Overview
A gripping tale of ambition and desire unfolds as one man's choices lead to devastating consequences.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- brooding
- romantic
- classic cinema night
- literary adaptation viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a powerful, beautifully crafted, and emotionally memorable adaptation of Theodore Dreiser's tragic romance, praised for its direction and principal performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
George treats factory work and entry into the Eastman social world as routes to prosperity, while his competing relationships expose the moral cost of that aspiration.
George's relationship with wealthy society maiden Angela Vickers conflicts with his origins and with Alice's claim on him as a fellow factory worker.
The black-and-white Hollywood presentation combines romantic grandeur, social pressure, and an increasingly sinister criminal predicament.
George's desired place within the Eastman family and Angela's social world drives his choices, relationships, and escalating desperation.
Films like A Place in the Sun, and why
The Great Gatsby
shared tragic romance, class ambition, moral entrapment, and socially stratified American setting
Double Indemnity
shared film noir atmosphere, doomed desire, social aspiration, and crime-driven moral conflict
The Heiress
shared literary tragedy, forbidden romance, class tension, and emotionally conflicted protagonists
The Grapes of Wrath
shared black-and-white prestige melodrama, social criticism, and a young protagonist trapped by ambition
Movie Details
- Director
- George Stevens
- Release Date
- 1951-06-12
- Runtime
- 122 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (430)
Cast
- Montgomery Clift
- Elizabeth Taylor
- Shelley Winters
- Anne Revere
- Keefe Brasselle
- Fred Clark
- Raymond Burr
- Herbert Heyes
- Shepperd Strudwick
- Frieda Inescort
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is A Place in the Sun about?
- An ambitious young man caught between a working-class obligation and an intoxicating elite romance is driven toward an irreversible moral crisis.
- What is A Place in the Sun like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Place in the Sun as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is A Place in the Sun violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in A Place in the Sun as mild.
- What did critics think of A Place in the Sun?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a powerful, beautifully crafted, and emotionally memorable adaptation of Theodore Dreiser's tragic romance, praised for its direction and principal performances.
- Which films are like A Place in the Sun?
- Films with a similar feel include The Great Gatsby, Double Indemnity, The Heiress, and The Grapes of Wrath.
- How long is A Place in the Sun?
- A Place in the Sun runs 122 minutes.
- Where can I watch A Place in the Sun?
- In United States, A Place in the Sun is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
