Years ago, I tried watching "Wild River" but quickly lost interest. After all, the plot is amazingly simply....a man from the Tennessee Valley Authority is trying to convince a recalcitrant old woman to move off her land before the new dam floods her out. However, in hindsight, I was way too quick to dismiss the film...and there is much, much more to the story than this.
In addition to Chuck Grover (Montgomery Clift) trying to convince the woman (Jo Van Fleet) to move, many other issues come up. One is the romance between him and Carol (Lee Remick). The other is the racial prejudices dominant in this era in the Tennessee Valley as well as the anti-federal government sentiments. Together, they weave a very interesting portrait of a bygone era....made all the better by nice acting (particularly by Remick) and top notch direction. All in all, I am very glad I gave this one another try...it's well worth seeing.
In addition to Chuck Grover (Montgomery Clift) trying to convince the woman (Jo Van Fleet) to move, many other issues come up. One is the romance between him and Carol (Lee Remick). The other is the racial prejudices dominant in this era in the Tennessee Valley as well as the anti-federal government sentiments. Together, they weave a very interesting portrait of a bygone era....made all the better by nice acting (particularly by Remick) and top notch direction. All in all, I am very glad I gave this one another try...it's well worth seeing.