Wild River

On May 18, 1933 the Federal Government under FDR's "progressive agenda", created the Tennessee Valley Authority, a vast scheme of regional development that involved, in part, the diverting of masses of water into valleys thus protecting large populations of people from the ravages of flooding rivers. Dams were created to assist in this enterprise and to harness the vast energy of the raging waters through turbines which in turn created electricity for communities that still lived in the "dark ages." WILD RIVER begins with stock news footage of the damage ravaged upon a community by a flood, in particular a heart rending first hand account of a man who has suffered a great loss. In comes the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to save the day, a bastion of progress with Chuck Glover (Montgomery Clift) as its representative. The TVA, in order to complete its mission, must relocate all the residents within a particular area slated for water relocation but Mrs Ella Garth, an old hard-as-nails woman living on a small island in the middle of the valley, refuses to leave her land for any price. This is the context of WILD RIVER, but for director Elia Kazan, the TVA and its surrounding controversy are a microcosm for America's growing pains and the divisions between North and South that have persisted since the Civil War brought them to a head. Kazan contrasts rugged individualism, so much a part of the Nation's heritage, with an activist Federal Government citing the best interests of the community. The traditional attachment that the South has to "the land", where "the elements" are an accepted part of life is contrasted with the North's reliance on technology to tame the elements. The sophisticated Montgomery, full of enthusiasm and conviction for his mission, is immediately jolted into reality first by the steadfast conviction of the old landowner (in a towering display of acting by Jo Van Fleet), then by overt Racism "for a minute I forgot where I was.", and finally by his own mixed emotions. His passions are aroused by Carol (Lee Remick), Mrs Garth's stepdaughter, who is suffering from under stimulation, both physically and mentally. Widowed for over two years, she lives with her two children and the old woman on the island. When the handsome, educated Chuck arrives on the scene, she finds in him a source of combustion to feed a very deep well of passion. Once ignited, the fire threatens to envelope Chuck's controlled existence and intensify Carol's feelings of displacement. Rarely has confusion, vulnerability and molten sexuality been rendered more effective by an actress. Remick completely dispenses with any pretense about her sexual and emotional hunger and sets the screen on fire! While still smoldering, she manages to convey her separate, but equally passionate emotions for man and child during a tender scene between Clift and her daughter.

There is little to add to the eloquent appreciations of Wild River by other users. Still, I want to pay my tribute. My father took me to see the film when I was a little girl and it made such an impression on me I have been searching for it for years. Odd, since I remembered nothing of the plot, retaining only fleeting images of autumn colours, Lee Remick's autumnal hair, the old ferry, an indelible impression of Montgomery Clift's face, the old woman surrounded by still 'figures in a landscape'. And the creation of a unique atmosphere so tangible, so lyrical, so elegiac it stayed with me for 40+ years. I've been wanting to know why it clung to me so. And wondering why it seemed to have disappeared without trace. This Christmas, in the fullness of time, my niece presented me with the DVD and I have at last seen it again. Why did it affect me so profoundly? That one's easy. Why had the film disappeared. That one's complex, as you know. What I hadn't expected was that stunning performance from the incomparable Jo Van Fleet. No Oscar? Were they mad? It is intensely interesting and sobering to reflect how politics can hold art hostage.

It's unfortunate that this wonderful film was ignored by the press and public when it was first released, and that this initial indifference has led to it's being so obscure today. As of yet, it is unavailable on DVD or VHS.

One of Elia Kazan's first film assignments was a documentary about the Tennessee Valley Authority in the 1930's. Incorporating some of the footage from that film, he returned to the subject in 1960 with "Wild River", a film which explores the gray areas of life as richly as any I can think of.

Following the catastrophic floods of 1932, the TVA is determined to build a dam to regulate the flow of the river. The dam can not be operated, however, until the 80 year old Ella Garth (Jo Van Fleet) can be persuaded to leave her home on Garth Island. The situation seems clear and simple to TVA representative Chuck Glover (Montgomery Clift), but it is not long before he must accept that what he sees as progress others see as the destruction of their natural way of life.

The urban intellectual Glover is sensitive enough to be moved by Mrs. Garth's plight but practical enough not to back down, even as he begins an affair with her granddaughter (Lee Remick). This relationship eschews all cinematic cliches, with Remick clearly the aggressor as the two seem pulled together by forces beyond their control. Kazan has criticized Clift's performance, terming him "not masculine" enough (he was gay in real life), but his chemistry with Remick is quite palpable even if it is unorthodox. She is nothing less than luminous, and he responds with the finest and healthiest performance of his later years. Van Fleet is magnificent. Incredibly, she and Clift were the same age at the time of filming.

Kazan's direction is masterful throughout, and he is abetted by his many collaborators. Ellsworth Fredericks's cinematography subtly suggests the inevitable changes of nature, and the mournful sound of Kenyon Hopkins's score on the soundtrack seems to echo the thoughts of the river itself. Paul Osborn's screenplay and the naturalistic work of the supporting cast (virtually a given with Kazan) sustain the documentary-like tone throughout the film, which seems to grow richer with subsequent viewings.

Let's hope the film will become available on video soon, allowing us to take advantage of those subsequent viewings.

I had to say this movie was so stunning for me. The beginning black and white newsreel of a man who lost his three children in a flood is actually a real clip and it is my grandfather, so I was so amazed to see this. He passed away in 1972. My father lost his brothers and sisters in the flood which was in the 1930s Trumansburg, NY. I believe is was the flood of 1935. How amazing to see an actual news reel of my grandfather!!! I had a hard time finding the movie until I come across it on ebay. My father once had it, but he ended up losing it as the movie was not marked it was a blank VHS and it was unfortunately thrown away. I am holding onto the movie that I got until his birthday. It will make a unforgivable gift.

When I first saw this movie (at age 13) I was frustrated with the inept, impotent bureaucrat portrayed by Clift. The when I next saw it (age 16), I was vexed by his girl, who seemed to be too patient and wise. The third time (age 18) had me trying to take sides on this complex question - does the good for the many always trump the good for the few, or the one? And I was hooked on this complex, multi-layered drama - I'll see it again whenever and wherever I can. See it if you can find it. Although it's one of Kazan's best, and one of his favorites, it's STILL not in public distribution.