2.12.2021

A Place in the Sun

This movie is legit incredible. It's all sad and sexy and chock-full of insightful social commentary. My one quibble is that I kind of think that if you're making a movie about someone trying to social-climb and encountering true obstacles, you shouldn't cast someone who is this hot. Hot people can do whatever they want! Is anyone ever going to keep a hottie from attending a party because they have cheap shoes or something? BEAUTY IS CURRENCY, GET WITH THE PROGRAM.


***

[it is the REPRESSED 1950s. Montgomery Clift HITCHHIKES as the camera ZOOMS IN on his hot, troubled face]

Montgomery Clift: How I wish I could get in that beautiful car with that beautiful woman, who is speeding away from me. 
[he instead GETS a LIFT in a truck CONTAINING live chickens]
Montgomery Clift: Hello. I'm here to see my uncle, the owner of this swimsuit company. 
His Uncle: Ah yes! Come to my house tonight, my boy, and we'll discuss your future! 
His Aunt: Are you SURE you want to give him a job, darling? He's so poor and his mother was so RELIGIOUS. How vulgar!
[Montgomery Clift ARRIVES in a cheap suit and is ASHAMED but he's SUPER hot so who CARES?]  
His Uncle: You're family and we take care of family down at Bikini, Inc. My son will give you a job worthy of your station.
[Elizabeth Taylor ENTERS and is BREATHTAKING and VIVACIOUS]
Elizabeth Taylor: Tra la! Come on everyone, time to go to a rich-person party!
[literally everyone LEAVES and Monty is not INVITED]
Montgomery Clift: I will say nothing but my face will show a thousand feelings.
[it is the FACTORY]
Monty's Cousin: So the girls place swimsuits into boxes and you stack them. Sometimes you'll put them on a cart. Easy enough for you, dumdum?
[it is NOT at first but he GETS better at the EASIEST job in the WORLD as Factory Girl Shelley Winters GAZES at him]
Montgomery Clift: Well, well, well. Fancy running into you at this movie theater. Guess what, I'm walking you home.
Shelley Winters: I suppose I don't really have a choice in the matter, but OK. You just can't come inside. 
Montgomery Clift: Guess what, I'm coming inside.
[he TURNS UP the radio and the camera PANS away to INDICATE that they are DOING IT and honestly, I'm not SEEING a lot of ENTHUSIASTIC consent here]
[time PASSES, INDICATED by FLYING calendar pages]
Monty's Uncle: My boy, what are you doing on the line? This won't do! Go work in the office. And come to a ball at my house while you're at it. 
[he GOES to the ball but FEELS rebuked by society so he PLAYS pool and Elizabeth Taylor HAPPENS UPON him]
Elizabeth Taylor: Gosh, you sure are a swell player. I'm just going to stand here with my perfect body and face, to make you even more nervous. 
Montgomery Clift: I know I'm just sexy gutter trash, even in a tux, but will you dance with me? 
Elizabeth Taylor: And how!
[they DANCE all night long]
Shelley Winters: Where were you? With all those pretty society girls? 
Montgomery Clift: [extremely UNCONVINCINGLY] No way, sugar, you're the only one for me. 
[he GOES to another ball and DANCES with Elizabeth Taylor and it is SENSUAL]
Montgomery Clift: I love you. If I could only tell you how much I love you.* 
Elizabeth Taylor: Tell Mama. Tell Mama all.*
Montgomery Clift: Did you just call yourself "Mama?" 
[they KISS and it's too much BEAUTY for my eyes to BEHOLD]
Montgomery Clift: This is fucking awesome.
Shelley Winters: I have to tell you something and since we had sex in the 50s, obviously you know what it is. 
[she WEEPS]
Montgomery Clift: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
[he TAKES her to the ABORTION doctor and she TELLS a series of ESCALATING lies]
The Doctor: I'm sorry but there's nothing I will do, because the past sucks.
[she WEEPS and it is truly HEARTBREAKING]
Shelley Winters: I guess we'll just have to get married.
Montgomery Clift: [SHITS a brick]
Elizabeth Taylor: Come and visit me at my family's gorgeous lake house!
[they FROLIC and are beautiful and she TELLS him about a DROWNING that I'm sure WON'T be IMPORTANT to the PLOT later]
Shelley Winters: I feel abandoned! Where could he be?
[she SEES a photo of Monty in the SOCIETY pages, DRIVING a SPEEDBOAT and LOVING life]
Shelley Winters: I'm at the lake bus station, you liar. You have to marry me, RIGHT NOW or I'll tell the papers, which was apparently a real threat in the 50s!
Montgomery Clift: GULP. 
[he TELLS more LIES to Elizabeth Taylor, who is TROUBLED]
Montgomery Clift: Aw shucks, the registrar is closed for the holiday. What say we take a refreshing boat ride on Lake Murder? 
Shelley Winters: OK I guess, though I don't know how to swim as I mentioned earlier in the movie. 
[he RENTS the BOAT with a FAKE name and they DRIFT in the water OMINOUSLY as it GETS DARK]
Shelley Winters: I know you don't really want to marry me, but we'll have a small, inconsequential life together filled with lots of factory work and children and no speedboats. It'll be fine!
Montgomery Clift: SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP
[she STANDS up in the BOAT because of her FEELINGS and they FALL into the WATER]
Montgomery Clift: Here I am back at the vacation house, nothing to see here, I definitely haven't been fully clothed in a lake anytime recently.
[he is a SWEATY mess of PTSD with no CHILL] 
Elizabeth Taylor's Dad: Well, my daughter likes you so I suppose you can marry her, even though you're still kind of trashy.
Montgomery Clift: GREAT SOUNDS GOOD, NOTHING CAN GET IN THE WAY OF THAT.
[meanwhile, Shelley Winters' BODY is FLOATING in the LAKE]
A Detective: Hmmm. I know that this poor young woman wasn't on the boat by herself, and we can't find another body. Obviously this is a murder.
[they FIND the SMOKING GUN speedboat pic in Shelley's house and almost INSTANTLY arrest a SWEATING Monty and there is a TRIAL]
Montgomery Clift: I didn't kill her! I think? I mean it wasn't on purpose! Was it? I don't even know!
The Prosecutor: We know you did it. Now get into this canoe we've brought into the courtroom and show us what happened! 
[Monty FALLS OUT of the courtroom CANOE which somehow PROVES his GUILT]
The Judge: I sentence you to death in the electric chair.
Elizabeth Taylor: I will always love you, and also be scarred by this experience forevermore.  
A Priest: Confess your sins, my son.
Montgomery Clift: TBH, I didn't kill Shelley but I also didn't try to save her because I kind of hated her.
A Priest: Then you had murder in your heart which I guess is the same as actual murder.
Montgomery Clift: Yeah.
[he WALKS slowly to his DEATH and his face is both totally EXPRESSIONLESS and also CONTAINS every EMOTION that has ever EXISTED]

*actual line from movie

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