Review of Giant (1956) by Stephen C — 29 Dec 2011

Of the three films James Dean completed George Stevens sprawlling epic is the one most serious movie buffs turn their noses up at ,Mainly because they dont consider Stevens an Autuer in the way Elia Kazan and Nicholas Ray are praised to the heavens.

The other reason is he gets third billing here alongside what were considered Hollywood actors in the shape of Liz Taylor and Rock Hudson.

The actual film is a brillant modern epic which contains two great performances from Taylor and Dean and a brillaint and unexpected one from Rock Hudson.

Hudson normally appeared in light comedies with Doris Day ,but here he gives one of his best performances as patraich Bix Benedict a texas rancher who see the building of James Deans oil empire as a serious threat to his way of life.

Dean gets the showy role of Jett Rink who strikes it rich but loses his soul while doing so becoming wealthy but also a bigoted drunk in the process.

Taylor shows that despite all the hooh hah of her personal life she really could act and all three actors age convincingly as the film spans 25 years.

Keep an eye out for a young Dennis Hopper ,and Chill Wills as a typical Texan who is full of down home wisdom.

Then their is Stevens direction which is terrificly assured over the films huge running time ,their is never a dud scene and I never felt that I wanted the film to end once I became engrossed with its bigger than life story.

A film as big as the state it set in,this really is a underated work from one of the best Directors of the period.