In this star-studded Civil War epic, spoiled Southern belle Susanna Drake (Elizabeth Taylor) lures pacifist abolitionist John Shawnessy (Montgomery Clift) away from his high school sweetheart (Eva Marie Saint) and into an unhappy marriage. Frustrated, John leaves home to fight for the Union army. During filming, Clift had a well-publicized car accident that damaged his face, which accounts for his strongly shifting appearance throughout the movie.