• It’s in color and cinemascope but is still very much a Kazan film- driven by characters, their discourse and paced with strong performances
  • Solid color photography- location shooting in Tennessee
  • Opening doc footage in black and white
  • A tender performance by Clift
  • debut of bruce dern in a very small role
  • similar topic to deliverance and o brother with the flooding
  • Kazan is such a marvel with actors- the trio here- clift, lee remick and jo van fleet are just superb—Clift, even after his accident when he’s no longer a matinee idol with his looks and surgery- stiffer features- is still very good and it’s his only time working with Kazan. Kazan worked with all 3 method actors famous for the approach at the time- James Dean (east of eden), Brando, and Clift
  • There’s a tendency in kazan’s films towards speechmaking
  • Remick is more than just a pretty face and those blue eyes which are mesmerizing in color—she’s very good
  • The film takes its time but it’s well written- there is no melodrama here—themes of tradition vs progress
  • There’s a great shot of the door cracked open by van fleet with her indoors and clift in the distance in the opening of the door
  • Great set piece ending of chopping down massive trees
  • Recommend but not in top 10 of 1960