. But there is no connection between the line and the face. Remmick does the same, but since it her début I can't hold that against her. This effect makes this movie difficult to watch.
The story is full off holes too: the relation between Clift and Remmick starts totally unbelievable. Wouldn't a mother think of her kids? Her house is her future but check out the map in the beginning of the movie and form your own opinion. (since I'm trying to avoid spoilers I can't go into details)
Sure, there is a lot of beautiful scenery. And some of the acting is great; Jo van Fleet is brilliant! But Elia Kazan's directing is too heavy handed for Clift and Remmick. Clift does his line and then performs the face he is told to show. But there is no connection between the line and the face. Remmick does the same, but since it her début I can't hold that against her. This effect makes this movie difficult to watch.
The story is full off holes too: the relation between Clift and Remmick starts totally unbelievable. Wouldn't a mother think of her kids? Her house is her future but check out the map in the beginning of the movie and form your own opinion. (since I'm trying to avoid spoilers I can't go into details)
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