简介：AsateenagergrowingupwithdreamsaboutmakingitasawriteroranactorinHollywoodoronBroadway,Iwasobsessedwiththe1940’sand50’swheneverythingseemedsomuchmoremagical,powerfulandmostofnatural. MyfascinationwithJamesDeaneventuallybroughtMontgomeryClifttomyattentionandduringthosepre-internetyearsIdevouredeverylittlebitofinformationonhimIcouldfindanditstillwasn’tenough. Althoughhestarredinonly17filmsduringhisshortlife,theywereincrediblyhardtofindandImostlyhadtorelyonthembeingbroadcastontelevisiontorecordthemontoVHS.Istillhavethem,minustheonesInevercaughtorsimplyweren’tshownduringthattime,likeFreud:TheSecretPassion(1966),TheDefector(1962)andLonelyhearts(1958). Biographieswerealsodifficulttotrackdown,includingthosebyPatriciaBosworth,RobertLaGuardiaandBarneyHoskins.Yetoneday,whilebrowsingthedocumentaryshelvesattheBuy,Sell&ExchangeinCamden,IspottedaVHStapeandliterallyhadtorubmyeyesnotonce,buttwice,justtocheckIwasseeingright.Itwasafeaturelengthdocumentaryonmyidol,MontgomeryClift,for£1. WrittenanddirectedbyClaudioMasenza,whohadpreviouslydocumentedthelivesofBrandoandDean,andfeaturinganimpressiveinterviewcast,thiswasanincrediblefind.AsMasenzaretracesClift’slife,fromhistoddleryears,throughtohisHollywoodyearsbeginningwithTheSearch(1947)andendingwithTheDefector(1966),wegetsomeveryrareinsightsintothelifeofthisenigmaticactorwithpreviouslyunseenhomefootageshotbyfamily,friendsandClifthimself. Whatwealsolearnabouthimisthathewassomethingofadaredevil,akindsoulandasensitiveman,onewhocouldn’tbearthethoughtofotherssuffering.Wealsohearfromhisfriendshowhispersonalitywouldchangeattheblinkofaneye,eitherwhenhedrankorwhenthemoodwouldhithim. Thedocumentarydwellsheavilyonthissideofhim,asmostbiographiesonCliftdo.Assomeonewhohaslookeduptohimforsolong,itsaddensmetohearhislifetoldwithsuchtragictales,asifhewasborndestinedforlonelinessandsuffering.Thisiswhythehomefootagestruckmeassoamazing;hereheissmiling,laughing,foolingaroundandenjoyinghimself.ThisistheCliftIliketothinkof. It’sagreatdocumentaryforanyonewhoisafanofthisremarkableandtalentedactor.Itoffersatrulyextraordinaryglimpseintowhathewaslikewithhisfriendsandhelooksextraordinarilyhandsomeinthehomefootage.Goodluckinfindingitthough,ithasneverbeenavailableonDVDandtheVHShasbecomeararefind,althoughyoumightstillfindtheoddcopyatAmazon.…