AVS Discussions
Movie and TV Discussion => Movie reviews => Topic started by: David Vaughn on August 21, 2021, 10:25:29 PM
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(https://i.imgur.com/Ij51iWb.jpg)
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: August 10, 2021
Rating: Not Rated
Film: 2.5/5
Plot
In this classic version of Theodore Dreiser's novel "An American Tragedy," George Eastman (Montgomery Clift), the nephew of a wealthy industrialist, is excluded from high society and given a blue-collar job at his uncle's factory. While ascending the ranks of the company, George becomes romantically involved with co-worker Alice Tripp (Shelley Winters). However, when he is introduced to socialite Angela Vickers (Elizabeth Taylor), he quickly falls for her, leading to a tragic love triangle.
My Thoughts
Over the past couple of years, I’ve been trying to expand my movie watching to include some productions from well before I was born to see how well they have aged. For the most part, I’ve discovered quite a few gems but every now and then I come across a title that doesn’t do anything for me—and A Place in the Sun falls squarely in this category.
Acclaimed director, George Stevens, was at the helm and many consider this one of his finest films. I’m not one of those people. The character development is non-existent and while the performances of Shelly Winders and Elizabeth Taylor are good, Clift’s role as the lead was a big letdown. Frankly, I found his acting to be forced and not compelling and the screenplay itself very predictable.
The film is presented in black and white and I have no complaint with the cinematography at all. Some may whine about the nighttime sequences, but the supplements mention this was an intentional aspect of the film and has nothing to do with the encode. While the soundtrack is a 5.1 track, it’s essentially a mono production with over 90% of the material coming from the center channel. My biggest complaints are the dialog isn’t always intelligible and the dynamics are virtually non-existent.
Video 4/5
Audio 3/5 (DTS-HD MA 5.1)
Special Features:
- Filmmaker Focus with Leonard Maltin
- George Stevens and His Place in the Sun
- Commentary
- George Stevens: Filmmakers Who Knew Him
- Blu-ray + Digital Copy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fm6sa_L5_4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fm6sa_L5_4)
Conclusion
While this wasn’t the best classic film I’d ever seen, it isn’t horrible either. I found the measured pacing to be a bit too slow for my taste and wasn’t drawn to Clift’s performance. One thing I did notice is his uncanny likeness to a young Tom Cruise (they have similar foreheads and eyes). Probably the thing I liked the most was seeing a young Elizabeth Taylor, who was 17 when this was filmed, and you can see she is definitely talented and very easy on the eyes. Paramount’s 22nd film in its Paramount Presents collection didn’t resonate with me, but if you’re interested in classic Hollywood, then you’ll probably want to check this one out if you haven’t seen it. If you do, let me know what you think.
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS2000 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays) (https://www.portrait.com/)
Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 88” 16x9 Fixed Screen
Trinnov Altitude 16 Audio/Video Processor
ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: URC MX-990
M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
SVS PC-Ultra Cylinder Subwoofer
HSU VTF-15H MK2 Subwoofer
JL Audio Dominion F110 Subwoofer x 2
Mini DSP HD controlling all subwoofers
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner