Review of Giant (1956) by Kylie P — 28 May 2010

Giant unfolds, as its source novel surely must, by sprawling extravagantly over the Americana backdrop behind its story and the unlikely romance at the story's forefront. The film is long, slow, and protracted, as it carefully and tediously paints its epic soap opera from the beginning frame to the last. The problem is that there are better epic films of this type, with similar elements and better execution. While some might regard this film as an enduring slice of epic entertainment, the film itself feels dated and somewhat awkward, but for the glimpse into what has been referred to as James Deanâ??s final performance.

Hudson and Taylor are well-matched romantic leads, even as their performances are clouded by the soap opera quality of the story they are telling. There was a specific kind of chemistry between them that rendered the romance and eventual partnership of these two characters genuine, even if it echoed strains of Gone With the Wind, and they were truly beautiful people, separately and together. The most impressive inclusion into this cast was James Dean, whose character aged and, perhaps, matured the most over the course of the filmâ??s four hours. His uncanny talent lent the Jett character a sense of raw earnestness, even an innocence otherwise complicated by Jettâ??s initial state of down-on-his-luck ambition. The acting talent of this performer, gone too soon, was truly something to behold, even if the character in Rebel Without a Cause was a bit better rounded. It was also interesting to see a small cameo from Deanâ??s Rebel Without a Cause co-star, Sal Mineo, who played one of the Mexican immigrants that staff Reata ranch and eventually befriend the stoic Bick and the banner-waving Leslie.

The performances aside, however, Giant is a big tale of Texan/American pride, socioeconomic commentary, and a diatribe on racism in America. These concepts could make for an interesting story, but as a film, it lacks a certain resonance. The cinematography, accentuating the dusty, arid Texas landscapes in contrast to the sunny, green, and lush Virginian countryside was brilliant, and the score, while beautiful, also embellished the melodrama. These qualities also worked for Gone With the Wind, likely because they were groundbreaking and spectacular in 1939; the scope of its visual presence and the reach of its social commentary spanned beyond the time and decade in which it was made. Giant merely recycles some of the same themes, while updating them for the more reserved decade of the fifties and for the depiction of early twentieth century in the west versus the Civil War in the South. Also, genuine though the chemistry may seem, Taylor appeared to be channeling Vivian Leighâ??s Scarlett Oâ??Hara, while Hudsonâ??s Bick hearkened back to Leslie Howardâ??s Ashley Wilkes, with a bit of Clark Gableâ??s Rhett Butler thrown in when the Bick character gets angry.

All in all, Giant is a large, long film that is both simplistic and complex in its aims. On the one hand, it showcases performances of strong actors and attempts to convey a message, in a heavy-handed way in the latter quarter of the film. On the other hand, it actually rings a bit hollow, even trite when held up against other films, to which it owes some of its inspiration.