Unforgettable drama concerns young George Eastman, a destitute, though charming, blue collar worker who becomes romantically entangled with two women, one who works in his wealthy uncle’s factory and the other a beautiful socialite. Rarely has a romantic tragedy been so emotionally graphic in exposing the true yearning of people in love. Profound drama cuts through the depths of human behavior in a way that will make you uncomfortable. There is real heartbreak here, but also real desire. The full facial close-ups of Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor enrapt in passion are nothing less than spellbinding. Taylor, in fact, is breathtakingly gorgeous and Clift is fascinating as the morally troubled young man. Shelley Winters, who also stars, is a standout as the woman who will not be ignored. And this film is not to be missed.
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A good example of a screenplay improving on its source (does anybody voluntarily read Dreiser anymore?) … except for that confusing muddle on the rowboat.
I’m reminded of a quote by one influential critic who called An American Tragedy, “the worst-written great novel in the world.”
Incidentally, I always felt the basic plot of Woody Allen’s film, Match Point, to be rather similar to this movie.