Product Details

• Actors: Sophia Loren, Anthony Perkins, Burl Ives, Frank Overton, Pernell Roberts
• Directors: Delbert Mann
• Writers: Eugene O'Neill, Irwin Shaw
• Producers: Don Hartman
• Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Paramount
• VHS Release Date: May 30, 1991
• Run Time: 111 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302023726
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #32,340 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

Editorial Reviews

From the back cover

Eugene O'Neil's riveting play about a family torn apart by screen in a souring film version starring Anthony Perkins and Sophia Loren. Perkins is the farmer's son Eben, awaiting the day he will inherit the land from his tyrannical, widowed father (Brul Ives). But when Eben's father takes a new wife and announces he'll leave the farm to her, passions erupt in a fiery night of lust and fury between Eben and his now stepmother (Sophia Loren, in her Hollywood film debut). With a sweeping score by Elmer Bernstein, Desire Under The Elms sizzles with a heated story of passions unleashed and temptation unbridled, and a heavy price paid for the pleasures of sin.

Product Description

In DESIRE UNDER THE ELMS, Anna poses tough competition to Ephraim’s bitter sons from his previous marriages, who believe they, not their new stepmother, should inherit all his land. Things heat up when Anna and Ephraim’s son, Eben spend a night of passion together.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars So-so adaptation of O'Neill's play, September 18, 2004

By	Wayne Klein "If at first the idea is not absu... (My Little Blue Window, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Desire Under the Elms (DVD)

Burl Ives plays Ephraim Cabot a greedy miser of a man who has managed to estrange his sons Peter (Pernell Roberts), Simeon (Frank Overton) but most especially Eben (Anthony Perkins) who wears bitterness like an oversized suit. When Ephraim brings home a new, young step-mother for the boys and wife, Anna (Sophia Loren) causes rivalries to begin anew between the brothers, their father but most especially Anna. It seems Ephraim has made the decision to leave the farm Anna when he dies. Eben confronts Anna but their confrontation erupts into passion as the two sleep together.

Eugene O'Neill occupies the same place in American Literature as a playwright as, say, Sophocles did for the Greeks. While Sophocles told of great and heroic characters who fall from grace with the gods, O'Neill focuses on anyone from the average American to the celebrity (I suppose in our screwed up world that's what passes for a "heroic" figure now). O'Neill's best plays ("The Iceman Cometh" and "Long Day's Journey into Night") tend to focus on the everyman and his or her struggles with temptation and how they seek their redemption. While "Desire Under the Elms" isn't O'Neill's best work, it still resonates with a number of difficult and forbidden themes. It's O'Neill's version of "Oedipus" but with characters that for all their heroic qualities, are flawed and simple human beings.

That said this is a so-so film adaptation of O'Neill's play. The fault lies in making the film a "star" vehicle more than anything else. The script compromises the integrity of O'Neill's original play and the direction, although imaginative at times just doesn't bring the drama to life. Mann's opens up the play a bit but some of the sequences still have a static quality to them. The performances range from decent to so over-the-top that they add a campy quality to the film and bring out the soap opera elements of O'Neill's plot. This is definitely an O'Neill play that deserves a reinterpretation despite the fact that it's a fairly minor work in his canon.


Shot in Vistavision one of the earliest widescreen processes, the black and white images would probably have been a bit sharper and with better clarity if there was some sort of full scale restoration done on the film. As it is, "Desire" looks decent although some of the sequences look a bit muddy while other parts look a bit washed out. There's also quite a bit of analog blemishes. Given the age of the film, the black and white images look pretty decent. It's unlikely that Paramount gave the producer responsible for this film-to-DVD transfer the budget for the necessary restoration of this film. The sound is pretty decent although the frequency response isn't as good as it could be. Still, Elmer Bernstein's striking score comes across with good presence and the dialogue is fairly clear.
There are no extras included. There is no commentary track.

Although not a complete disaster, this adaptation of O'Neill's play leaves a lot to be desired. Basically a star vehicle for Sophia Loren and Anthony Perkins, the fine moody cinematography and director Delbert Mann's imaginative direction can't overcome a script that takes a piece meal approach to O'Neill's play.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars dark but compelling!, March 3, 2001

By	"krysia1" (Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey United States) - See all my reviews

The tape quality is excellent and the fact that's it's in black and white enhances the somber tones of the story and stark contrast of the characters. The highlight of the film is a fine (however brief) performance by a pre-Bonanza Pernell Roberts whose portrayal of a spirited brother lifts some of the oppression that runs throughtout this tale. I've watched this film more than once for it's cinematic beauty and the quality of acting...but this is not a love story, rather a story about love at it's darkest. If I were a fan of Eugene O'Neill I probably would have given this 5 stars.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Dark and Disturbing Classic Tragedy by famous Playwright, October 22, 2004

By	J. Savage - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Desire Under the Elms (DVD)

I think this is one of the best Sophia Loren movies I've ever seen. It is very dark and disturbing. The cast is great, Anthony Perkins (Psycho) Sophia, Burl Ives. When it first came out I think people were a little put off that Sophia Loren, considered more of a Pin-Up was given the role of Mrs Cabot (not originally written as a foriegner). She does outstanding though and both her and Perkins play well together. They fight over the farm, here are some quotes:
"Say it Eban! Everything here is mine and some day I'll take it!" -
"Your Farm! You mean MY FARM!"
There is good support cast too. "So this is our new Ma huh?(refering to Sophia Loren) Why don't you put her in the pen with the other sows?"
The don't make movies like this anymore - Classic! Get it now while you can! The Transfer is very good. Its not perfect but as far I'm conserned it is a perfect release for this era of picture. Good clear picture (B&W,mono ect) and you can hear it fine. Not much for extra features but price is good. It is the first time I've seen it Widescreen. Bravo for Paramount.