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Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Wild River (1960)

In the early 1930sa government agent (Montgomery Clift) attempts to convince the lone hold out (Jo Van Fleet) to sell her land in order for the government to flood the land. While the old woman defies both he and the governmentthe agent romances the woman's granddaughter (Lee Remick). Based on two novelsDUNBAR'S COVE by Borden Deal and MUD ON THE STARS by William Bradford Huie and directed by Elia Kazan. One can't help but wish the film were a little better. Not that it's bad because it isn't. It's just that its potential is undermined by the contrivances of its plot. The romance between Clift and Remick isn't very interesting and takes up much of the time. The real interest is in Jo Van Fleet's feisty Ella Garthan old woman whose existence is defined by her land and if it is taken from hershe has nothing. Van Fleet's performance is unforgettable and long after the film's images start to fadeit's her performance that stays. The portrayal of Southerners is pretty stereotypical. They're bigotedignorant and they beat up outsiders. I'm not saying these conditions didn't exist but everybody? Surelythere were some decent people. The discreet score is by Kenyon Hopkins and the excellent CinemaScope cinematography by Ellsworth Fredericks (SEVEN DAYS IN MAY). With Bruce DernAlbert SalmiFrank Overton and Barbara Loden.

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