It’s puzzling why women often seem drawn to men for who they aspire to be rather than accepting them as they truly are. Elia Kazan directed The Sea of Grass, with a screenplay by Conrad Richter, Marguerite Roberts and Vincent Lawrence. Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Robert Walker, Melvyn Douglas, Phyllis Thaxter, Edgar Buchanan and Harry Carey appear in the cast. Herbert Stothart composed the music, and Harry Stradling was responsible for the cinematography. The story unfolds on the American frontier, where Lutie Cameron (Hepburn), a woman from St. Louis, marries Col. James B. ‘Jim’ Brewton (Tracy), a New Mexico cattleman. Brewton is viewed as an overbearing figure by those around him, and Lutie soon understands that he will relentlessly pursue his ambitions. For people who appreciate Westerns, it immediately seems strange to see Tracy and Hepburn together in this story of conflict between farmers and ranchers, and the film never fully overcomes that initial sense of something being amiss. Despite the obvious talent of the leading performers, the movie devolves into an overwrought melodrama. It doesn’t feel believable at all; the theatricality feels artificial, and as the length stretches out to two hours for reasons that aren't clear, there isn't even any action to provide a distraction. This represents an unusual misstep in Kazan’s filmography, and he issued a cautionary note when it became known that he disowned the movie, expressing embarrassment about it. That’s strong criticism suggesting why this should be avoided by all but those who collect works by Kazan, Hepburn or Tracy. It's easy to imagine that Lutie's storyline was what bothered him, because it is undoubtedly disrespectful toward women, and the ending only reinforces this with a display of undeserved confidence from the performers and director. The production values are decent enough, with Stradling’s photography looking good thanks to high-definition presentations on TCM, but as the script fails to create any energy, you'll likely struggle to remain engaged. 4/10

Source on TMDB