‘A Place in the Sun’: A familiar movie treads an unfamiliar path

ISLAMABAD:

The detail in George Stevens’ A Place in the Sun is meticulous, but plainly sketched. The 1951 film, nominated for nine Oscars (of which it won six), is unmistakably Hollywood - what with its focus on stars, well-crafted dialogues and an unobtrusive direction that does not detract from the story.

The film played to over 30 film enthusiasts at the Safma Media Centre on Friday, as part of its weekly film screening. The small but cosy hall had a healthy attendance. There were a few issues with the copy of the film, with crackling sound every now and then, but that did not detract from the experience, as evidenced by a quiet chuckle every now and then.

The story follows young George Eastman, poor but ambitious. He comes to the city in search of a job promised by his entrepreneur uncle.

It is at his uncle’s company that he first sees Alice Tripp, and she him. But there are strict dating rules, so they stay away from each other, until a chance encounter puts George right next to Alice in a cinema during a movie. A romance blossoms.

“If you are an Eastman you are not in the same boat with anyone,” a fear Alice reveals during their first meeting comes true with George is given a promotion, and invited up to the manor for a party.

And there he meets Angela for the first time. The doors to high society opened to him, the plot is thus set to a rather predictable movie.

But the devil is in the details. And it is the details where A Place in the Sun excels. The direction is immaculate, if stilted. It still shines through at places, with nice little touches to help the movie stand apart. The dialogue though forced and artificial at times fits perfectly with the mood of the film.

The love versus duty theme of the film has been covered many times, and one might even have been inclined to forgive the ancient movie had it chosen to tread down the all too familiar path of emphasising the virtue of choosing duty over love, or the pitfalls of following ambition blindly.

But thankfully, the movie does not get preachy and the beautiful cinematography contributes to a solid 90 minutes. The last 30 minutes, however, take the movie to the next level. You genuinely wonder how it will end and, without giving anything away, your predictions might turn out wrong.

Shelley Winters is the perfect Alice, with her transition from a shy but charming person to a needy and annoying woman natural and convincing. Montgomery Clift is both restrained and forceful.

And then there’s the 19-year-old Elizabeth Taylor, absolutely ravishing, and talented on top.

The black-and-white film might not appeal to many but it is a must watch for any film enthusiast for its solid execution, its significance in the annals of film history as shown by its selection for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2011.