Giant (1956)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

George Stevens

Writers:

Edna Ferber (novel)
Fred Guiol (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

24 November 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Western

Tagline:

From the novel by EDNA FERBER

Plot:

Sprawling epic covering the life of a Texas cattle rancher and his family and associates.

Plot Keywords:

Epic | Rancher | Texan | Maryland | Friend

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Elizabeth Taylor	...	Leslie Benedict
Rock Hudson	...	Jordan 'Bick' Benedict Jr.
James Dean	...	Jett Rink
Carroll Baker	...	Luz Benedict II
Jane Withers	...	Vashti Snythe
Chill Wills	...	Uncle Bawley
Mercedes McCambridge	...	Luz Benedict
Dennis Hopper	...	Jordan Benedict III
Sal Mineo	...	Angel Obregón II
Rod Taylor	...	Sir David Karfrey (as Rodney Taylor)
Judith Evelyn	...	Mrs. Nancy Lynnton
Earl Holliman	...	'Bob' Dace
Robert Nichols	...	Mort 'Pinky' Snythe
Paul Fix	...	Dr. Horace Lynnton
Alexander Scourby	...	Old Polo

Also Known As:

Géant (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Gigante (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Giganten (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
A'nuck (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
Assim Caminha a Humanidade (Brazil) [pt]
Devlerin aski (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Giganten (Denmark) [da]
Il gigante (Italy) [it]
Jätten (Sweden) [sv]
Jättiläinen (Finland) [fi]
O Gigante (Portugal) [pt]
O gigas (Greece) [el]
Olbrzym (Poland) [pl]

Runtime:

201 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Warnercolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Spain:T | Australia:G (TV rating) | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | West Germany:12 (f) | South Korea:12 | USA:Approved (PCA #17675) (original rating) | USA:G (re-rating) (1970) | Argentina:Atp | Canada:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Company:

Giant Productions

Trivia:

It was the highest grossing film in Warner Bros. history until the release of Superman (1978).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the confrontation between Bick and Jett in the hotel banquet hall stockroom, Bick throws a "basket" knocking over several storage shelves. The shelves start to fall before the basket actually makes contact.

Quotes:

Bick Benedict: You all think that the glory happened here in the East, don't you, with Valley Forge and Bunker Hill? Do you know about San Jacinto? Have you heard about the Alamo?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ride the Hot Wind (1971)

Soundtrack:

Wedding March

A timeless Classic--Watch it and See a Great Film

Many people call Giant long and overblown but, for me, a New Yorker, there is no way to experience the Texas of the middle of the 20th Century without sitting through this sumptuous 3 hour and 20 minute soap opera. I thas long been the joke, both within the movies and without, that they do everything big in Texas and this movie is no exception.

Yeah, the acting is a bit hackneyed and over the top (was James Dean's character's speech pattern the basis for Boomhauer on King Of The Hill? Who knows) but it is outweighed by great production design, meticulous camera work, gorgeous photography and one of the best "unknown" scores ever written.

In addition, the film is way ahead of its time in the telling of the racial tension that existed in Texas at the time (and which probably still exists). Rock Hudson's beating at the hands of the racist diner owner epitomizes for me the movie as it portrays the fact that good does not always triumph over bad, something that happened in most every other movie of the 50's.

Watch this movie.