A little while back I posted a list called My Top 100 Favorite Films, and one of the movies that just missed making it was 1960's Wild River starring Montgomery Clift, Lee Remick, and Jo Van Fleet.
Directed by Elia Kazan (who made a number of other notable films like On the Waterfront, East of Eden, Panic in the Streets and A Streetcar Named Desire) Wild River is a terrific, though often forgotten, film. The setup here is simple; It's the 1930's and Chuck Glover (played by Montgomery Clift) is and official with the Tennessee Valley Authority who has been sent to acquire the last piece of land that has to be cleared before a new hydroelectric dam can go into service. The only problem is, there is an old woman named Ella Garth (played by Jo Van Fleet) who refuses to sell her land. Additionally, there is a romance that develops over the course of the movie between Chuck and Ella's granddaughter Carol (played by Lee Remick).
Overall, I find the plot of this movie pretty interesting and where the film really shines is with it's characters and their interactions. It's well-written and the actors do a great job with the material. Sure, Ella Garth is a stubborn old woman but it is her land, it's all she knows, and she has good reason not to leave. Chuck has a job to do and the dam will not only prevent flooding that could kill people but, it will also provide the whole town with electricity. The theme of an individual's rights to property versus the role of government to provide for it's citizens is a timeless one and, I think makes this movie very rewatchable. I highly recommend Wild River if you've never seen it.
I give it a 4.5 out of 5.
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