The mid 1900s was a time of meteoric evolution and pioneering creativity in Hollywood, with directors such as Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, and Stanley Kubrick actively re-defining the cinematic experience. Elia Kazan firmly belongs in the same prestigious league of that group of filmmakers, contributing some of the most iconic and revered movies that the industry has ever seen.
After starting in theater direction, Kazan went on to make 26 films across a career spanning over 30 years, even winning two Academy Awards. However, his time in Hollywood was marred by controversy surrounding America’s anti-communist hearings of the time and his reluctant testimony linked to it. While it made Kazan a polarizing figure of his time, it hasn’t prevented his films from enduring as quintessential classics, with Letterboxd holding these 10 in high regard.
10 ‘Panic in the Streets’ (1950)
Letterboxd Rating: 3.6/5
A captivating meshing of 50s crime pulp and sharp, intelligent writing, Panic in the Streets is an underrated noir gem which exhibits much of Kazan at his best. The societal thriller takes place in New Orleans as a dead body is revealed to have been suffering from pneumonic plague, with the mayor giving a doctor and the police captain just 48 hours to uncover where the dead man had come from before news of a potential outbreak is made public.
Recent years have obviously given the film an added heft when watched in the current day, but Panic in the Streets was already imbued with a gripping intensity and mystery intrigue which had aged flawlessly over the decades. The picture remains a critically lauded triumph of Kazan’s career and was recognized at the 23rd Academy Awards as it won an Oscar for its screenplay.
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9 ‘Baby Doll’ (1956)
Letterboxd Rating: 3.6/5
The only pure comedy that Elia Kazan directed throughout his film career, Baby Doll ran as a darkly funny character comedy adapted from producer Tennessee Williams’ own one-act stage play ‘27 Wagons Full of Cotton’. It follows an immature and naïve child bride who, while staving off her eager husband, begins flirting with an amorous Sicilian farmer who happens to be her husband’s business rival.
While an impressive film on account of its wit and the way it manipulates its love triangle dynamic throughout the story, it ultimately had a strong reliance on caricatures and exaggerated performances, something the cast rose to with aplomb. Despite being a contentious film upon release, even being condemned by the Catholic Legion of Decency, Baby Doll went on to be nominated for four Oscars and has aged surprisingly well given its central premise and comedy style.
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8 ‘America America’ (1963)
Letterboxd Rating: 3.8/5
With a stern focus on the fantastical dream of America in the eyes of immigrants, America America is a dramatic epic with a 174-minute runtime which excels at being both powerful and profound. Written, directed, and produced by Kazan, it follows a young Greek man living under Turkish oppression who makes immense personal sacrifices in the hope of fulfilling his dream and journeying to the United States of America.
The film was a deeply personal production for Kazan, based upon his own 1962 novel of the same name which was inspired by the life of his uncle. Working as the screenwriter, director, and producer of the film, Kazan himself received three Oscar nominations for the picture, while Gene Callahan won an Academy Award for his art direction. Martin Scorsese also considers it to be a particularly essential film about American democracy.
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7 ‘Wild River’ (1960)
Letterboxd Rating: 3.8/5
Striking in the depths it reaches in its exploration of the socio-economic shift in America, Wild River was a finely tuned drama which, for many, stands tall among Kazan’s finest films. Set in the South during the late 1930s, it follows a Tennessee Valley Authority bureaucrat tasked with evicting the stubborn 80-year-old matriarch of the river from her property as his office seeks to build a dam in the area, but he finds himself falling in love with the woman’s granddaughter in the process.
Shot almost entirely on location in Tennessee, the film’s visual display is astounding, offering a stupendous backdrop to the tragic tale of victims amid the rise of American industry. It benefits from Kazan’s narrative sensitivities as well, with the director’s ever-present focus on interpersonal relationships giving the film its beating heart and allowing the stellar cast plenty of opportunity to showcase their acting chops.
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6 ‘Splendor in the Grass’ (1961)
Letterboxd Rating: 3.8/5
It wouldn’t be unfair to say that Splendor in the Grass isn’t Elia Kazan’s greatest cinematic achievement. However, with the director exercising his keen interest in pushing the envelope in terms of what was appropriate to put on screen – especially as far as sexual content was concerned – the film has become a classic for its dare, its melodramatic and romantic allure, and its exploration of how humans, particularly youths, perceive sexual relationships.
Starring Natalie Wood and Warren Beaty in his debut performance, the film follows two teenage lovers who navigate their feelings and desires for one another as external pressure from their parents and small-town Kansas society jeopardizes the future of their romance. While critics at the time took issue with the film’s overly dramatized approach to its simple story, Splendor in the Grass has become one of Kazan’s most well-known and celebrated films.
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5 ‘East of Eden’ (1955)
Letterboxd Rating: 3.9/5
A bold adaptation of Jim Steinbeck’s epic 1952 novel, East of Eden is something of a crowning glory in the context of Elia Kazan’s career. Set in 1917, as the First World War rages on, a Californian farming family are wedged apart as Cal (James Dean), growing angry and despondent at his deeply religious father’s clear favoritism towards his elder brother Aron (Richard Davalos), makes a harrowing discovery about his thought-to-be-dead mother.
The powerful, picturesque beauty and compelling family drama are noteworthy elements of the film, but it would be remiss not to accredit much of its longevity and impact to Dean’s starring performance, which managed to be poignant and grounded while flaunting much of the reckless abandon that helped make him an icon of the times. Dean received a posthumous Oscar nomination for his performance, while Kazan received his fourth of five nominations for Best Director.
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4 ‘A Tree Grows in Brooklyn’ (1945)
Letterboxd Rating: 3.9/5
While many directors have announced themselves emphatically from their first films, few have exercised the poise and power that Elia Kazan did with his directorial debut in 1945. Based on Betty Smith’s novel of the same name, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn follows Francie Nolan (Peggy Ann Carter), a young girl desperate to make it big in the world who lives with her plucky younger brother, her hard-working and devoted mother, and her kind-hearted, alcoholic father.
A poignant look at poverty in America, the film is a true tearjerker without being relentlessly bleak, as it finds so much of its emotional allure in the soft, tender moments of pure love which have made it such a timeless story. While Kazan was overlooked for an Oscar nomination, James Dunn won Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Francie’s father, while the picture was nominated for its adapted screenplay as well.
3 ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ (1951)
Letterboxd Rating: 4.0/5
While it is a picture which will always be remembered as the film which saw Marlon Brando become a huge Hollywood star, A Streetcar Named Desire truly stands up as one of the greatest films of the 20th century. An enthralling melodrama defined by its performances, it follows a schoolteacher from small-town Mississippi as she moves in with her sister and her husband in New Orleans, where her rambunctious presence further strains her sister’s already volatile marriage.
The film was based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name, with much of the talent involved, including Kazan as director, reprising their roles in the film adaptation. It became an instant classic, being nominated for a staggering 11 Academy Awards and winning four, and it has proven to be an enduring accomplishment of feverish intensity and great tragedy.
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2 ‘A Face in the Crowd’ (1957)
Letterboxd Rating: 4.2/5
A satire imbued with great dramatic heft and a relentless rage which boils throughout the picture, A Face in the Crowd is as observational and funny as it is politically scathing. It follows Larry “Lonesome” Rhodes (Andy Grffith), a charming drifter who becomes a radio star when an ambitious producer puts him on the air, but as his star grows, his ego, womanizing, and his endless pursuit of self-gain threaten his career.
Its tale of moral corruption in the face of opportunity and stardom has proven to be one of ceaseless relevance, with the film striking a timeless cynicism surrounding celebrity culture which is as rewarding as it is cautionary to watch unravel. With an impressive IMDb score and widespread critical acclaim (both now and in its time), few would dispute A Face in the Crowd being among Kazan’s greatest achievements, even if it did fail to garner Oscar recognition.
Rent on Apple TV+
1 ‘On the Waterfront’ (1954)
Letterboxd Rating: 4.2/5
A spellbinding reunion between Kazan and Brando which featured both stars at their absolute best, On the Waterfront is widely regarded to be one of the greatest films ever made. It focuses on the inner turmoil of a former prizefighter turned longshoreman who decides to stand against his corrupt and violent union bosses as he forms a bond with a murdered man’s sister and a street-savvy priest to hold the syndicate accountable for their crimes.
Brando’s starring performance was a watershed moment in the context of Hollywood history, with his portrayal of Terry Malloy regarded among the greatest performances of all time, while Kazan’s direction, even by his own lofty standards, was the best it had ever been. The 1954 masterpiece remains a true classic of all cinema, On the Waterfront went on to win eight Oscars from 11 nominations, with both Kazan and Brando receiving awards.
On the Waterfront
An ex-prize fighter turned New Jersey longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses, including his older brother, as he starts to connect with the grieving sister of one of the syndicate’s victims.
- Release Date
- July 28, 1954
- Cast
- Marlon Brando , Karl Malden , Lee J. Cobb , Rod Steiger , Eva Marie Saint
- Runtime
- 1hr 48m
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