Product Details

• Actors: Lee Remick, Albert Salmi, Montgomery Clift, Jo Van Fleet, Jay C. Flippen
• Directors: Elia Kazan
• Producers: Wild River
• Format: Import, PAL
• Language: English
• Region: Region 2 (Read more about DVD formats.)
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Run Time: 105 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000AQKZK4
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #249,588 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada: LANGUAGES: English ( Mono ), SPECIAL FEATURES: Black & White, SYNOPSIS: Filmed on location in the Tennessee Valley, Wild River is set in the early 1930s. Montgomery Clift plays an idealistic TVA agent, assigned to convince the locals to move from their property so that a beneficial dam can be built. The principal holdout is feisty octogenarian Jo Van Fleet, who refuses to budge from her land, convinced that she will die if she ever gives an inch. Her prophecy turns out to be true, as Van Fleet becomes yet another sacrifice to progress. Clift also runs into opposition because of his fair treatment of the local black population. Lee Remick costars as Van Fleet's granddaughter, who comes to love and understand the sensitive Clift. Some dated fuzzy-headed liberalism aside, Wild River is a masterful recreation of a difficult, complex period in American history. Watch for an uncredited Bruce Dern in his film debut.
SCREENED/AWARDED AT: Berlin International Film Festival, ...Wild River

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Forgotten Film, February 10, 2007

By 

Bobby Underwood "starlighthotel" (Manly NSW, Australia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wild River [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - United Kingdom ] (DVD)

It is a shame this film has fallen into obscurity over the years. Though overshadowed by Elia Kazan's more heralded and flashier efforts, I have always found "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" and "Wild River" to be his best. Thanks to a scarred Montgomery Clift and a young and earthy Lee Remick, "Wild River" has a feeling of quiet reality.

Monty's genius was to be so much the person he was portraying that he seemed to disappear onscreen. Clift's sensitive performance here, coming after the accident which altered his appearance, is one of his best. It is matched by lovely Lee Remick.

Clift works for the TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) and has come to Jo Van Fleet's rural home to move her off her land so room can be made for a dam. Clift is not uncaring and his sympathy for the older woman is complicated even further by his attraction to her young granddaughter, Lee Remick.

He is also unpopular because of his fair treatment of blacks whom he is employing to help build the dam. But the violence simmering just beneath the surface here is less on his mind than Remick. He cannot have her because of what he is forced to do. Yet it is torture for him.

Clift's sensitivity and Remick's heart, torn between what she knows he has to do and what she feels within for him creates a frustration for the would-be couple the viewer can really feel. One scene in particular, as Remick paces back and forth in front of a sitting Clift, reveals the ache in Clift which finally blows.

Beautiful location filming by Kazan adds a further sense of reality to this quiet yet moving film. This was one of Clift's best post-accident performances and it is sad it is only available in this region 2 format for those across the pond to enjoy. Perhaps soon it will be recognized for the quiet masterpiece it is and become available to all.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Never saw a sweeter movie!, March 26, 2007

By 

Crescent Moon "Ray" (Atlanta, GA, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wild River [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - United Kingdom ] (DVD)

I agree fully with the reviewer from Bakersfield.

Internet Movie Database provided links to a source who could give me a NTSC copy for about $50. However, with compatible software and hardware you can see this PAL version in your computer monitor. This particular PAL version is technically (color and crispness of picture) much better than what I saw on television years ago.

This PAL region 2 version (just a few copies) is available in Amazon. I am sure more copies are available somewhere else.

If you copy the DVD to your computer hard drive (it is not copy-protected) you can play it with Nero Showtime and a compatible monitor, in my case, a Viewsonic VX922.

The picture in this version is crisp and the color is gorgeous!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars personal to me, September 23, 2007

By 

Larry E. Toomey (CHATTANOOGA. TENNESSEE) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wild River [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - United Kingdom ] (DVD)

the film means more to me than outher people, i lived just a few miles from were thay filmed in CALHOON TENNESSEE. the lady that lived in the house that was the point of the film was my aunt and lee remick lived in the house by the river at the rope raft that whent to my aunts house. all i can say is thay showed how it was back then as well as thay could lee remick was great and montgomery clift all though drunk most of the time was great at his job. I hope the movie will be on dvd soon, i waited for 2 years for the ilustrated man i hope it want take that long.