From Here To Eternity (1953) - ★★★★

Director: Fred Zinnemann
Writers: Daniel Taradash (screenplay), James Jones (novel)
Stars: Montgomery Clift, Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, Frank Sinatra, Donna Reed, Ernest Borgnine

Now this is an iconic movie! From Here To Eternity is a wonderful film and winner of Best Picture in 1953. The central themes to this movie from what I gathered was fear and love. It is full of masterful cinematography and brilliant acting, making it one of the most memorable films of all time.


There are two stories that this film revolves around. The first is Robert E. Lee. Prewitt's (Montgomery Clift), a private in the army who has just been transferred to a new regiment. He is a masterful boxer, but will never fight again after permanently injuring one of his friends whilst sparring. His regiment put him through hell to try to get him to box for them. The second story is about Sergeant Milton Warden (Burt Lancaster) and his love affair with the wife of his commanding officer, Karen (Deborah Kerr). From Here To Eternity isn't the most interesting of story's, but the brilliant acting and cinematography make it extremely entertaining.

Montgomery Clift was spectacular in this, particularly in the scene where he plays the bugle for his friend who died. Deborah Kerr and Burt Lancaster had great chemistry, making their story the more interesting of the two. Frank Sinatra was surprisingly fantastic as well. He definitely earned his Oscar for this movie. Donna Reed played the girlfriend of Prewitt, and in one scene blew me away It was the scene where he was leaving her to return to the army.

When someone mentions the "Most Iconic Scenes of All Time," 9 times out of 10, the beach scene from 'From Here To Eternity' will be brought up. It is spectacular, there's no denying that. But for me, the best cinematography occurred when Pearl Harbour was getting bombed by the Japanese. It was so suspenseful and beautifully shot. For me, it was the highlight of the film and pushed it into the 'Great Movies' category. The music throughout the movie is lovely too, especially when Prewitt plays his bugle. It gives me chills.

Overall, this is a very entertaining movie. I'd put the cinematography in From Here To Eternity up there with the greatest of all time. It's an almost perfect film that everyone should see.