A PLACE IN THE SUN

US, 1952, 120 minutes, Black and white.
Montgomery Clift, Shelley Winters, Elizabeth Taylor, Anne Revere Keefe Brasselle, Fred Clark, Raymond Burr.
Directed by George Stevens.

A Place in the Sun is based on Theodore Dreiser's novel, An American Tragedy, and this is what it is meant to be. It takes a fairly trite, basic story that could happen anywhere and uses it to convey something of the American character in the first part of this century. Montgomery Clift plays the callow American hero, the nice guy whose feelings are at surface level, who can love others but has the American ambition of success. A pregnant girl stands between him and success, prestige and a wealthy bride - a full place in the sun. He has murder in his heart and is guilty even if he did not deliberately set out to engineer the girl's death.

Shelley Winters is the factory girl and Elizabeth Taylor the socialite. They both give good performances - at that time they were both young, Elizabeth Taylor about nineteen. George Stevens (who also directed Elizabeth Taylor in Giant – 1956, The Only Game in Town - 1970) also directed the films - Shane; The Greatest Story Ever Told. A Place in the Sun looks slightly dated now but its issues will probably always be relevant.

1. What is the meaning of the title, how ironic is it? How American?

2. The title of Dreiser's novel, on which the film is based, is - An American Tragedy. Do you think this sums up the significance of the film?

3. Although the novel was written in the 1920s and filmed in the 30s and 50s, do you think it provides a pattern for a contemporary American tragedy or has society, young men's behaviour and ambitions changed?

4. What were George Eastman's origins and why was he so ambitious? How did the film convey his ambitions - by his face, the road, the Eastman hoarding? Did he resent his rich relatives?

5. Was he a pusher, an intruder, an outsider? Did he have any sincere feelings or was he too deceitful, callow and superficial?

6. Why did he take up with Alice? Did he love her? Your impression of Alice? Was she a typical victim?

7. Angela - was she spoilt? Did she love George?

8. What were George's conflicts and how important were they to him? What did he really want? Why was he not popular?

9. Was he cruel to Alice? Did he intend to kill her when they went boating, or did he try to save her? Did he have 'murder in his heart'?

10. Was the trial a fair one? Why?

11. How did Angela regard George after Alice's death? How should she have reacted?

12. Looking back over George's career, what led him to the disastrous end of his ambitions? Who or what were to blame or did he have only himself to blame?

13. Was this just a melodrama or a significant social drama?