From his 1948 film debut in Red River through such classics as The Heiress, A Place in the Sun, and From Here to Eternity, Montgomery Clift exemplified a new masculinity andโleading the way for a generation of actors, including Marlon Brando and James Deanโepitomized the new naturalistic style of acting. Cliftโs impact was such that, both during his troubled life and after his untimely death, fans described the actor in religious terms, characterizing Clift as a vision, acolyte, and martyr. In The Passion of Montgomery Clift, Amy Lawrence challenges the myth of Clift as tragic victim by examining Cliftโs participation in the manipulation of his image, his collaborations with directors, his relationships with costars, and his interactions with writers.