There's a formidable trio of stars in this turbulent love story (adapted from a play by Tennessee Williams) which is played out against a background of violence and industrial strife. Robert Redford and Natalie Wood give impressive portrayals; but the really great performance comes from Mary Badham, as an ugly 12-year-old, worldly-wise beyond her years. Director Sydney Pollack keeps a tight grip on the sentimentality until towards the end, and James Wong Howe's colour camerawork is superb, capturing hot Southern-states night, or making a breathtaking pan over the muddy, sun-flecked Mississippi River.

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