Montgomery Clift, Queer Star

In Montgomery Clift, Queer Star, Elisabetta Girelli explores the actor's career and personal life through the lens of queer theory, highlighting how Clift consistently challenged conventional ideas of sexuality and masculinity. The book examines the evolution of Clift's on-screen and off-screen image—from his early roles as an androgynous "beautiful boy" to his later portrayal of a transgressive and distressed figure—revealing a complex and disruptive legacy. Combining theoretical analysis with close performance readings, Girelli uncovers how Clift’s enduring ambiguity and nonconformity made him a groundbreaking and subversive star.