Synopsis
"
Kazan's mid-career masterpiece introduced a newly ruminative tone and political subtlety to his work by that offers a tempered reconsideration and questioning of the very New Deal notions of progress (to which his own early career was intimately tied). One of
Kazan's personal favorites,
Wild River pits a timid yet determined Tennessee Valley Authority official – portrayed by a fascinating
Montgomery Clift – against a hamlet targeted for imminent flooding and a young resident – played by a radiant
Lee Remick – smitten by his eccentric charm. The harnessing of nature takes on almost Biblical dimensions, thanks to the magnificent Cinemascope photography and the electrifying performance of
Jo Van Fleet as the town matriarch who alone understands the river's unspoken diluvian powers." – Harvard Film Archive
