Review of The Big Country (1958) by Bill C — 16 Jul 2013
From the benchmark fifties, Wyler's classic western remains a reference point for the genre to this day. Burl Ives delivers an Academy Award winning supporting performance among a cast of characters caught between stereotype and prototype. Chuck Connors, who went on to have a good run in the television series "The Rifleman", is a weak link in the early scenes of this film.
Alfonso Bedoya's caricatured Ramon borders on the offensive and would not play well to today's audiences. Having said that, the scene where the Jean Simmons and Carol Baker characters trick him into telling the truth about Peck's secret "Old Thunder" bronco-busting triumph is priceless !
Gregory Peck's James McKay is wonderfully understated; Jean Simmons is radiant as Julie. The memorable Jerome Moross score is as big as the movie itself.
This review of The Big Country (1958) was written by Bill C on 16 Jul 2013.
The Big Country has generally received very positive reviews.
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