Customer Reviews

Giant

5 star:		(106)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

The 1956 film is aptly named; everything about it is huge. Three years in the making, and a full 202 minutes long, it's the sweeping story of a Texas family that starts in the 1920s. Elizabeth Taylor is the young bride from East who, after a whirlwind romance with Rock Hudson, comes to his huge 595-acre Texas ranch. Here, she finds his unwelcoming sister, prejudice against the Mexican servants, and a condescending attitude to her as a woman. James Dean is here too, a sullen ranch hand who yearns for her as well as wealth. She's feisty though, as well as beautiful, and the rational center of the film, which spans a quarter of a century, as she and Rock Hudson quarrel, make up and raise their three children. Texas changes too. James Dean, the ranch hand, is the first to discover oil, and all of their lives change dramatically then. After a while all the land in the area is gushing oil wells where cattle used to roam.

During the course of film the makeup changes to show the cast aging, and Elizabeth Taylor, who was only 23 at the time, is shown as a mature woman. Dennis Hopper plays her grown son and Carol Baker her daughter. There's even a small part for Sal Mineo, who plays a grown up Mexican-American boy. By then the story is a family saga with the son choosing to be a doctor and the daughter finding the older James Dean an attractive man. This is the stuff of soap opera, which I usually don't like. But somehow, I was completely captivated by this film, which shows how everyone's character develops through the years.

I was impressed with the quality of all of the actors, including Mercedes McCambridge, who has a small role as the sister. Sometimes I forget how talented Elizabeth Taylor is as an actress and even Rock Hudson, who is known for his rather stilted performances, was able to show some real feelings. James Dean, however, stood out above all the rest. The scenes he had with Elizabeth Taylor in which he showed his awkward vulnerability were ripe with nuance. It demanded mastery of his craft. His performance was indeed outstanding.

However, it is almost half a century since the film was produced. I now know what Elizabeth Taylor really looks like as a mature woman. I have to smile at her gray-haired persona in the film, in which she remained slim and elegant. I can't help thinking about Rock Hudson's super masculine image as he dukes it out in a diner when his Mexican-American daughter-in-law is refused service. And I'm saddened to think of poor James Dean, who died tragically in a car accident at the age of 23 shortly after the film was made. His movie image of aging alcoholic millionaire is the only hint we have of what he might have looked like if he lived. The film even brought out thoughts of our own President Bush, himself a product of a Texas background and his own mixed Mexican-American family.

The video consisted of two reels, and included about an hour's worth of features in addition to the more than three hours of the film itself. I stayed up late into the night to watch it all, including a short documentary about the small town in Texas in which part of the film was made, an interview with Dimitri Tiomkin who wrote the music for the film, an interview with the son of the director, George Stevens, and a long telecast of opening night both in Hollywood and New York with Jayne Meadows interviewing different stars as they entered the theater. Although the film itself was in color, all of these features were in black and white and brought back memories of live television shows, bouffant hairdos and mink stoles.

I never saw "Giant" when it first came out. Videos and DVDs were years away in the future and, in those days, if you didn't catch a film in the theaters when it first was released, that was that. I'm so glad that this film was so easily available all these years later because I totally enjoyed the experience of spending a evening watching it. I was able to sit back, relax, and return to a time, place and cinematic point of view that doesn't exist anymore. The world is changed now. And so have I. But I absolutely loved this film. Highly recommended.

The two stars that I rate this DVD is simply for the terrible transfer of this classic motion picture. This movie is a 10 star movie, but this particular DVD release is simply terrible. It seems as if they used third generation, or even fourth generation negatives to create this transfer, with absolutely no regard for consistancy. Some scenes are tolerable, at best, and seem that the transfer might have come from a decent third generation negative, and some scenes are totally dismal and seem as if they were done from a fourth generation negative that was found on the cutting room floor. There is absolutely no consistancy of the colors and brightness from one scene to another. But this is only the half of it. The transfer to this disc was done in a near full screen picture which cuts so much of the scenery off of the sides of every frame. It was a shame how this disc was done. This beautiful Hollywood epic deserves such better treatment. The roles played by Rock Hudson, James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor are classic Hollywood roles, and the original shooting of this epic was done in a beautiful way, (which you can enjoy on laserdisc if you find a copy.) This movie tells the story of racial injustice and trys to teach a morality lesson of racial tolerence, all set in the by-gone days of depression era rural Texas. The story of us-and-them as played out by Mexicans and Anglos, and as seen through the eyes of Hollywood, dosen't get any better than this motion picture. For that reason alone, if you really must own this movie, buy this DVD. Otherwise you would be better off waiting for a better transfer or buying a good used copy on laserdisc or buying this movie on the 1985 VHS put out by Warner Brothers, (do not buy any VHS tape of this movie other than the 1985 version, the rest were terrible). I love this movie, and it hurts me to see this terrible transfer.

Those of us who live on the dusty, windswept plains of western Texas and Oklahoma readily appreciate a moving, gripping, well-made film that portrays the harsh, yet aesthetic abundance of this region. Equally enjoyable is the portrayal of what was once a titanic clash of two industries: cattle ranching and energy. Throw three young, very capable actors into the mix, and suddenly you've got an epic as entertaining today as it was forty-plus years ago.

GIANT is the story of a west Texas ranching dynasty, the sprawling Reata Ranch, overseen for generations by the Benedict Family--currently run by Bick Benedict (Rock Hudson). Bick takes as his bride an "Easterner," petite and pretty Leslie Lynnton Benedict (Elizabeth Taylor). Leslie's transition from Maryland to the dusty flats of west Texas is the epitome of culture shock, yet she's up to the task, even to the point of challenging the ingrained bigotry toward the local Hispanic population. Bick's conservative stubbornness is at odds with Leslie's progressive beliefs; their numerous "disagreements" are some of GIANT'S most delightful, amusing moments. Yet the couple endures--endures through love.

Jett Rink (James Dean) is one of Bick's quiet, surly, unreliable ranch hands. Jett becomes infatuated with Leslie from the first moment he sees her; his attraction to her motivates him to better himself. Inheriting a patch of land from Bick's older sister, Luz (played wonderfully by Mercedes McCambridge), Jett leaves Reata and does the unthinkable: he drills for oil. And when he strikes paydirt--when his first "gusher" comes in--the stage is set: the grand ranching tradition of the Benedict clan versus Jett's rapid accumulation of wealth and power via dotting the west Texas landscape with oilwells.

James Dean simply dominates this film. The fact that he was able to so completely and effectively portray Jett Rink as a shrewd, hard-drinking businessman when Dean himself was only in his early twenties is astonishing. The range and complexity Dean brings to this role is spellbinding--and tragic: tragic in that we are given a glimpse of his phenomenal talent that was extinguished forever in an auto accident before GIANT was even released.

I also enjoyed a very young Dennis Hopper as Jordan Benedict III, Bick's son and reluctant "heir apparent" to the family business. And Chill Wills is a bona fide scene stealer as crusty, cantankerous Uncle Bawley. He gets the best line in the movie; after Bick angrily rejects Jett's latest offer to drill for oil on his ranch and slams the telephone down, Uncle Bawley quietly says: "Most expensive phone call you ever made, Bick. Probably cost you around a billion dollars."

GIANT is highly recommended.
--D. Mikels

This 202-minute slow-paced drama exemplifies the lives of three generations of cattlemen on a grandiose west Texas cattle ranch at the onset of the oil boom. Being a native Texan with relatives living close to the area near Marfa, Tx where GIANT was filmed, I LOVE this movie for the sheer drama and myth of our state. (and yes, there ARE some exaggerations) But it's also a well-crafted movie with exemplary performances by Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean, and a very young Dennis Hopper! Viewers seeking a fast-action adrenaline-pumping film probably will be bored by GIANT, but viewers who enjoy classical performances, historical sagas, (and old movies) will cherish this movie. It's sort of like a western "GWTW"! They don't make 'em like this anymore!

The screen adaptation of Edna Ferber's bestselling novel is big in every way. Big screen, big stars, big budget, big name director. Yet in spite of all this "bigness," Giant is a very personal, intimate story about a new generation of Texans coming of age during a time of social and economic change. Elizabeth Taylor plays a privileged eastern woman (incorrectly identified as a Southern belle by Amazon's reviewer) who falls in love with Rock Hudson, a Texas cattle baron, when he visits her father's home in order to purchase a much-prized horse. Instead of bringing back just a horse, Bick Benedict (Hudson) brings back Leslie (Taylor) as his bride. Leslie's eastern upbringing is challenged by the more conservative Texas culture she's been thrown into. Far from a feminist crusader, Leslie believes her opinions and thoughts are at least as important as her male friends and neighbors, something unheard of in the relatively isolated Texas ranch where Bick's family has made its home for generations. Added to this mix is Jet Rink (James Dean), a wrangler turned oil baron in an ironic twist of fate. Still hated and looked down upon by Bick and his friends, they can't ignore his success, nor can they ignore the oil business and its ever-growing importance to the surrounding Texas economy. Filled with all the grandeur that you'd expect from a movie epic, Giant has so much more. Rich characterizations by Hudson, Taylor, and Dean, all giving the performances of their careers. Hudson proved his dramatic worth with his portrayal of Bick Benedict. His may be the best performance in the film, which has unfortunately been overshadowed by Dean's untimely death and ensuing mythology after Giant's production. It's been recorded that director George Stevens originally wanted Grace Kelly for the role of Leslie and he was not happy with Taylor as second choice. Well, if that's the case, it doesn't show at all. Stevens gets a marvelously nuanced performance out of Taylor that is truly amazing to behold. It's even more amazing when you realize she was only 23 when the film was made (Dean was the same age). Just about everyone who was alive in the 1950s seems to be in this movie and to great end. The casting is absolutely perfect. This film is a career high point for all involved, including director Stevens, who won the Oscar that year as best director (Amazingly the film lost out to Mike Todd's Around the World in 80 Days for Best Picture). Chill Wills and Mercedes McCambridge are outstanding in their supporting roles, and it's just plain fun to see Dennis Hopper, Sal Mineo, Earl Holliman, Rodney Taylor (later changed to Rod), and Caroll Baker (who makes her big screen debut in this film) at the beginnings of their careers. The wonderful score by Dimitri Tiomkin rounds out this excellent production. It you love big movies with big themes and great acting, Giant won't disappoint you. After more than 40 years, it holds up amazingly well. Great entertainment!

The product information here should be carefully read, as it reveals that this edition of Giant has been transferred in a 1:1.66 letterbox transfer. This is a travesty. Giant was filmed and released in the classic 1:1.33 "Academy" aspect ratio, which also happens to be the aspect ratio for NTSC analog television. George Stevens disliked widescreen processes, although he was forced to use them by studios on later films.
The time has come to put a stop to these unnecessary, phoney "restored" versions of classics. It's just a marketing ploy to squeeze more money out of old warhorses. Going back to the good old days of the laserdisc, I never much cared about the extras that were first introduced by Criterion and later imitated by the major studios. I've always responded to a high quality video transfer taken from the best film elements available. Getting the aspect ratio wrong and mutilating the images of Steven's classic film makes everything else irrelevant.
Thank goodness I still have my laserdiscs. Failing that, grab a copy on VHS.

Don't take me wrong. This is a great movie if not one of the greatest. But, when doing this review for "DVD" version of this movie. I have to give only one star for this re-issued DVD movie. It is nice to soup up the new version with plenty of documentary notes, interview, star's personal remembrance etc. But the studio did nothing to improve the audio and video aspect of this production. No new anamorphic video transfer, no Dolby digital 5.1 either. It still carry old 2 channels stereo sound track. The Dimitri Tiomkin's score never sounds so flat in my new Denon surround sound processor that struggle to decode it to Dolby Prologic II format. The worse part is somehow, I swear I could hear the "noise" common in worn out phono records. Especially in opening title scene and the driving to the mansion scene. The bottom line is that the latest version is nothing but an old VHS version re-packed in a DVD disc. Unless you are ready to throw out all those old VHS or even laser disc and keep only DVD, then there is no reason to buy this DVD at all. A "Giant" DVD disappointment.

A classic film epic of the fifties that blesses the Edna Ferber novel. Here's the way we want to see two late cinema greats, Rock Hudson and James Dean. George Stevens has all the right ingredients necessary here to make an entertaining and unforgettable picture.

"Giant" This film is a masterpiece. I have always been an admirer of James Dean. This film let's us see him come full circle from a youthful rascally critter to an old man stubborn to the end clutching to some unrealized and unshared dream of acceptance by his fellow man. As Jett Rink, Dean knew exactly his own feelings in regard to the social economic classes that society had conveniently categorized individuals, especially those germane to Texas. He feels no guilt toward his own prejudices and only strives to be accepted by the upper class (his fellow man) from which he literally rose up to from the ground and enters into its ranks. Rock Hudson's Bick Benedict, from his perspective, was born into the upper class and sees himself as a great benefactor to the lower classes that are employed by him. Unlike Dean's character, he is unaware of his own prejudices. The Elizabeth Taylor character, Leslie Benedict, stands away from the canvas and represents the unprejudiced point of view of the unflawed human spirit. She stands as a mirror to reflect back the personifications that both Dean and Hudson exhibit. She is direct and to the point with Hudson, her husband in the film. He is just too blinded by his own upbringing to even make some sense of what she is trying to point out in his flawed but self-noble character. With Dean she is subtle in her assessment of his human qualities, just as subtle as he is in the revelation of his prejudices. Hudson does finally confront his flawed character very nobly and very unaware of his own motivations. Dean does come full circle and ends up where he started - still a scoundrel, but old and used up. I think that the Hudson and Dean characters were a reflection of Texas society from both ends of the spectrum set in the mid-twentieth century. As noble as the Hudson character was in his attempt at redemption, Texas was not ready for change at that time in History, but the seeds were planted (also represented by Hudson and Taylor's offspring in the film) and it was just a matter of time. I was born and raised in New England, but visited Texas many times where half of my family resides. I have seen Texas first hand from the early 60's to the present. This film has a special meaning for me. The characters and the performances ring true. George Stevens' attention to detail is seen and heard in every frame of this film. The performances of its three stars are flawless, as are those of its many supporting players. The Dimitri Tiomkin score is a great asset to the feel of this film. He thematically represents the characters and their backgrounds to dramatically drive the narrative. One scene that made you want to stand up and cheer was the fight in the roadside diner. This scene was just as moving and exciting as the bar room brawl in George Stevens' "Shane" and it has his directorial fingerprint all over it. I highly recommend that people get a chance to see this film and place themselves in the not too distant past and view it from the perspective of when its characters lived and thrived. This VHS widescreen version is excellent within the constraints of the format. I was very pleased with it and it is the best version that Warner Brothers has put on VHS in my opinion. I was also very much pleased with the supplemental material included.

GIANT. A stunning disappointment in DVD!

I have been a fan of Giant for many years, and have seen the film many times. I had looked forward to the DVD re-issue, anticipating all the benefits of DVD quality and presentation. What a disappointment this disc has been! Although the blurb for the set describes the film as being transferred from "revitalized film elements" it is, as far as I can tell, nothing more than the same video tape that was used for the laserdisc version several years ago.

It is NOT a new digital transfer, and it is NOT anamorphic. Detail is appallingly bad for a DVD, color has been hyped up but surface texture is poor. Zooming the picture to fill a 16:9 screen produces picture quality hardly better than VHS. It really looks no better than the laserdisc, and it is a crime to have lavishly re-issued this set without a new anamorphic 16:9 compatible transfer. This is one for the resale bin immediately.