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had an individual attitude about himself. He wasn’t bland, or all grins, he wasn’t
even that nice. He just was” (Bosworth 138). The usage of the word was
implies his very essence on screen was completely unique and could not be
boiled-down to lazy Stereotyping. Joe Morella and Edward Epstein capture the
ethos of Clift in the films listed above with their assertion, “Stubbom
individualism in a sensitive male endeavoring to surmount harsh realities was
epitomized by Clift’s Version of the screen rebel” (34).
While Morella and Epstein’s description of Clift in Red River, A Place
in the Sun and From Here to Eternity seems to capture the essence of Clift’s
character perfectly, this characterization is equally applicable to his work in The
Big Lift and The Search. Although the description of Clift’s screen work above
may not appear to apply to the underappreciated semi-documentary, The Big Lift
(1950), at first glance, these attributes are still on display in the film Ralph
Stern describes as, “...A surprisingly sophisticated foray into issues of identity,
appearance and deception in the blockaded city” (66). Clift clearly rebels against
the “Ugly American” label that his co-star, Paul Douglas, wears with pride. His
efforts at speaking German, his sensitivity to the despair all around him, his
generosity and his willingness to mingle with the common folk of Berlin clearly
set him apart as a “cultured Outsider” and place him in stark contrast to the way
Americans abroad are typically portrayed in film. In The Search, Clift
demonstrates the same willingness to speak German when the Situation arises
and is sufficiently moved by the plight of a young war orphan in post-war
Germany that he, as a natural outgrowth of his compassion, takes the boy under
his wing as a Surrogate parent. In these films (with the exception of A Place in
the Sun), Clift is providing more than merely entertainment; he is providing a
blueprint for a “better way to live.” Megan McGurk indicates how From Here to
Eternity (FHTE) “illustrates how Clift led audiences to where we can ponder an
alternative for what it means to be a man onscreen or in everyday life. Each
scene in FHTE builds towards a character audiences identify as ethical,
cooperative, communicative, purposeful, idealistic, contemplative, as well as
one who resists cultural imperatives to dominate or belittle women.” The
consistent theme in Clift’s work is a quiet dignified style of independence and a
well-thought-out rebellion and stubbomness that resonates strongly to this day.
II. Clift v. Brando and Dean
Montgomery Clift often comes up third when the names Clift, Brando
and Dean are mentioned as the seminal “rebel males” in film. This is simply
wrong. Dean will always be revered for dying at the height of his popularity, but
it must be bome in mind that he only made three films and the neuroses of his
screen characters often stretched credibility. Brando deserves credit for the
animalistic energy he brought to Streetcar Named Desire (1951) and the sense
of realism he injected into On the Waterfront (1954); however, he degenerated
into a fat, money-grubbing, mumbling, effort-minimizer later in his career.
While Brando is quoted in “brainyquote.com” as saying, “The only reason I'm in