THE LONG, HOT SUMMER is one solid melodrama about tradition and family, which is based on some short stories by William Foulkner. One depressed, but confident drifter, who has a reputation of a arsonist, comes in a small town. The most powerful man in the town wants to try a young suspect. Thus, the rich man begins to respect the young man because of his determination. The young man understands job better than the rich man's reluctant son and it seems that he is the perfect opportunity for a rich man's daughter. However, desires of some of the protagonists will not match with hidden truths...

People will create a storm in a small and very hot town. This storm is full of greed, hate, lies and misunderstandings. The scenario is not bad. The sharp dialogues are tense and full of bitterness, contempt and sarcasm. Honesty is somewhat present, but it can not come to the fore. The atmosphere is constantly stretched through sexual charge and wild whim of individual protagonists.

The acting is good, but the chemistry between the main protagonists could have been a lot better.

Paul Newman as Ben Quick is determined and resourceful young man who will try to deceive members of one family in order to become the successor of wealth. His character is furious and disturbing. Real trouble in the city. However, he becomes a victim of his own manipulations and hidden vulnerabilities. Joanne Woodward as Clara Varner is an independent woman who is able to confront a brazen intruder and a vile old man. Her biggest weakness is "forlorn hope". It is difficult to deal with one's own own life ideals and the coming sexual attraction. Clara is the central figure in this film. Her performance is quite touching.

Orson Welles as Will Varner is a stubborn and vulgar local tycoon. Anthony Franciosa as Jody Varner is a weak son, who fought for his father's love. Lee Remick as Eula Varner is playful daughter in-law.

The last scenes are quite inconclusive. Birds of prey are quickly tamed and harnessed. They have to face the truth in crucial moments. Their confrontation was inevitable. However, melodramatic, generous and warm ending is a big flaw of this film.

The Long, Hot Summer – Big Footprint Not to be mistaken for Wet Hot American Summer (a markedly different romp…), The Long, Hot Summer seems to be a largely forgotten entry into the canon of sweltering 1950s melodramas, mostly historically noteworthy as the project which united Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, and generally overshadowed by higher profile ballads of illicit love and family angst in the deep south. However, rather than being clouded by a haze of 'Big Daddy's odour of mendacity,' Martin Ritt's film easily has enough merit to stand on its own accord, blending a collection of William Faulkner shorts into a tale of love, lust, and lineage, just clamoring for the qualifier 'steamy'.

Although the plot is definitely familiar territory, and the script errs fairly strongly on the affected style customary to the post-Actors Studio era, the story resonates truthfully and remains engaging throughout, while the alluring undercurrent of barely-bridled sexuality keeps the proceedings energetic and urgent. Ritt's direction is taut but unfussy, allowing the inherent claustrophobia and tension of the film's small-town setting to speak for itself, and the sumptuous Technicolor cinematography is so crisp you can practically smell the marsh and sweat from the Mississippi bayou (and I'm not even just talking about Orson Welles). Although the climax feels like a somewhat forced attempt to escalate the stakes simmering throughout, with an overly hasty resolution to boot, the buildup is calm and confident enough to make the viewing experience worth its while without having to fight to engage its audience.

Naturally, like the majority of its contemporaries, the story ultimately exists as a vehicle to foreground the performances of the cast, who are what ultimately make the film worthwhile. Paul Newman, cementing his iconic identity as the shrewd, laconic, effortlessly cool drifter, crackles with charisma as accused arsonist Ben Quick, magnetic throughout even before his surprisingly racy shirtless scene. Joanne Woodward gives arguably the film's strongest performance as the controversially unmarried Clara Varner, practically vibrating in place from a lifetime of feeling discounted and under-appreciated. Rather than playing up her predicament, however, Woodward embodies Clara with a steely confidence, which is altogether more effective and appealing. In contrast, Orson Welles delivers the film's most legendarily outlandish performance as the resident belligerent patriarch. Notoriously mocking the Actors' Studio by mumbling almost incomprehensibly through his cartoonish southern drawl, the vociferous Welles is skilled enough to steal scenes in his sleep (which he may well have been during certain scenes), outrageously fun when hamming it up, with occasional pockets of surprising solemnity and depth, as if coming up for air from his customary grunting and snorting. Anthony Franciosa is also a sturdy presence, even if he does occasionally overindulge in Method hand-wringing and hysteria, while a cameo from the delightful Angela Lansbury as Welles' cheerily aggressive suitor adds a dash of comedic perfection.

While it may fall short of the acerbic intensity of similar fare such as Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Long, Hot Summer still serves a healthy slice of all the smouldering, robustly acted 1950s melodrama you could ask for. If only for the incandescent interplay between Newman and Woodward, with the added pleasure of cartoon-character Welles, the film is easily worth sinking into, on a dozy, hot summer evening or otherwise.

-7/10