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directed by George Stevens
USA 1951
A Place in the Sun (1951) is a powerful social drama and romance
from director/producer George Stevens. The black and white film plays on
the audience's emotions, by involving and drawing them into complicity
with the tragic resolution. Methodically, the film is stylistically dark,
almost with film-noirish qualities, yet it has some of the most romantic
and passionate sequences ever filmed - between the radiant debutante, 18
year-old Elizabeth Taylor (in her first adult role) and 29 year-old
Montgomery Clift, who stars as a laboring wage slave.
Its theme emphasizes the wide gap between the frivolous rich and the
downtrodden, outsider poor, and how fate heavy-handedly can control life.
An aspiring, upwardly-mobile, lonely working-class protagonist with
evangelical roots is obsessed with getting ahead and 'making it.' He mixes
with a different upper social class through a passionate romantic
relationship with a beautiful rich girl, and begins to climb the social
and professional ladder. But then he becomes victimized by his
environment, circumstances, the society of the time, and the loss of his
own morals when he impregnates a lowly, disenfranchised, clingy, and plain
co-worker.
This first-rate melodramatic film is an adaptation of Theodore Dreiser's
lengthy, best-selling 1925 novel, An American Tragedy, and it was also
based on the Patrick Kearney play.
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Theatrical Release: 14 August 1951
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Recommended Reading in Film Noir (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)
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The Third Man by Graham Greene |
The Dark Side of the Screen: Film Noir by Foster Hirsch |
Somewhere in the Night: Film Noir and the American City by Nicholas Christopher |
The Third Man (BFI Film Classics
(Paperback)) by Rob White |
The Art of Noir: The Posters and Graphics from the
Classic Era of Film Noir by Eddie Muller |
The Little Black and White Book of Film Noir:
Quotations from Films of the 40's and 50's by Peg Thompson, Saeko Usukawa |
Film Noir by Alain Silver |
Film Noir Guide: 745 Films of the Classic Era,
1940-1959 by Michael F. Keaney |
Detours and Lost Highways: A Map of Neo-Noir by Foster Hirsch |
DVD Review: Paramount - Region 1 - NTSC
Big thanks to Vincent LACOMME for the Review!
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| Distribution |
Paramount Region 1 - NTSC |
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| Runtime | 2:01:50 | |
| Video |
1.33 Original Aspect Ratio |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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| Audio | English (Dolby Digital 5.1) | |
| Subtitles | English, none | |
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Release Information: Studio: Paramount Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: Chapters 13 |
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| Comments |
This dual layered
transfer is only adequate. It has occasional muddiness, and exhibits
indications of edge enhancement as well as chroma in a couple of
spots. The whole image tends to look 'thick' at times. Contrast and
black levels are acceptable, if heavy. It shines in the extras department with a
commentary and two lengthy featurette documentaries, as well as a
theatrical trailer. As opposed to a restored mono track, Paramount
have only included a bumped 5.1, which sounds good, but the option of
the original track should have been included. Subtitles are well done.
-Gary Tooze |
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Screen Captures
Subtitle sample
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CLICK to order from:
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| Distribution |
Paramount Region 1 - NTSC |
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Gary Tooze
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Thank You!
