A young bureaucrat for the Tennessee Valley Authority goes to rural Tennessee to oversee the building of a dam. He encounters opposition from the local people, in particular a farmer who objects to his employment (with pay) of local black laborers. Much of the plot revolves around the eviction of a stubborn octogenarian from her home on an island in the river, and the young man's love affair with that woman's widowed granddaughter. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with The Film Foundation.
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🔍 Search on JustWatch →The film doesn't rush. It trusts the viewer — gives time to inhabit the characters, understand what's really happening. Direction here serves the actors rather than overwhelming them.
This film doesn't entertain — it speaks. If you're ready for that, it'll leave a mark. If not — it'll seem slow.
A good choice for those who value subtle direction and honest performance.
Director: Elia Kazan
— MovieFinder Editorial
Best Watched
Viewing atmosphere: Unhurried, on a weekday evening. Put down the phone, let the film work.
Montgomery Clift
Chuck Glover
Lee Remick
Carol Garth Baldwin
Jo Van Fleet
Ella Garth
Albert Salmi
Hank Bailey
Jay C. Flippen
Hamilton Garth
James Westerfield
Cal Garth
Bruce Dern
Jack Roper
Barbara Loden
Betty Jackson
Frank Overton
Walter Clark
Malcolm Atterbury
Sy Moore
Audience Score
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