According to Ehsan Khoshbakht, this classic romantic tragedy is nevertheless one of the most uncompromising attacks on the American Dream. Α working-class young man tries to earn his way up and
falls in love with two women, a working-class one and a rich one. Blinded by passion and ambition, he resorts to crime. At the end however, the romantic vision puts the hero in a state of reverie, allowing him to walk through the calamity, terrifyingly calm and sober. Stevens devised an innovative use of editing dissolves for achieving “a kind of energy to flow through”. Legendary is the kiss scene between Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift, in which their romantic close-ups take the audience into their arms.

George Stevens (1904-1975), born in California, was an important director of the Golden Age of Hollywood. He began as a cinematographer in the films of Laurel and Hardy. His first films are comedies and romantic dramas, which have nevertheless humanist dimensions. During World War II he shot war footage; nevertheless in his post-war dramatic films there exist deeper humanist concerns. Many of his films were nominated for and won Oscars. He won the Best Director Oscar twice for A place in the Sun (1951) and The giant (1956).

Photos: Images courtesy of Park Circus/Universal