Reviews (30)

Star-Studded Recounting of Legendary Nazi Trials
This star-studded film vividly captures the characters on all 3 sides of the spectrum: The accused, the victims, and the international tribunal judging the perpetrators of unspeakable atrocities against fellow human beings. It is shocking to see how many of the people responsible for the gruesome deaths of millions justified their actions.

After hearing witnesses who often were tortured, mamed by sadistic doctors, and had their loved ones murdered, I can not grasp the fact that the majority of those on trial were released after serving minimal prison terms. Some of them are still among us, while millions of victims lie in their graves at the hands of an evil minority!

Stellar performances by an International cast. Most noteworthy are Montgomery Clift and Judy Garland as testifying victims, Maximilian Schell as Prosecutor (Oscar Winner), Marlene Dietrich as wife of a defendant, and an elderly Spencer Tracy, trying to make sense of it all.

Effective use of B&W photography, first rate sets and costumes, along with many other production values, make this a timeless Classic. Although considerd over-long by some, I recommend this film to be shown to high school classes as a reminder that these things happened in a not so distant past.*****

SCHELL, TRACY, GARLAND, LANCASTER, CLIFT & WIDMARK GREAT!
This is a superb film by Stanley Kramer with an unbelievably great cast at the height of their craft. Each of the legendary actors were at the top of their performances in the reinactment of the Judge's Trial at Nuremberg. The world was tired of the Nuremberg trials. This one was a mopping up operation. Against a backdrop of an escalating Cold War with the Soviet Union, the selling out of justice by prominent Nazi judges serving the Third Reich is put on trial. Spencer Tracey plays Judge Dan Haywood, a retired Maine circuit court judge brought out of mothballs to serve as the chief justice. Amazingly, the usual action actor Burt Lancaster plays the top Nazi judge who at first does not recognize the Nuremberg tribunal's authority to judge him. For some mysterious reason, critics over the years failed to acknowledge the tremendous acting job he did in convincingly carrying off what was perhaps this film's most dynamic character change. However, my personal favorite was Maximillian Schell whose quintessential Germanic Hans Rolfe, the defense attorney released the full range of this incredible actor's virtuosity. For this he deservedly won an Academy Award Oscar.

One thousand words are not enough to celebrate this timeless film: Judy Garland (in perhaps her last film role) delivers a heartbreaking middle aging Irene Hoffman, reliving her experiences of Nazi cruelty on the witness stand; once again. However, not very good was the young Canadian actor, William Shatner playing Army Captain Byers, the aide de camp to Judge Haywood (Tracy). [The Starship Enterprise didn't seem to improve Shatner's skills any.] Richard Widmark (the moody, hostile prosecutor) and Montgomery Clift [who begged for the role he was willing to play without pay!] were excellent. Clift plays a slightly retarded German laborer, sterilized by Nazi doctors because of his mental slowness. This is among the very best films made by Kramer in the decade of the 1960s. Amazingly, it was released one year after INHERIT THE WIND, another Tracy-Kramer classic!

MASTERPIECE
What happens when Stanley Kramer teams Tracy, Dietrich, Garland, Schell, Clift, Lancaster and Widmark in a drama based on the trials in pos-war Nuremberg??? It`s vintage Hollywood; still 1 IF not THE BEST about the horrors from World War II ..... The film should be in every school-library across the world

MASTERPIECE
What happens when Stanley Kraner teams Tracy, Dietrich, Garland, Schell, Clift, Lancaster and Widmark in a drama based on the trials in pos-war Nuremberg??? It`s vintage Hollywood; still 1 IF not THE BEST about the horrors from World War II ..... The film should be in every school-library across the world

Wooooooooow
Ok, you`ll get Garland, Dietrich, Clift, Tracy, Widmark & Schell - the production headed by Stanley Kramer.... the result is pure Hollywood vintage combined with horrors from the 2nd World War??? But indeed; it is a masterpiece.... It should be in every school-library all over the world:-) ... Read more

Reviews (62)

A Bad Life Decision
A Place in the Sun, 1951
Running time: 120 minutes in black & white
Director: George Stephens
Studio: Paramount Studio
Actors/Actresses: Montgomery Clift (George Eastman)
Elizabeth Taylor (Angela Vickers)
Shelly Winters (Alice Tripp--name is symbolic of her behavior)
Awards/Nominations: Oscar won in 1952 for best cinematography, black & white; best costume design, black & white; best director; best film editing; best music; and best writing.
Nominated for an Oscar in 1952 for best actor and actress in a leading role and best picture.
DGA Award won in 1952 for outstanding directorial achievement in motion pictures.
Golden Globe won in 1952 for best motion picture drama.
Silver Ribbon Award won in 1952 for best director of a foreign film.
NBR Award won in 1951 for best picture.
PGA Hall of Fame for Motion Pictures Award won in 1997.
WGA Screen Award won in 1952 for best written American drama and nominated for the Robert Meltzer Award.
Genre: Romantic Tragedy

In summary, the movie includes the trials and tribulations of a love triangle between a smart nice guy, a rich nice woman, and a manipulating possessive working-class woman. George Eastman hitchhikes from Kansas City to his uncle's swimsuit factory to work. Once there, he is given a position boxing merchandise by his not-too-friendly cousin. Prior to his employment, George is informed that he is not to have romantic relations with his fellow co-workers as a condition of employment. Unfortunately, George broke this rule by dating and ultimately getting one of his coworkers pregnant. While dating her (Alice), he falls in love with Angela Vickers, a high-class woman that is well-known throughout the comunity and by Charles Eastman (George's rich uncle). Instead of telling Angela about Alice and vice versa, George "drives himself crazy" and eventually commits the ultimate crime. What may astonish the viewer is that even after learning of George's hideous crime, Angela confesses that she still loves him.

Both George and Alice would have different lives at the end of the movie if George had stayed in Kansas City! He also should have been honest with both women in order to alleviate stress for both he and Alice. This movie was given four stars due to its relativeness to society and its great plot for the time period. It was interesting throughout the whole movie.

What Chemistry
The first time I viewed A Place In The Sun it did not have much of an impact on me. Perhaps I was too young, plus I did not understand Montgomery Clift's acting style. Subsequent viewings have made me realize the quality of this film. Clift stars as the poor relation of an important family who begins to work his way up. He first has a relationship with plain working girl Shelley Winters. Then he meets the real love of his life, beautiful, wealthy Elizabeth Taylor. From that point, things become very complicated for all concerned. Clift was an actor that played everything deeply, and his performances are always painfully real, just like this one, in which you can feel the conflicts that tear him apart. Winters is excellent in her tragic role, while Taylor, besides looking unbelievably beautiful, brings a lot of honesty to her character. The chemistry between the Clift and Taylor is palpable, and their on screen kiss is one of the most memorable you will ever see. Although there is a sense of doom that permeates the movie, the actors make every moment a great one. Some of elements of the story may seem dated, but it is played with such honesty and intensity that you will appreciate it for the very fine film it is.

Heartbreaking & Realistic
Ever wanted something you couldn't have? Ever wanted it so badly you'd kill to have it? In "A Place in the Sun" George Eastman (Montgomery Clift), a poor young man with big dreams, deals with these questions as he tries to make it to the top of the social ladder in spite of social prejudices from the richer Eastman clan.
As he pursues his dream of social grandeur, he falls in love with the beautiful and unatttainable Angela Vickers (Elizabeth Taylor), a rich socialite. But just as his dreams begin to come true, George is confronted by his ex girlfriend (Shelly Winters), a poor factory employee, who is pregnant with his baby and threatens to destroy his newly attained social lifestyle. Having made it to the top, however, George is determined to stay there at any cost - a decision that leads to tragic results.

Memorable performances
Excellent movie about the tragic consequences of pushing too hard to obtain the american dream. Montgomery Clift gives a realistic performance as the poor kid who makes it to the top at a high price. Liz Taylor is believable as the rich beauty who falls in love with Clift, and Shelly Winters is especially memorable as the poor factory worker who gets shoved aside by Clift after he meets Taylor. Beautifully made movie that makes you really get into the mind and heart of its protagonists. Highly Recommended.

Tragedy Turned to Melodrama
It was probably inevitable that "An American Tragedy," in its evolution to screen, would become more about the doomed love affair of Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor than the moral and ethical dilemmas that really form the foundation of Theodore Dreiser's novel. After all, doomed love is a bigger sell, especially when you have the romantic faces of Clift and Taylor swooning together in extreme close-up.

I'm not a fan of doing book to movie comparisons. I figure that film and literature are two different art forms, so I shouldn't compare their rendering of the story anymore than I would compare the same story as presented in a painting as opposed to a ballet. So I tried to take the film on its own merits (admittedly difficult to do, since I watched the movie on the same day I finished the book), but even at that, I think the movie falls short.

Clift plays George Eastman, poor nephew to a rich, socially elite family in a small New York state factory town. He's been invited by his uncle to come and work in the Eastman factory, giving him an entre into a world of luxury that has always been out of his grasp due to his family's humble position (they run a mission and preach on the streets). George strikes up a love affair with Alice Tripp (Shelley Winters), a girl who works with him in the factory, but his attentions for her quickly fade when he becomes interested in Angela Vickers, another member of the rich set, played by Liz Taylor. Complications ensue, and George finds himself and his situation spiralling drastically out of control, with an ending more tragic than he ever thought possible.

George Stevens directs the film with a sure hand, and there are some breathtaking displays of directorial skill. For example, one that stands out in my mind comes when the camera focuses on a radio reporting a possible murder, while the young, rich kids with whom George has struck up a friendship goof off in the water in the background. There are also some great uses of dissolve editing, though the technique is somewhat overused.

But there are many problems with the film, notably its pacing. Much time is spent on George's love triangle with Alice and Angela, while the script races through the trial and George's ultimate fate, as if the screenwriter realized he only had two hours to tell his story when he'd already wasted an hour and a half on front-end material. Rushing through the end blunts much of the story's original intent and power, as that is where the majority of moral questions arise.

Also, the character Shelley Winters plays is so drab and mousy, that one doesn't understand why George would entangle himself with her in the first place. But Clift does a great job with the lead role, delivering a performance of raw nerve.

It befuddles me somewhat as to why this movie is quite so acclaimed. I can only imagine that its reception has to do with cultural moods at the time it was released and that it just hasn't aged well. It came out in 1951, a big year for literary adaptations ("A Streetcar Named Desire" and "Death of a Salesman" were both given big-screen treatments that year), and you only need to compare "Sun" to "Streetcar" to see how short it falls at capturing the essence of a ture literary classic.

Grade: B- ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

It was the last roundup for Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe, who gave their final performances in this melancholy modern Western. Arthur Miller wrote the script (some say overwrote) as a contemplation of his then-wife, Monroe, and set the piece in the half-world of Reno, Nevada. The dangers of this kind of meta-fictional approach are not entirely avoided, but the clean, clear-eyed direction of John Huston keeps the film grounded. And then there are the people: Gable a warrior past his time, Monroe overwhelmed by the world and its attentions, Montgomery Clift visibly broken in pieces, Eli Wallach a postwar neurotic. If the encroaching mortality of Gable, Monroe, and Clift weren't enough, the stark photography and Alex North's score confirm this as a film about loss. It may have its problems, but seen at a distance of many years, The Misfits scatters its tender mercies with an aching beauty. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (44)

A Lesson In Film
This once nearly forgotten movie, the last film of Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe is now coming forward in the lexicon of film history as an underrated gem. Universally misunderstood for the most part at the time it came out it is clear now that this film was at least five of six years ahead of it's time. It fits in more comfortably with films of the late 60's and early 70's.
The screenplay by Miller is one of his most striking works. A story of a group of people lost in the wide expanse of the West in search of the discarded souls of their misspent lives. The film's beautiful cinematography by Russell Metty stands out as superb artistry at the demise of the black and white era. It shimmers with the silver of the deep expanse of the desert and the flat grays and blacks of the distant mountains upon which the last act of the story plays. The music by Alex North is among his best work and gives a savage punch to the aerial scenes and the round up at the end of the wild mustangs.

Montgomery Clift, by now sliding into the last years of his life is touching in his performance of Perce. His broken cowboy with the broken heart is almost painful to watch. His phone call home to his mother is among some of his best work. Eli Wallach gives a strong deeply moving portrait of Guido who has lost his wife, his way, and his humanity. He shines in his scene with Monroe where he asks her to save him. When she can't to at least say "Hello Guido".
Thelma Ritter is, well, Thelma Ritter in yet another of her excellent character roles. Ritter is the master of the one line wisecrack but here as Isobel she laces the cracks with an underlying sadness and vulnerability.
As Gay Langland, Clark Gable gives what I consider to be the best performance of his career. It was a brave move for Gable to take on the role of what on the surface seems another one of his typical macho made to fit parts. But as the story unfolds from Arthur Miller's pen Gay reveals that beneath his gruff, not a care in the world, cowboy is a man in deep pain and despair at his losses. The world has left him behind. Abandoned by his children the drunken Gable breaks so violently it is a shock to watch the great man fall. This is Clark Gable at his finest ever.
Marilyn Monroe gives an astounding performance as Roslyn Tabler the newly divorced dancer. A damaged woman who finds in the company of these three men something to finally believe in, something to stand up and fight for, she finds life. It is a performance ground out in part from her own person and experience and in part by the director John Huston and the editor George Tomasini who helped a nearly destroyed Monroe create her stunning Roslyn. This, her last performance is her best and the true example of the collaborative creation that film really is. That Marilyn under the circumstances of her life at that time could be so good is a testament to her talent as an actress and a star. Watch her when she is listening to the other actors. This is where she shines; this is the true mark of a great screen actor. To be able to listen and draw you into the inner life of the character through that deceptively simple act of listening and reaction is her gift to the audience. Her scene with Monty in back of the bar, sitting on a pile of trash, her afore mentioned scene with Eli Wallach in the speeding car. These are but a few of the examples in this film of her great talent. In the 1950's and early 60's there were only a handful of great young actresses in film, Elizabeth Taylor, and Marilyn Monroe where at the summit of the small mountain.

Stark Drama
Arthur Miller wrote the screenplay for this film about a group of people, rootless and alone, who come together in Reno, Nevada and learn a little something about themselves. Marilyn Monroe stars as a dancer who has come to Reno for a divorce from her husband Kevin McCarthy. She stays with divorcee Thelma Ritter, and she has no idea where to move on to next. Eli Wallach is a pilot/cowboy who falls for her, and he's a widower with a house out in the middle of nowhere he offers to her. Clark Gable is his cowboy partner who falls for Monroe, too. Montgomery Clift is a walking rodeo accident/cowboy who joins up with them to go Mustanging. Each character has their own story, secrets, and pain, and Monroe seems to be the one who draws it out of them. Monroe gives an excellent performance, fragile yet sexy, and it shows the kind of actress she was becoming. The men all give top performances as well, and Thelma Ritter proves again that she could deliver a wisecrack better than anyone. The scenes surrounding the capture of the Mustang horses are unforgettable, and all the more starkly presented with the terrific black and white photography. This isn't a film that will make you feel good when it's over, but it presents some very real characters in an almost too honest way.

Monroe at her best
In "The Misfits," Arthur Miller creates an atmosphere which seeps directly into the viewer's bones...
Dark, depressing, gloomy, and filmed in black and white, works beautifully.
Monroe, Gable, Clift, Wallach, and even the Mustangs all search for their place among the elements.
From bar to bar they go, drinking, flirting, drinking... did I say drinking?
They all want Monroe, but she doesn't know what she wants...just
to take care of somebody, just to be loved, just to be left alone. (Sounds familiar) she was cast perfectly.
An unbelievably powerful scene is ...
when Monroe does not want the men to catch the Mustangs for dog food...she runs in the middle of the desert, screaming, yelling, crying, tossing the sand in the air...
"Leave them alone, let them be. Why are you doing this? They want to be free. Please. Please. Leave them alone."

The viewer will be there...

feeling, lifting whatever passion they may have too, letting it go, letting it go...

because without freedom or direction.... one has nothing, the characters had nothing, the mustangs with their hoofs tied, had nothing.

When Monroe screams like a mad woman, we all scream with her...
For any wrong ever done, any lonliness we ever had, any love we never recieved.

***Note***A must watch for Monroe's performance alone!

Marilyn's most seemingly realistic role
This movie seems to have followed her temporary relationships, but most haunting to me was the scene where Clark Gable says "Wer'e going home now" and they drive into the night as they admire the stars, it's like a huge ironic symbol or just an ironic METEPHORICAL way of them saying goodbye to life and filmmaking...just see it and you'll understand. It was amazing how good Marilyn looked, 35 in this movie and she looked 26, literally. It was a nice movie and I recommend it to all Marilyn fans and to all who say she can't act seriously, watch this movie and take that!

WHAT????????
iT's truly sad that Marilyn left us with a movie she wasn't particularly proud of and hated making...but it was still a fun movie, but acting is acting and if she decided to make it already, why not give it you're all!? ... Read more

Amazon.com

Any short list of the all-time greatest Westerns is bound to include this 1948 Howard Hawks classic about an epic cattle drive. Red River features one of John Wayne's greatest performances. Like his Ethan Edwards in John Ford's 1956 masterpiece The Searchers, the Duke plays an isolated and unsympathetic man who is possessed by bitterness. Wayne is Texas rancher Tom Dunson, who adopts a young boy orphaned in an Indian massacre.That boy, Matthew Garth (played as an adult by Montgomery Clift in his screen debut), becomes Dunson's assistant and heir apparent--until Dunson's temper gets out of control during a long cattle drive and Matt intervenes to stop him.From that moment on, Dunson swears he will kill Matt.Red River has everything a great Western ought to have: a sweeping sense of history, spectacular landscapes, stampedes, gunfights, Indian attacks, and, of course, Walter Brennan as Dunson's crusty old cook and comic sidekick, Nadine Groot.As a special bonus, the film also features the legendary Harry Carey (upon whom Wayne would base some of his gestures in The Searchers) and his son Harry Carey Jr., who became a fixture in Ford and Hawks Westerns.Red River is essential for anyone who loves Westerns, or movies in general.This one's a real beaut.--Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (41)

THE cattle-drive movie
Having weighed-in on _The Culpepper Cattle Company_, I have to genuflect at the altar of THE cattle-drive movie-- _Red River_.

This film pre-dates _The Searchers_ by about eight years. The lead character, Tom Dunson, is a sort of prototype for Ethan Edwards. This is John Wayne without sentiment or schmaltz, until the final scene which differs from the story on which the film is based, and which jars a bit.

That being said, _Red River_ still stands as the definitive cattle-drive movie. Wayne/Dunson builds an empire but then must head the herd north on a drive that simply _has_ to get through-- despite conflicts with nature, rustlers, Indians, and between Dunson and his men, including his adopted son, Matthew Garth.

Wayne is cast against his own stereotype as Dunson and comes across as a hard and unlikeable character. Walter Brennan as his sidekick, Groot, nearly steals the show just as he did (again) in Hawk's _Rio Bravo_. Montgomery Clift does a passable job as Matthew Garth, but is outclassed by John Ireland as Cherry Valance, the gunfighter turned cowhand.

The rest of the cast is outstanding. You need only look at the cast list to appreciate the fine ensemble company that Howard Hawks put together for this movie. This is also on of Dimitri Tiomkin's finest musical scores.

Finally, I agree with Maltin on this point: beware edited and abridged copies of this film. Anything less than a 133 minute running time should not be bothered with.

"Take `em to Missouri, Matt!"

A Flawed Western
For an hour and 20 minutes or so, Red River is a great western (even with such embarrassing moments such as Wayne killing the Indian and discovering the bracelet he had given his girl, the stuttering cowboy who is killed in the stampede, etc.). It boasts a stunning Dimitri Tiomkin score, terrific B&W photography by Russell Harlan, a wonderful performance from Montgomery Clift, a powerful (if typically one-note) performance from John Wayne ... and then Joanne Dru enters the story and it basically falls apart from this point on. She is so completely incompetent that she manages to almost sink the film! Her dialogue is, admittedly, terrible (Hawks bragged that he wrote most of it!), but her line readings are so terrible that it just makes the awkward dialogue even more awkward. The ending is absurd, a complete build-up to a deadly collision and it ends up a rather weak fist-fight. Perhaps, had Wayne's performance included emotional shadings, the ending might have worked, but since he is so one-note hard and uncompromising throughout, not for one moment do I believe the final sequence. In the original Borden Chase novel, the character dies at the end. It should have happened here, also (same major flaw in Wayne's The Searchers, too). On top of which, the John Ireland character is built up as a major challenge to Montgomery Clift, but this is simply dropped halfway through. Indeed, the Ireland character is allowed to fizzle out. The auteur theory is what keeps critics from analysing this film from a more objective viewpoint. But it is very watchable and its strengths certainly outnumber its weaknesses.

Black and white sensation!
John Wayne's Red River is one of the most exciting and classical westerns of our century. So, if somebody hates black and white, screw them, it's their problem. Don't even review the product, genius! Alongside The Searchers, this is one of the Duke's landmark films. Also, John Wayne was our ultimate hero, prevailing in every gunfight and every story. His acting AND his strength certainly prevail here. Also filled with action packed gunfights and suspenseful scenes. The ending is fine.
The DVD transfer is nothing special, and somewhat grainy at times. MGM DVDS are not known to be the best DVD makers on the market. To shape up this classic western, expect a Criterion Collection re release and enjoy!

An American Treasure
In the rich history of American film, this piece of work by Howard Hawks makes the short list. It has been used as a template for any filmmaker wishing to make a Western, and further, it is one of those rare pieces of culture by which a society defines itself. If you needed to demonstrate to a foreigner what the American character is all about, you could show them this movie.

As a Western, it certainly has it all: cowboys killing Indians, men leaving women for the call of the trail, gunfights, stampedes, love, betrayal, and finally redemption. It is also gorgeously filmed, beautifully written, and well acted throughout. And finally, it stars John Wayne, an actor that towers over today's crop of male actors like an oak over weeping willows.

This film also stars Montgomery Clift as the surrogate son that eventually challenges Wayne for control of the drive. In terms of acting styles, Clift and Wayne were about as different as two actors could be: Wayne seemed always to act on instinct and charisma, while Clift was one of the young Turks through the 40's and 50's, a proponent of a new style of acting - the method developed by Lee Strasburg (one can easily imagine Wayne giving his crooked sarcastic grin over the very idea of a "school" where young people learn acting). Yet, casting these two together works. By all reports, the two hated each other at the beginning of the production, but had developed an actor's respect for one another by the end of filming. Wayne, after watching Clift in one of his scenes, was quoted as saying something like "damn, that little queer sure can act."

John Wayne, for his part, goes toe-to-toe with the new school of internal acting and more than holds his own. His portrayal of a powerful, unbending man who slowly descends into bitterness and hate is a real treat to watch. His performance was, to use a phrase Wayne would have hated, multi-layered and very, very skillful.

Other performances to watch: the ever-faithful Walter Brennan, one of the greatest character actors of all time, is perfect as Wayne's partner/friend. It is in watching Brennan's reaction to Wayne's increasing dementia that we see how far off track he's gone. John Ireland also is a standout as Cherry Valance, the pistoleer, who is full of casual grace and menace. As if all the above wasn't enough, the great Harry Carey is onboard briefly as Mr. Melville, radiating authority.

Every film lover should own this film and watch it at least once annually.

Every American should treasure it as a source of national pride.

One note: this is one film that simply demands a better DVD treatment. The picture and sound isn't bad, but it isn't widescreen, and there are absolutely no special features. C'mon, Criterion Collections, where are you? --Mykal

Mutiny on the plains
Howard Hawks' 1948 RED RIVER is an ambitious, sprawling, epic western. It's on a number of top-100 lists, and it belongs there.
The movie tells the story of cattle rancher Tom Dunson and the first drive along the fabled Chisholm Trail. It's based on Borden Chase's "The Chisholm Trail"
The movie hits the ground running. Within the first five minutes there's a romantic leave taking, an indian attack and a burning wagon train. The romantic parting of Dunson (John Wayne) and his intended is a key incident in the development of this bitter and hard-driven character. Dunson and Groot Nadine (Walter Brennan), who left the wagon train with Dunson, are joined by a survivor of the massacre, Matt Garth - who, fourteen years later, will become the quick-drawing Montgomery Clift. The shocked boy is leading a cow, Dunson and Groot have a surviving bull, and with this bovine first couple they make for the open land south of the Red River.
Fast forward 14 years and Dunson has 10,000 head of cattle and a depressed, post-Civil War southern economy that can't afford to buy them. They must drive them to Missouri and sell them to the more prosperous northerners or face ruin. During that drive Dunson descends to near insanity and Matt ascends as a moderating influence and, apparently, becomes the only one who can successfully lead the men and cattle to market. Without giving too much away, something happens on the drive that will drastically change Dunson's and Matt's relationship and jeopardize both of their lives.
It's pretty heavy stuff, and John Wayne is rock solid great as the troubled Dunson. This is one of the greatest roles in the career of a sometimes under-rated actor. Montgomery Clift is fine in his screen debut.
Walter Brennan's Groot is a marvel. That guy was such a good actor. Like all good sidekicks, and Brennan was the best, Groot is part court jester and part moral barometer. It helps that he plays most of the movie without his upper teeth in, too. Brennan was always better when his mouth was half empty.
There are some images that will stick with you for a while. Thousands of cattle crossing the Red River, a midnight stampede with a couple of hair-raising rescues. And there's a neat little bit with an angry John Wayne striding down a long street crowded with cattle - Wayne doesn't break stride, of course, and the cattle move out of his way like a longhorn Red Sea parting for an angry Moses.
For the most part the script is well written, and there's enough amusing scenes (usually including Brennan) to keep the whole thing from collapsing under it's own weight.
For instance, when Dunson and Matt are deciding who's to go along on the drive, Dunson excludes Groot (bum leg.) Groot mutters to himself like a live-action Popeye while Dunson and Matt continue their conversation. A distracted and exasperated Dunson finally says:
Dunson: What are you saying? I can't understand you. Where's your store teeth Matt bought you?
Groot: They're in my pocket.
Dunson: Well, why don't you use them?
Groot: 'Cause they whistle. I use them for eating.

Then there's the Joanne Dru character, Tess Millay. It doesn't help that her first appearance occurs in the third scene. One hour and forty-one minutes into the 2:20 movie, by my clock. My guess is the scriptwriters didn't want to clutter up the action with a romantic subplot until absolutely necessary. Fair enough, but it means that Millay's and Matt's romance has to be telescoped severely. Basically they meet, fall in love, and part in a day. It stretches an audience some. Worse, Dru as an actress simply wasn't right for the part.
One of her character traits, as written, is to talk and keep on talking when something worries or frightens her. She does this to negligible effect. It's a role that seemed to have been custom written for Jean Arthur, who always could blabber on to good effect, who could always drop her voice down to a husky purr or have it emit an abrupt squeak for maximum dramatic effect. Unfortunately Arthur was nearly fifty when this movie was made, so I guess casting her as a romantic lead opposite the young Clift would have, uh, added an strange and unwelcome dimension to the movie. Dru, in one of her earliest roles, just doesn't have the chops to carry off the role convincingly. All things considered, I think this piece of miscasting is more Hawks' fault that anyone elses. Anyway, I shaved a point off because of it.
I don't normally notice bad transfers, but there are a few dark night scenes in RED RIVER that look like someone lit a Fourth of July sparkler. And, less forgivable, my new factory-sealed-from-a-reputable-national-outlet retailer did NOT contain the advertised four page booklet. Finally, I've played the movie twice so far, and each time the start up menu screen doesn't appear until AFTER the movie is over. ... Read more

Reviews (59)

AFI top 100- Winner of 8 Oscars-Including Best Movie 1953!!
"From Here to Eternity" made from Best Seller book of 1951 written by James Jones. Now digitally re-mastered both in video and sound provides us with this classic on DVD with background extras. The cast (Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, Montgomery Cliff, Donna Reed and Frank Sinatra)was perfectly chosen and proved by the 13 Oscar nominations and winner of 8 including "Best Picture and Director - Fred Zinneman". Frank Sinatras "Best Supporting Actor" come back role is just the beginning.
In Summary: a few days prior to Pearl Harbor we find ourselves involved with these military characters and women struggling to find better lives in the volatile world of 1941. Knowing war is coming they try desparately to make their lives more meanigfully. The main focus is around the Army life style and how their lives were effected by events they had no real control over. Lancaster played a top sergeant having an affair with his Company Commanders wife (Kerr), Cliff and Sinatra were 2 soldiers in the same company who befriend each other and end up both being killed by circumstances in this troubled time of December 7, 1941.
This Black & White classic film broke all kinds of barriers for subject matter and character/star representation. Reed as a saloon gal. Kerr as a steamy temptress (infamous Beach Love scene with Lancaster).
Sit back and take a ride "FROM HERE TO ETERNITY".

"A man don't go his own way, he's nothing."
Fred Zinnemann's "From Here to Eternity" simply has not aged well. It's place in cinematic history remains secure: Frank Sinatra's Oscar, Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr embracing in the surf, and the Oscar for Best Picture. Yet, what was considered an adult film back in 1953 plays like a run-of-the-mill soap opera in the present day.

As Sergeant Warden (Lancaster) and Karen Holmes (Kerr), the wife of his superior, start to fall in love, Private Prewitt (Montgomery Clift) is trying to find a way to avoid participating in his unit's boxing championship. Prewitt finds support from his friend Maggio (Sinatra) who tries to protect him from the pressures around him and finds love with Lorene (Donna Reed), a "working girl" who has temporarily relocated to Hawaii. Into the mix is thrown a sadistic warden played by Ernest Borgnine and the bombing of Pearl Harbor which plunges all involved straight into World War II.

"From Here to Eternity" is filled with one character after another who is desperate. All of them are either desperate for power, desperate for love, desperate for acceptance, or desperate to escape their past. Yet, the plotlines in the film do not produce the same emotional jolt it did five decades ago. Extramarital affairs, bullying authority figures, and fallen women are all topics on trivial daytime television shows today. These mature themes just do not hold your interest anymore when looked at through the veil of time. When this aspect of the film is removed, what is left is just a routine "day-in-the-lives" story.

Yet the film still has many things going for it. All of the performances are fine: Sinatra reminds viewers just how talented an actor he was in years past, the chemistry between Lancaster and Kerr is still electric, and Clift turns in another low-key but effective performance. And even though it's legacy may be slightly diminished, "From Here to Eternity" will always be fondly remembered as the film that more than any other made making out at the beach fashionable.

1950's Hollywood Mess
The Godfather got Sinatra the part of Maggio, but I think the producer was right; Sinatra stinks in that part. Talk about over acting; Sinatra has no subtlety at all. Now Lancaster is terrific, a soldier's soldier and Deborah Kerr slips into the part of a lonely wife of a louse effortlessly. The script of the James Jones book is a mess. The Lancaster-Kerr romance works almost, but the Cliff-Donna Reed love story is hurried and unbelievable. She's a dance hostess my a**. The mores of the 1950's did this interesting story wrong. These people are seething with sexuality, but somehow, Hollywood squeezed the juice out of em.

Great movie, so-so DVD
While the digital transfer is good and I enjoyed the movie for the first time without all the white noise and sound pops, all the special features that it boasts are disappointing.
For people who enjoy classic movies, you really can't do better than this. The movie is able to stand well enough on it's own without really needing these "features" to back it up and I recommend this DVD version only for that reason.
However those who love collectors edition DVD's, especially ones on Oscar flicks may feel slighted. There are two lackluster featurettes. One being a "Making Of" that is more or less a rehash of the production notes found inside of the case. The other focusing on Fred Zinneman, the movie's director, is slighlty more interesting. But both have more footage of the film itself than behind the scenes and both run under ten minutes. What they should have done was combine the two. The Commentary by the son of the director also leaves much to be desired. The only reason why I harp on these is that I know what Columbia is capable of doing better. Take a look at "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Bridge on the River Kwai"

However, I'm glad I got this and recommend it despite my gripes. Just be aware of the its shortcomings. It's a great film that speaks for itself and after having the DVD for a few years now, I still find myself taking this off the shelf from time to time.

The Peacetime Classic !
"From Here to Eternity" is a Hollywood classic. It may be the finest film ever about the military in peacetime. The background is Schofield Barracks, Hawaii in the Fall of 1941. That was the old "brown boot" Army! This reviewer is a Vietnam era vet, so I can't address the realism of the setting. Judging by the crisp dialog and snappy khaki uniforms, I'm giving the director the benefit of any doubt. I always thought it fascinating that an Austrian born Director could be at the helm of such classics as "High Noon" and FHTE -in consecutive years no less. What did Mr. Zinnemann know of the Old West or the American Army? The male lead is Burt Lancaster as First Sergeant Warden, a tough but fair NCO that any enlisted man would want for his "top". The second male lead is Private Prewitt, played by Montgomery Clift. Prewitt is a top bugler who isn't allowed to bugle and a top boxer who reuses to box for the company team! How that automatic conflict plays out is the heart of the movie. Another conflict is between Frank Sinatra, a happy go lucky but harmless enlisted man who trouble seems to follow and an evil Ernest Borgnine, the top MP at the Schofield stockade. Their "dispute" plays out too, with Clift a surprise key figure in its' "resolution". This reviewer believes that far too much attention has been lavished on the affair between Lancaster and Deborah Kerr, the wife of the Company Commander. I found it hard to swallow that any serious career man would run around openly with an officer's wife. Lancaster was one step away from a bust down to the lowest private and a trip to the stockade. The real female star here was Donna Reed, a bar "hostess' who would be a prostitute in real life. Her sensitivity toward Clift produces some of the best scenes in FHTE. Someone must have agreed because Donna walked off with the Best Supporting Actress Oscar- and promptly fainted after receiving it. The interplay between Lancaster/Kerr and Clift/Reed caused some huge challenges for the Director in making the bawdy best selling novel "clean" for the silver screen in the still conservative, prudish America of 1953. FHTE also contains some of the sharpest dialog and one liners this reviewer can remember. Two favorites: "Never disturb a man when he's drinking" (Lancaster) and "No one lies about being lonely"(Clift). In addition to Reed, Oscars were awarded for Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, Film Editing, Cinematography and Supporting Actor, (Sinatra). The last two are important: FHTE revived Frank's career. Many believe that "pressure" was applied to Harry Cohn and Columbia Pictures to hire Sinatra. Do we remember the "horses head in the bed" scene from Godfather I? Others claim that his then wife, Ava Gardner, supplied the "influence". Finally FHTE is yet another example of why black and white classics should not be colorized. If there is such a thing as "beautiful black and white", it is this one. .... ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Hitchcock Confesses
This film is seemingly standard Hitchcock fare, with a twist. A man is accused of a murder he didn't commit. That is typical Hitchcock. However, instead of the man trying to find the real murderer while trying to escape the police and criminals, the man knows who the murderer is and he cannot do anything. This is not typical Hitchcock. Montgomery Clift gives a good performance as the priest who cannot reveal the truth. Karl Malden is also well cast. Not the greatest of Hitchcock efforts, but a interesting plot and the Master of Suspense's touch makes this well-worth a look.

ANOTHER FIND FROM HITCHCOCK!
This was another one of Hitchcock's movies that I had never seen, but I'm glad I did! Montgomery Clift, as a priest who knows a terrible secret, is wonderful! (What a great actor he was - I have never seen him give a poor or mediocre performance in any of his films. It's such a pity his life was cut short)Karl Malden and Anne Baxter give good performances, as well, but the movie is all Clift's. The movie has an interesting premise - a murderer confesses his crime to a priest, who is bound by his vows not to reveal anything told to him in the confessional. There was a little too much talk in the film, but the surprise ending more than makes up for any minor complaints I may have had. Alfred Hitchcock's movies are wonderful - classy and intelligent as opposed to some of the rot being churned out of Hollywood today. A great film, a great cast, a great viewing experience into the dark sie of human nature!

clift: probably the greatest screen actor period!
this is by no means a great film, but it's essential for the incredibly intense, internalized acting of montgomery clift.
and that's what so incredible with clift. he could still make thin material like this an unforgettable experience.
it's no accident that brando, james dean, and countless others have named clift their biggest influence.
all potential actors should watch this perfromance, which clift said was inspired by reading kafka and watching chaplin.
it shows.

Remember when Hollywood believed in God?
This is an excellent movie! Montgomery Clift turns in a superb performance as Father Michael Logan, a priest who hears a confession of a murder. Shortly thereafter, Father Logan himself is suspected and, eventually, accused of the murder. Of course, he knows who committed the murder, but he can't break the seal of the confessional even to save his own life! Anne Baxter plays an old girlfriend who tries to help, but ends up making things worse. Karl Malden is very good as a police detective determined to solve the murder.

This is one of the best and most Catholic movies ever! I am a priest, and I encourage all of my brother priests to watch this movie. It is an inspiring look at the kind of priest that God has called us to be. It is also an excellent reminder to all Catholics about the great gift we have in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

a lesser Hitchcock, but still recommended
"I Confess," set in Montreal and starring Montgomery Clift and Anne Baxter, is not one of Hitchcock's finest, but it's still worthy of your entertainment time. The musical score is rather lugubrious but the plot does move along. Clift presents his trademark longsuffering, noble look throughout, resisting the passionate entreaties of Baxter.

Unfortunately, the murderer with his accent somehow reminded me of Bruno Hauptmann, the German immigrant who may have been falsely accused of the Baby Lindbergh murder. (I 'm not giving away the plot; the opening scene reveals who commit the crime.) I don't accuse Hitchcock of national bias, though, as many of his villains are accentless Americans in other films.

A young Karl Malden turns in a fine performance as a detective, part of the strong supporting cast. There are some good scenes of the beautiful capital of Quebec. Recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (35)

Had An Unforgettable Summer? It Can't Compare To Cathy's!
Tennessee Williams SOUTHERN GOTH masterpiece a la dark black and white Hollywood film style with Joseph (All About Eve, Guys & Dolls) Mankiewicz at the director's helm and screenplay adapted by Gore Vidal.

Elizabeth Taylor plays beautiful and crazy Cathy and Mercedes McCambridge (the actress who provided the voice of the demon in The Exorcist) plays her protective mother. Katherine Hepburn is Auntie Venable and wants niece Cathy to have a lobotomy to help her forget what she witnessed in regards to her son and Cathy's cousin, Sebastian and his untimely & somewhat mysterious "death" involving Sebastian's sexual secrets...

This all happened in front of Cathy's young & virginal eyes, "Suddenly, Last Summer". Last summer, Cathy and Sebastian travelled to Europe on an extravagant, decadent & obviously quite hedonistic vacation. Cathy was already quite traumatized by a baby tea turtle massacre on a European beach but what happened to cousin Sebastian was something that broke her fragile mind.

Auntie Venable gets the help of Dr. Cukrowicz, played by Montgomery Clift to see if he can help poor Cathy out with a prescibed lobotomy and mainly to save the selfish & overbearing Mrs. Venable from having people know about her son's secrets that got him killed.

From the opening scene, the viewer is riveted to the screen and left wondering... wondering... WHAT really happened so suddenly, last summer? The film builds and builds into the last 20 minutes of this film where Taylor gives a tremendous soliliquy and overview of just what DID happen to poor Sebastian. The split-screen effect that is used in this ending scene is fabulous. You never see Sebastian so what you are conjuring up in your mind is MUCH MORE horrific than they could have filmed back then. Wonderful cast with excellent performances from all but Clift who was quite medicated during the grueling shoot due to an accident before filming. If you are a Tennessee Williams, Elizabeth Taylor or Katharine Hepburn fan this is a MUST SEE!

Happy Watching!

Disturbingly Seductive
This 1959 film adaptation of the Tennessee William's play was intelligently scripted by the playwright and Gore Vidal. Set in the 1930's south, effectively shot in black and white, and skillfully directed by Joseph L. Mankiewitz. The film has a slow and sometimes tedious pace but still spins a web that ultimately draws you in like a good mystery. For the most part the cast is well chosen. Katherine Hepburn gives a delicate unraveling performance as the shrewd, manipulative and tragically obsessive mother of the never seen central character Sebastian. Mercedes McCambridge is superb as the weak and greedy mother of the film's heroine Catherine. Elizabeth Taylor shines as the emotionally traumatized heroine Catherine and gives one of her most overlooked and underrated performances, culminating in a superbly acted tour de force monologue that reveals the truth surrounding Sebastian's death. Ironically it is Montgomery Clift who is the weakest link in this ensemble and seems miscast in the role of the Doctor who must decide Catherine's fate. On another note, in the scene where Catherine has been transferred to a new hospital, and allowed for the first time in a great while to wear her own clothes and have her hair done, we are joltingly reminded of how absolutely breathtakingly beautiful Miss Taylor was.

An Underrated Classic
What more could a movie buff ask for? Elizabeth Taylor, Katharine Hepburn and Montgomery Clift; 3 great actors of film in ONE movie! I am a 20 year old college student and let me tell you that there is just something about this movie that captures me. I LIKE this film very much. This movie is complex, yet understated but if anything is to entice you to buy this movie, it should be the performaces. Both Hepburn and Taylor were nominated for Oscars for thier roles here and it is easy to see why; their performances are brilliant and mesmerizing. Clift is also good here too, but the film truly belongs to the two female stars. If this film was good enough to capture a 20 year olds attention, then that should be proof as to just how good the movie and the performances in it are! The DVD also features stills from the movie, is available in both widescreen and full screen and also features bios on all the stars!

LOBOTOMIZE YOUR DAUGHTER - MAKES THE PROBLEM GO AWAY!
"Suddenly Last Summer" is a Southern gothic tale about a gaddabout dame (Elizabeth Taylor) who saw something so frightening while on a vacation in Greece that it made her go nuts. How do you solve a problem like Elizabeth? Well that's easy - you cut half her brain out. At least that's what Katharine Hepburn would like to do. Montgomery Clift, as the sympathetic doctor, has other ideas however. This is high camp and low melodrama but strangely enough it works - and brilliantly so.

TRANSFER: Columbia gives us an average transfer. The grayscale is a bit off with too low a contrast level that registers most scenes in tonal gray instead of true black and white. Age related artifacts are everywhere. Ditto for a hint of compression related digital artifacts and some minor edge enhancement. The audio is MONO but nicely balanced.
EXTRAS: NONE! If you've purchased more than two Columbia Classics you should be used to this skimy treatment by now!
BOTTOM LINE: This is compelling cinema on the verge of a crying gag. It plays like Shakespeare mixed with Barnum and Bailey at I highly recommend it for this reason alone!

Consider other Williams' offerings first
This film is a solid Tennessee Williams/Joseph Mankieowitz
collaboration. It will appeal most to those who enjoy films from the heyday of the dialogue-laden melodramas (late 50's-early 60's). Having said that, this film is ultimately inferior to pictures like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Streetcar.., the Long Hot Summer, and Who's Afraid of V. W. The dialogue is not nearly as crisp in this film, although it does have a fairly engaging plot. We are exposed to different perspectives on the truth, as well as controversial themes (for the time) such as homosexuality and female sexuality. Other pluses include innovative camera angles throughout, and the split-screen perspective of the final scene, in which we never see Sebastian's face.
One thing that hurt this film was Montgomery Clift's disturbingly shaky performance (both figuratively and literally). He was unable to hold his own in any of his scenes with Liz Taylor or Katherine Hepburn, and seemed both distracted and physically weak. Perhaps he already was, even in 1960. It was also impossible to believe that anyone in their right mind could deem Liz Taylor was an incorrigeable case; obviously, the audience needed to be drawn to her and the plot needed drama, but both should have been possible without loss of plausibility. (I don't attribute this to Taylor's acting by the way; her performance here was stronger than Hepburn's). The film also treats the symptoms of, and recovery from, psychological trauma in a grossly oversimplified way. The same though could be said of Spellbound, The Manchurian Candidate, and just about any other 'mental illness film' from the era.
Vertigo alone is perhaps above the fray in that regard, as it is in so many other respects. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Brando takes acting honors in 'The Young Lions'
Of the three primary story threads traced in "The Young Lions" --Marlon Brando as a conflicted Nazi soldier, Dean Martin as an American showbiz type who fights to overcome his fear of entering the war, and Montgomery Clift as a Jewish-American soldier who has to overcome the racism of his Army mates -- the Brando storyline emerges as the most compelling. It's certainly the most purely dramatic storyline, and the most complete. Add to that Brando's brilliant performance, and the strong supporting performances of Maximillian Schell, Parley Baer and Mai Britt, all of whom surround the Brando character, and you have enough for a satisfying movie by itself.

Further, Hugo Friedhofer's masterful score always seems -- at least to me -- to soar to its greatest heights when we find ourselves in a boiling desert with the Afrika Korps, or in Paris with Brando's Nazi unit during the occupation.

Does this nearly three-hour film suffer from this lopsided state of affairs? Not really, and that says a lot for the sheer craftsmanship of "The Young Lions." The cinematography and direction are first rate, and while the Clift and Martin storylines aren't as fascinating as Brando's, they do hold your interest. Clift gets across the fierce determination his character possesses, and Martin makes the most of several nice bon mots the script tosses his way.

"The Young Lions" is a fine World War II film, one that definitely rewards repeated viewings.

A War Epic Told from Both Sides
Released in 1958, this black and white WW2 story traces 3 men - two American, one German - through the trials and tribulations of that war. Stars Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift and Dean Martin.

Marlon is a young German watchmaker who always dreamed of being a doctor - but the strict caste system of europe has held him down. While he realizes the Nazis are a bit extreme, he hopes they will help to bring opportunity to all people.

Dean is a young Broadway god who loves the wine, women and song. When he's drafted, he tries to get out of it, to maintain his easy going life. He runs into Noah (Clift) at the draft board - a young, poor Jewish man who has no family and only a simple job at Macy's. The two hang out and Noah falls in love with a quiet Vermont girl.

The movie is truly an epic as it spans the entire war, from its quiet start to its brutal end. Along the way we realize that there is good and bad on all sides. Marlon's character tries to make a stand for what is right, but is told repeatedly that a good German soldier follows orders. He falls in love with a French widow. Noah is repeatedly beaten on (both emotionally and literally) for being a poor Jew by those whose side he is on. His future father in law only reluctantly accepts him, and his squadron mates steal his money and fight him. Dean refuses to marry his long time sweetheart and does his best to avoid any risks.

While some might say the story is a cliche, perhaps this is only because the story is so TRUE. It is always good to be reminded just how rough a war really is, and how there are no real "bad guys" and "good guys". There are only brave men and women who try their best and grow along the awy.

Although filmed in black and white, you do get some lovely Bavarian landscapes at the beginning, when Marlon is a ski instructor. Later, Marlon goes to Berlin a few times to meet with the wife of his commanding officer. The rest of the footage is in war-torn Paris, the surrounding countryside, the deserts of Africa, and the cities of London and New York.

different kind of war storey
although a bit long, this storey of 3 soldiers in ww 2, is a good one, dean martin bascially plays himself...., (...)actor
mongomery clift plays a sulky character, and marlon brando plays a german officer diillusioned by his country's war machine. cameo appearance at the end by" sgt shultz" of hogan'shero's fame- actor john banner. made in 1958, this would have been a real gem if filmed in color.

World War II: In the eyes of realism
This movie is complete realism and achieves a more realist look or world war 2. Very few movies made in post world war 2 times had the confidence as a film to transcend the nationalistic influences felt by the nation, but this film does. Brando is stunning in his role as a young german lieutenat who realizes the horrors and fallacies of the NAZI feelings. Clift and Martin represent typical American soliders and the tragic death of Brando (being shot down a mountain by Martin) is essential for the feel of this movie. If you enjoy WW2 films this is a must see.

Slow, boring, disappointing.
My husband and I are always interested in WWII movies. So when Mom, an ardent Brando fan, recommended this, we watched it.

It's a long time since we did - perhaps as long ago as a year - but the impression is still with me that this movie had very little to do with The War - it was more about interpersonal relationships and character development. So in the way of being a War Movie, it was not so good. I think it was a rather long movie, too, which didn't help. We just kept waiting for 'something to happen' - and it never did. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Supporting Military Cast Are Not Actors in This Film
One thing overlooked in other reviews, which I am in agreement with over the quality of this film, is that the military people in this film are actually the people serving in the hosting Airforce Unit in Germany at the time. When I first saw it on late night television, I noticed the very real radio chatter that went on in the aircraft and most of all Clift's commanding officer, who had such an un-hollywood demeanor that I wondered where they got this guy and/or who was the genius directing this that created this take on this character. Then when the credits came, I saw that he was the serving commanding officer of the Airforce outfit: he was just being himself (and his "performance" will surprise many who only know the "cartoon version" of military people). And he's not the only one: they show all the "actors" one at a time in formation at the end (the military folks). Good stuff (and as a former military man myself, I found it very refreshing to see this sort of non-cartoonish depiction of military characters in this film).
This film is a great product of it's time, the era which gave us "Third Man" and a few other of the great "Cold War" Noir films (some day "Night People" with Gregory Peck and Buddy Ebsen will come out on Dvd, too!).

You can't go wrong.

Classic BW love story during Berlin airlift + real footage
This classic black and white film is an intriguingly original and often humorous love story about an American pilot who falls in love with an eloquent German woman during the Berlin airlift. The pilot's cynical buddy, who suffered greatly at the hands of the Nazis in WWII, tries to dissuade his friend from falling for this "Kraut" but to no avail. The film contains many insightful and thought provoking comments on the nature of WWII, the USA, democracy, the Germans, and love itself. Although not a 5 star flick of the calibre of "The Third Man" this film has many similar flickers of genius and a clever twist.

Edward Deskur

Low-Key, Well-Acted, Enjoyable Film Featuring a Great Actor
I got into Montgomery Clift movies during my teen years, ever since being "forced" to sit through "From Here to Eternity" at my aunt and uncle's house on Thanksgiving Day (I lost out at the video store when all of my relatives disagreed with my selection of "Ghostbusters 2"...pathetic, I know, but I was only 14). Needless to say I was awed by "Eternity" and over the years have seen just about every film in which Monty Clift appeared. Sure, everybody likes "A Place in the Sun" and "The Heiress", but most of his movies, in my opinion, were underrated. "I Confess" (directed by Hitchcock), "Wild River" (directed by Elia Kazan, but unfortunately not yet on videotape), and "The Young Lions" (with Brando) are well worth seeing. One of Monty's earliest films, "The Search" is also a gem and quite similar in style and theme to "The Big Lift". The latter film is part of my video collection and one which I enjoy watching every year or so (and I'm not saying that just because I'm now in the Air Force! ). Monty is at his best in this film and he plays the type of role at which he was most exceptional: the low-key guy with a heart of gold, the kind of guy you'd want for a friend, a co-worker, or as a date for your little sister. :) It pains me to think that Monty's career died out in the early 1960s and that the actor himself perished in 1966 as a result of years of substance abuse. I believe that had he lived, he would have made a comeback, perhaps on television in a "Dynasty"-type show (that, however, is a scary thought). So, in a nutshell, "The Big Lift" is an excellent film, a good choice for film buffs, and an absolute must for Montgomery Clift fans. Incidentally, it is much preferrable to view this movie on videotape rather than on a television network --- I sat through it once on American Movie Classics and it was a frustrating experience: the film quality was grainy, very dark, and "jumpy". BUY IT INSTEAD.

Interesting view of the human element of Berlin Airlift.
Putting aside the love story at its center, this film provides a timely view of the Berlin Airlift. Film was shot on location in Germany during or shortly after the Berlin Airlift (June '48-Jul '49). The film accurately documents Airlift operations, including the hazards crews faced (harressment from Soviet fighters, bad weather), and innovations (such as Precision Approach Radar) employed to make the airlift successful. Having lived in Germany, I think the film also presents a revealing and truthful insight into the human side of the airlift, to include living conditions and beliefs in post-war Berlin. The attitudes and philosophies expressed by the four main characters and their associates are representative of the era. Overall, this film has good flying scenes and a good human interest plot. ... Read more

Description

The Superbit titles utilize a special high bit rate digital encoding process which optimizes video quality while offering a choice of both DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. These titles have been produced by a team of Sony Pictures Digital Studios video, sound and mastering engineers and comes housed in a special package complete with a 4 page booklet that contains technical information on the Superbit process. By reallocating space on the disc normally used for value-added content, Superbit DVDs can be encoded at double their normal bit rate while maintaining full compatibility with the DVD video format. ... Read more

Reviews (59)

AFI top 100- Winner of 8 Oscars-Including Best Movie 1953!!
"From Here to Eternity" made from Best Seller book of 1951 written by James Jones. Now digitally re-mastered both in video and sound provides us with this classic on DVD with background extras. The cast (Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, Montgomery Cliff, Donna Reed and Frank Sinatra)was perfectly chosen and proved by the 13 Oscar nominations and winner of 8 including "Best Picture and Director - Fred Zinneman". Frank Sinatras "Best Supporting Actor" come back role is just the beginning.
In Summary: a few days prior to Pearl Harbor we find ourselves involved with these military characters and women struggling to find better lives in the volatile world of 1941. Knowing war is coming they try desparately to make their lives more meanigfully. The main focus is around the Army life style and how their lives were effected by events they had no real control over. Lancaster played a top sergeant having an affair with his Company Commanders wife (Kerr), Cliff and Sinatra were 2 soldiers in the same company who befriend each other and end up both being killed by circumstances in this troubled time of December 7, 1941.
This Black & White classic film broke all kinds of barriers for subject matter and character/star representation. Reed as a saloon gal. Kerr as a steamy temptress (infamous Beach Love scene with Lancaster).
Sit back and take a ride "FROM HERE TO ETERNITY".

"A man don't go his own way, he's nothing."
Fred Zinnemann's "From Here to Eternity" simply has not aged well. It's place in cinematic history remains secure: Frank Sinatra's Oscar, Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr embracing in the surf, and the Oscar for Best Picture. Yet, what was considered an adult film back in 1953 plays like a run-of-the-mill soap opera in the present day.

As Sergeant Warden (Lancaster) and Karen Holmes (Kerr), the wife of his superior, start to fall in love, Private Prewitt (Montgomery Clift) is trying to find a way to avoid participating in his unit's boxing championship. Prewitt finds support from his friend Maggio (Sinatra) who tries to protect him from the pressures around him and finds love with Lorene (Donna Reed), a "working girl" who has temporarily relocated to Hawaii. Into the mix is thrown a sadistic warden played by Ernest Borgnine and the bombing of Pearl Harbor which plunges all involved straight into World War II.

"From Here to Eternity" is filled with one character after another who is desperate. All of them are either desperate for power, desperate for love, desperate for acceptance, or desperate to escape their past. Yet, the plotlines in the film do not produce the same emotional jolt it did five decades ago. Extramarital affairs, bullying authority figures, and fallen women are all topics on trivial daytime television shows today. These mature themes just do not hold your interest anymore when looked at through the veil of time. When this aspect of the film is removed, what is left is just a routine "day-in-the-lives" story.

Yet the film still has many things going for it. All of the performances are fine: Sinatra reminds viewers just how talented an actor he was in years past, the chemistry between Lancaster and Kerr is still electric, and Clift turns in another low-key but effective performance. And even though it's legacy may be slightly diminished, "From Here to Eternity" will always be fondly remembered as the film that more than any other made making out at the beach fashionable.

1950's Hollywood Mess
The Godfather got Sinatra the part of Maggio, but I think the producer was right; Sinatra stinks in that part. Talk about over acting; Sinatra has no subtlety at all. Now Lancaster is terrific, a soldier's soldier and Deborah Kerr slips into the part of a lonely wife of a louse effortlessly. The script of the James Jones book is a mess. The Lancaster-Kerr romance works almost, but the Cliff-Donna Reed love story is hurried and unbelievable. She's a dance hostess my a**. The mores of the 1950's did this interesting story wrong. These people are seething with sexuality, but somehow, Hollywood squeezed the juice out of em.

Great movie, so-so DVD
While the digital transfer is good and I enjoyed the movie for the first time without all the white noise and sound pops, all the special features that it boasts are disappointing.
For people who enjoy classic movies, you really can't do better than this. The movie is able to stand well enough on it's own without really needing these "features" to back it up and I recommend this DVD version only for that reason.
However those who love collectors edition DVD's, especially ones on Oscar flicks may feel slighted. There are two lackluster featurettes. One being a "Making Of" that is more or less a rehash of the production notes found inside of the case. The other focusing on Fred Zinneman, the movie's director, is slighlty more interesting. But both have more footage of the film itself than behind the scenes and both run under ten minutes. What they should have done was combine the two. The Commentary by the son of the director also leaves much to be desired. The only reason why I harp on these is that I know what Columbia is capable of doing better. Take a look at "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Bridge on the River Kwai"

However, I'm glad I got this and recommend it despite my gripes. Just be aware of the its shortcomings. It's a great film that speaks for itself and after having the DVD for a few years now, I still find myself taking this off the shelf from time to time.

The Peacetime Classic !
"From Here to Eternity" is a Hollywood classic. It may be the finest film ever about the military in peacetime. The background is Schofield Barracks, Hawaii in the Fall of 1941. That was the old "brown boot" Army! This reviewer is a Vietnam era vet, so I can't address the realism of the setting. Judging by the crisp dialog and snappy khaki uniforms, I'm giving the director the benefit of any doubt. I always thought it fascinating that an Austrian born Director could be at the helm of such classics as "High Noon" and FHTE -in consecutive years no less. What did Mr. Zinnemann know of the Old West or the American Army? The male lead is Burt Lancaster as First Sergeant Warden, a tough but fair NCO that any enlisted man would want for his "top". The second male lead is Private Prewitt, played by Montgomery Clift. Prewitt is a top bugler who isn't allowed to bugle and a top boxer who reuses to box for the company team! How that automatic conflict plays out is the heart of the movie. Another conflict is between Frank Sinatra, a happy go lucky but harmless enlisted man who trouble seems to follow and an evil Ernest Borgnine, the top MP at the Schofield stockade. Their "dispute" plays out too, with Clift a surprise key figure in its' "resolution". This reviewer believes that far too much attention has been lavished on the affair between Lancaster and Deborah Kerr, the wife of the Company Commander. I found it hard to swallow that any serious career man would run around openly with an officer's wife. Lancaster was one step away from a bust down to the lowest private and a trip to the stockade. The real female star here was Donna Reed, a bar "hostess' who would be a prostitute in real life. Her sensitivity toward Clift produces some of the best scenes in FHTE. Someone must have agreed because Donna walked off with the Best Supporting Actress Oscar- and promptly fainted after receiving it. The interplay between Lancaster/Kerr and Clift/Reed caused some huge challenges for the Director in making the bawdy best selling novel "clean" for the silver screen in the still conservative, prudish America of 1953. FHTE also contains some of the sharpest dialog and one liners this reviewer can remember. Two favorites: "Never disturb a man when he's drinking" (Lancaster) and "No one lies about being lonely"(Clift). In addition to Reed, Oscars were awarded for Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, Film Editing, Cinematography and Supporting Actor, (Sinatra). The last two are important: FHTE revived Frank's career. Many believe that "pressure" was applied to Harry Cohn and Columbia Pictures to hire Sinatra. Do we remember the "horses head in the bed" scene from Godfather I? Others claim that his then wife, Ava Gardner, supplied the "influence". Finally FHTE is yet another example of why black and white classics should not be colorized. If there is such a thing as "beautiful black and white", it is this one. .... ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Two great stars but not worth the time.
As a fan of both Jones and Clift I was hoping for a hidden treasure here. This short [63 minutes] Italian production seems more like a movie missing its first hour. Both stars give it their best effort but its basically a mess. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Just as David O. Selznick and Alfred Hitchcock had clashed while filming Rebecca, the meddlesome producer left his Hollywood imprint on the troubled production of Vittorio De Sica's Terminal Station. Selznick's career was fading fast, and while self-exiled in Europe he seized on the notion of melding De Sica's masterful neorealism with a daring but otherwise conventional studio romance, casting big stars in a turgid melodrama about a Philadelphia housewife traveling in Rome (Jennifer Jones, Selznick's wife) who must choose between marital fidelity or illicit passion with a lovestruck Italian (Montgomery Clift) as she prepares to depart from Rome's coldly modern Stazione Termini. After De Sica's 89-minute Terminal Station tested poorly with audiences, Selznick cut the film to 64 minutes (excising most of De Sica's neorealistic atmosphere), added an 8-minute prologue of Patti Page singing two moody ballads to pad the truncated running time, and still failed to attract audiences with his gauchely retitled Indiscretion of an American Wife.

Both versions are included on Criterion's magnificent DVD, allowing latter-day viewers a revealing comparison/contrast between Selznick's commercial taste (glossy and sentimental) and De Sica's artistic vision. Indiscretion turns Jones's overwrought character into a dimensionless focus of guilt and shame, lacking the moral depth of Terminal Station, in which her dilemma is more compellingly explored. Inevitably, only De Sica's version achieves Selznick's original goal: It's a remarkable hybrid of neorealism (with its authentic setting populated by people of all classes, subtly affecting the story) and Selznick's heavy-handed moralizing (with a partial dialogue polish by Truman Capote). Commentary by film scholar Leonard Leff and liner notes by critic Dave Kehr further illuminate this clash of formidable talents, illustrating how both films, gloriously restored, serve the divergent purposes of their creators. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (6)

MAGIC IT'S MAGIC
It seems that the deities who preside over the fate of the movie lovers have heard my prayer of last year.

Criterion has just announced the release of INDISCRETION OF AN AMERICAN WIFE in its catalogue for August 2003. The studio will present both versions of the movie. So be patient and avoid the Roan Group DVD until then.

A DVD zone masterpiece.

THE SELZNICK HOLLYWOODSAW CUT MASSACRE
Well, firstly I think people should be aware that the european version of Vittorio de Sica's INDISCRETION OF AN AMERICAN WIFE is 120 minutes long and that the U.S. release presented here by The Roan Group lasts...63 minutes. The hour long neo-realistic scenes shot by the italian director had been cut by a David Selznick fearing that the american audience could be shocked by the 1953 italian reality. The Dream Factory couldn't accept a movie that would have awakened the nice sleepers of America.

So, what's left of the movie is watchable, nothing more. Jennifer and Montgomery spend a lot of time running through Rome Main Station and cruise a few symbolical figures that have lost all their impact.

So let's hope that the european version will appear soon in the Criterion catalogue. Just production notes as bonus feature. No more than average sound and images.

A DVD for the garbage can.

Mature drama with great performances
The running time on this film is only 63 minutes which is really quite enough time considering that it is basically plotless and is mainly a one hour farewell between an American housewife and an Italian man she is having an affair with. You will really not notice the plot weaknesses, however, because of the intense performances from the stars and the wide array of emotions this film brings forth. Jennifer Jones, although really too sophisticated and regal for a Philadelphia housewife, is quite good here and gives the best performance in the film. An early scene where she sits in the train caressing a dress that she has just bought for her daughter is simply a marvel - we can read everything in her face and we can easily see how her thoughts drift from her daughter to her lover. Montgomery Clift is gorgeous beyond belief here (this was a few years before the devastating car accident which scarred his face) and his acting is okay except he starts out with an Italian accent which totally disappears halfway into the film. The film was photographed at Rome's new (at the time) Terminal Station and was filmed at night to avoid crowds and day to day business in the immense station. Jennifer Jones' smart suit was designed by Christian Dior, who had just appeared on the fashion scene. The Roan Group dvd is excellent and presents a sharp image that is free of nicks and scratches. Some added features would have been nice but all we get here is a cast and crew summary and a brief page about the making of the film.