308. Giant (1956)
Directed By George Stevens
Synopsis
Drill, Baby, Drill!
Review
The short topical synopsis is simply due to the fact that it would take me a long while to write a proper synopsis of this giant film. At well over three hours long Giant is one of those multi-generational epics, in this case focusing on Texas and its myriad problems.
One of the interesting things about the film is that the idea that I as a foreigner have of the more rural parts of Texas is still not very different from what is portrayed here. Rich but unequal, populated by people who are basically good natured and endearing but also bullishly xenophobic and stubborn.
The film makes a great point of tackling problems of segregation which is a pretty rare thing to see in such a big budget Hollywood production. That is refreshing, but the acting is also pretty great. James Dean gives us his last and best performance has Jett Rink, from humble beginnings to oil magnate. The boy had potential. Elizabeth Taylor is the humane core of the whole film and she plays it gracefully. Rock Hudson is probably the best thing in the film, however. Rock plays a conflicted character and his ageing as a character is the pretty perfect. Also note the young Dennis Hopper as the Reata heir, he had already had a small part in Rebel Without a Cause, but here is his real debut.
Final Grade
9/10
Trivia
From Wikipedia:
The first part of the picture was shot in Albemarle County, Virginia, doubling for Maryland, and utilizing the Belmont estate near the Keswick railroad station, which depicted the "Ardmore, Maryland" railway depot. The film begins with Jordan "Bick" Benedict, played by Hudson, arriving at Ardmore to purchase a stallion from the Lynnton family.
Much of the subsequent film, depicting "Reata," the Benedict ranch, was shot in and around the town of Marfa, Texas, and the remote, dry plains found nearby, with interiors filmed at the Warner Brothers studios in Burbank, California. The "Jett Rink Day" parade and airport festivities were filmed at the nearby Burbank Airport.
The fictional character Jett Rink was based in part of oil tycoon Glenn Herbert McCarthy (1907-1988). Author Edna Ferber met with McCarthy when she booked a room at the Shamrock Hotel to which the novel and film were based. In the film, the fictional Emperador Hotel was based on the former Shamrock Hotel (known as the Shamrock Hilton after 1955) in Houston, Texas.
The film was premiered in New York City in November 1956 with the local DuMont station televising the arrival of cast and crew, as well as other celebrities and studio chief Jack Warner. Warner Brothers has included the vintage kinescope of the premiere festivities in New York, as well as interviews with cast members, in their special 50th anniversary DVD set.
Capitol Records, which had issued some of Dimitri Tiomkin's music from the soundtrack (with the composer conducting the Warner Brothers studio orchestra) on an LP, later digitally remastered the tracks and issued them on CD, including two tracks conducted by Ray Heindorf.
Director George Stevens wanted to cast fading star Alan Ladd as Jett Rink, but his wife advised against it. The role went to James Dean. Before Elizabeth Taylor accepted it, the role of Leslie was offered to Grace Kelly. William Holden was a leading candidate for the role of Bick Benedict before Rock Hudson was eventually signed.
Giant was Barbara Barrie's first film. Carroll Baker, who plays Elizabeth Taylor's daughter, was older in real life than her screen mother.
After James Dean's death late in production, Nick Adams provided Rink's voice for a few lines. The film spent an entire year in the editing room.
It was the highest grossing film in Warner Bros. history until the release of Superman.
Trailer that completely ignores the anti-segregationist content of the film:
Synopsis
Drill, Baby, Drill!
Review
The short topical synopsis is simply due to the fact that it would take me a long while to write a proper synopsis of this giant film. At well over three hours long Giant is one of those multi-generational epics, in this case focusing on Texas and its myriad problems.
One of the interesting things about the film is that the idea that I as a foreigner have of the more rural parts of Texas is still not very different from what is portrayed here. Rich but unequal, populated by people who are basically good natured and endearing but also bullishly xenophobic and stubborn.
The film makes a great point of tackling problems of segregation which is a pretty rare thing to see in such a big budget Hollywood production. That is refreshing, but the acting is also pretty great. James Dean gives us his last and best performance has Jett Rink, from humble beginnings to oil magnate. The boy had potential. Elizabeth Taylor is the humane core of the whole film and she plays it gracefully. Rock Hudson is probably the best thing in the film, however. Rock plays a conflicted character and his ageing as a character is the pretty perfect. Also note the young Dennis Hopper as the Reata heir, he had already had a small part in Rebel Without a Cause, but here is his real debut.
Final Grade
9/10
Trivia
From Wikipedia:
The first part of the picture was shot in Albemarle County, Virginia, doubling for Maryland, and utilizing the Belmont estate near the Keswick railroad station, which depicted the "Ardmore, Maryland" railway depot. The film begins with Jordan "Bick" Benedict, played by Hudson, arriving at Ardmore to purchase a stallion from the Lynnton family.
Much of the subsequent film, depicting "Reata," the Benedict ranch, was shot in and around the town of Marfa, Texas, and the remote, dry plains found nearby, with interiors filmed at the Warner Brothers studios in Burbank, California. The "Jett Rink Day" parade and airport festivities were filmed at the nearby Burbank Airport.
The fictional character Jett Rink was based in part of oil tycoon Glenn Herbert McCarthy (1907-1988). Author Edna Ferber met with McCarthy when she booked a room at the Shamrock Hotel to which the novel and film were based. In the film, the fictional Emperador Hotel was based on the former Shamrock Hotel (known as the Shamrock Hilton after 1955) in Houston, Texas.
The film was premiered in New York City in November 1956 with the local DuMont station televising the arrival of cast and crew, as well as other celebrities and studio chief Jack Warner. Warner Brothers has included the vintage kinescope of the premiere festivities in New York, as well as interviews with cast members, in their special 50th anniversary DVD set.
Capitol Records, which had issued some of Dimitri Tiomkin's music from the soundtrack (with the composer conducting the Warner Brothers studio orchestra) on an LP, later digitally remastered the tracks and issued them on CD, including two tracks conducted by Ray Heindorf.
Director George Stevens wanted to cast fading star Alan Ladd as Jett Rink, but his wife advised against it. The role went to James Dean. Before Elizabeth Taylor accepted it, the role of Leslie was offered to Grace Kelly. William Holden was a leading candidate for the role of Bick Benedict before Rock Hudson was eventually signed.
Giant was Barbara Barrie's first film. Carroll Baker, who plays Elizabeth Taylor's daughter, was older in real life than her screen mother.
After James Dean's death late in production, Nick Adams provided Rink's voice for a few lines. The film spent an entire year in the editing room.
It was the highest grossing film in Warner Bros. history until the release of Superman.
Trailer that completely ignores the anti-segregationist content of the film:
posted by Francisco Silva @ 12:35 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home