Watch The Long, Hot Summer

The Long, Hot Summer is a 1958 romantic drama film directed by Martin Ritt and starring iconic couple Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, along with Anthony Franciosa. The movie was based on a series of short stories by William Faulkner, set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County in Mississippi. The plot of the movie revolves around a young drifter named Ben Quick, played by Paul Newman, who arrives in a small southern town and finds himself in trouble with the locals. He is accused of burning down a barn and is forced to seek refuge in the home of the wealthy Varner family, headed by Will Varner, played by Orson Welles.

Will Varner is a powerful and successful businessman who has ambitions of becoming a political leader in the county. He takes an interest in Ben Quick and decides to give him a job as a labourer on his land. However, he soon realizes that Ben is a cunning and ambitious young man who is determined to succeed and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

As the summer progresses, Ben becomes embroiled in a complicated love triangle with Will's daughter, Clara, played by Joanne Woodward, and her fiancé, Alan Stewart, played by Anthony Franciosa. Clara is a shy and introverted young woman who feels trapped in her small-town life and is looking for a way out. Alan, on the other hand, is a wealthy and confident young man who believes that he can control everything and everyone around him.

As the tensions mount between the three of them, the heat of the summer intensifies, and the characters become more and more entangled in each other's lives. The Long, Hot Summer is a beautiful and lyrical movie that explores themes of family, love, ambition, and class in the deep south of America.

The movie is famous for the chemistry between Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, who met on the set of The Long, Hot Summer and went on to become one of the most beloved couples in Hollywood history. Their performances are standout, and their scenes together crackle with a raw, sexual energy that is palpable on screen.

The Long, Hot Summer is also notable for its stunning cinematography, which captures the lush beauty of the Mississippi landscape and the oppressive heat that hangs over the characters like a heavy blanket. The movie's score is equally impressive, with a haunting and soulful combination of jazz, blues, and classic southern ballads.

Overall, The Long, Hot Summer is a soulful and poetic movie that is essential viewing for fans of classic Hollywood cinema. Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward's performances are electric, and the movie's themes of love, ambition, and family are as relevant today as they were when the movie was first released.

The Long, Hot Summer is a 1958 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 57 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.3.