Everyone knows Gregory Peck as the very picture of American integrity, but my favorite of his performances is Duel in the Sun. There's no trace of Atticus Finch in this movie; every bit of him is bad, and he never looked so good. In this wildly romantic drama, Jennifer Jones is torn between the kind, stable, respectful Joseph Cotten and the bad, manly, sexy Gregory Peck. Tough decision!
After his successful production of Gone with the Wind, it's no wonder David O'Selznick created such a beautiful, exciting love triangle. And while the script was originally written for Teresa Wright, Jennifer Jones ended up playing the lead and marrying her producer three years later. You can find lots of trivia about what a headache the film was to make, including a very funny argument between O'Selznick and Dimitri Tiomkin about the musical score, but in my review I'd rather focus on the positives.
Jennifer Jones plays a "half-breed" who comes to live with Lillian Gish and Lionel Barrymore in Texas. Yes, it's terribly politically incorrect, but you've got to get into the dated mindset to appreciate the story. Lionel is grouchy and racist, Jonesy desperately wants to cling to her "purity", and marrying a "half-breed" is unthinkable in a respectable family. Despite all that, it's a wonderful romantic drama. Lush, exciting, well-written, well-acted, dramatic, and heart-wrenching, Duel in the Sun earns its place among the greatest classic romances of all time. Jonesy gives a wonderfully layered performance, juggling sweet, sultry, innocent, trampy, and passionate. Greg is a delicious bad boy; it's a miracle he didn't get typecast as a villain for the rest of his career. Add in crotchety Lionel, Lillian as an unfair mother, Joseph Cotten as a pre-Atticus Finch, Herbert Marshall, Charles Bickford, Walter Huston, and Butterfly McQueen, and you have an unforgettable cast.
While this might not be the best first date movie, watch this with your long-time sweetie pie, or with a bunch of your girlfriends. It's pretty heavy, but it's definitely one to watch. I'm the only one in my family who likes it, but I never tire of making myself a large bowl of popcorn (it's a long movie) and popping it in the tv. Jonesy is dramatic, sultry, and beautiful; and while she does give girls a bad name, most of us can appreciate where she's coming from. Who hasn't fallen in love with the wrong man even though he'll kick us (literally, in her case) when we're down?
After his successful production of Gone with the Wind, it's no wonder David O'Selznick created such a beautiful, exciting love triangle. And while the script was originally written for Teresa Wright, Jennifer Jones ended up playing the lead and marrying her producer three years later. You can find lots of trivia about what a headache the film was to make, including a very funny argument between O'Selznick and Dimitri Tiomkin about the musical score, but in my review I'd rather focus on the positives.
Jennifer Jones plays a "half-breed" who comes to live with Lillian Gish and Lionel Barrymore in Texas. Yes, it's terribly politically incorrect, but you've got to get into the dated mindset to appreciate the story. Lionel is grouchy and racist, Jonesy desperately wants to cling to her "purity", and marrying a "half-breed" is unthinkable in a respectable family. Despite all that, it's a wonderful romantic drama. Lush, exciting, well-written, well-acted, dramatic, and heart-wrenching, Duel in the Sun earns its place among the greatest classic romances of all time. Jonesy gives a wonderfully layered performance, juggling sweet, sultry, innocent, trampy, and passionate. Greg is a delicious bad boy; it's a miracle he didn't get typecast as a villain for the rest of his career. Add in crotchety Lionel, Lillian as an unfair mother, Joseph Cotten as a pre-Atticus Finch, Herbert Marshall, Charles Bickford, Walter Huston, and Butterfly McQueen, and you have an unforgettable cast.
While this might not be the best first date movie, watch this with your long-time sweetie pie, or with a bunch of your girlfriends. It's pretty heavy, but it's definitely one to watch. I'm the only one in my family who likes it, but I never tire of making myself a large bowl of popcorn (it's a long movie) and popping it in the tv. Jonesy is dramatic, sultry, and beautiful; and while she does give girls a bad name, most of us can appreciate where she's coming from. Who hasn't fallen in love with the wrong man even though he'll kick us (literally, in her case) when we're down?