Wild River (1960)

TVA administrator Montgomery Clift arrives in rural Tennessee to oversee the building of a dam on the Tennessee River, facing much opposition from the locals especially Jo Van Fleet whose family lives on one of the river’s islands. Clift is perfectly cast in this role. He’s equally determined to complete his task with a firm belief in the general good of the project while also empathizing with the turmoil it brings to the current residents’ lives. What feels like such a simple subject matter allows for a deeper exploration of progress as a necessary but not always benevolent force.