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GIANT
Directed by George Stevens; with Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James
Dean, Mercedes McCambridge, Carroll Baker, Dennis Hopper, Chill Wills,
Sal Mineo, and Rod Taylor.
1956
f
Hud is as wild as Texas, then Giant is as long as Texas
(or at least about the time it takes to drive from Austin to Houston).
But just because it clocks in at a little over three hours (not including
the intermission) doesn't mean you shouldn't go down that road. Giant
takes us to that famous mansion -- façade partly still standing -- on
the flat lands of Marfa, where cattle rancher Bick Benedict (Rock Hudson)
rules the Reata estate. Bick, who travels back east to buy a horse,
returns home with a fancy black stallion and a filly on his arm -- new
bride Elizabeth Taylor. Of course wily ranch hand Jett Rink -- James
Dean's last role before his death -- quickly develops a crush on her
too, and the competition between rich man, poor man is turned up another
notch. Even if the words "epic saga" make you fidget, this one is a
must-see. Taylor gives one of her best performances ever; the entire
plot hinges on her assimilation into the barren, patriarchal West Texas
way of life, which she progressively makes, with spunk and smarts. Two
generations are chronicled in the story (taken from Edna Ferber's novel),
and along with their growth as a family comes a documented move in the
Texas economy from agriculture to oil, and for the times, a pretty advanced
statement on racism. The characters don't age very gracefully due to
an overuse of talcum powder, so it's a damn good thing the movie does.
f
Hud is as wild as Texas, then Giant is as long as Texas
(or at least about the time it takes to drive from Austin to Houston).
But just because it clocks in at a little over three hours (not including
the intermission) doesn't mean you shouldn't go down that road. Giant
takes us to that famous mansion -- façade partly still standing -- on
the flat lands of Marfa, where cattle rancher Bick Benedict (Rock Hudson)
rules the Reata estate. Bick, who travels back east to buy a horse,
returns home with a fancy black stallion and a filly on his arm -- new
bride Elizabeth Taylor. Of course wily ranch hand Jett Rink -- James
Dean's last role before his death -- quickly develops a crush on her
too, and the competition between rich man, poor man is turned up another
notch. Even if the words "epic saga" make you fidget, this one is a
must-see. Taylor gives one of her best performances ever; the entire
plot hinges on her assimilation into the barren, patriarchal West Texas
way of life, which she progressively makes, with spunk and smarts. Two
generations are chronicled in the story (taken from Edna Ferber's novel),
and along with their growth as a family comes a documented move in the
Texas economy from agriculture to oil, and for the times, a pretty advanced
statement on racism. The characters don't age very gracefully due to
an overuse of talcum powder, so it's a damn good thing the movie does.
