Giant

I first saw Giant (1956) when I was on college, among many of the vcd collections we had. After watching it the first time I thought it was too long, boring, the actors too stiff and James Dean overbearing.

I have watched "Giant" countless times already and now have a DVD copy, there is really no mystery to the theme of the film and the story. A drama about a generation of cattle owners in the heart of Texas and the changes in their lives throughout the years is too good to pass up to watch, it would have been a good setting for a soap opera but making it into an epic film would have been better. I have grown to love the film as I got older, the film was directed by George Stevens who has directed many films and the only other film of Stevens that I have seen is the classic western "Shane" which is also one of my favorite westerns. We have other films of Stevens that I haven't watched like "The Diary of Anne Frank" and "A Place in the Sun" which I will watch one of these days. Those films considered classics are a testament of George Stevens great legacy as a director.

The film also boasts a trio of great actors at their own right, it stars Rock Hudson as Jordan "Bick" Benedict, Elizabeth Taylor as Leslie, and James Dean as Jett Rink in his final film.

The supporting cast also includes Mercedes McCambridge as Luz Benedict, Chill Wills as Uncle Bawley, Carrol "Baby Doll" Baker as Luz Benedict II, Dennis Hopper as Jordan "Jordy" Benedict III, Sal Mineo as Angel Obregon, Fran Bennet as Judy Benedict, Jane Withers as Vashti Snythe, Earl Holliman as Bob Dace and Elsa Cardenas as Juana Benedict.

The film starts when wealthy cattle owner Bick Benedict goes to Maryland and scouts for a good horse in Dr. Horace Lyntonn's  ranch. But in during this search he also falls meets and falls in love with Dr. Lyntonn's daughter Leslie. Bick had a little bit of trouble adapting to Leslie's family as shown in the dining table scene because he is from a completely different upbringing and environment. But they fall in love anyway amidst their differences and got married.    

The couple then goes back to Texas to start their new life as husband and wife but Leslie doesn't get along with Bick's sister Luz. Along the way Leslie also meets the brooding Jett who was the family's handyman and driver who is at odds with Bick.

Luz does not think Leslie will be a good fit not only for Bick but also for the Benedict family, another issue that is being shown here is the difference of cultures that Bick and Leslie inhabits. Texas and Maryland are completely different worlds and miles apart, the 2 main characters are at times out of place when not in their familiar surroundings. Only Leslie was able to adapt and was even able to change Bick's attitude and character as the years pass.

Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor ages gracefully, they both appear wide eyed and naive as shown in their early years on the film but they both learn from each other as the film progresses.

Dennis Hopper and Carol Baker are both effective in their roles as the Benedict children, both also able to mature from their roles as children to grown ups like their "parents" as the the years pass by. Jordy (Dennis Hopper ) is supposed to inherit the ranch but is really more like his mother and wants to be a doctor, he also breaks away from tradition as he marries Juana a local Mexican girl. His father objects to the union at first because of the treatment of Mexicans at that time and racism was often a subject of the film. Judy (Fan Bennet) is more like his dad and wants to go to college at Texas Tech and have her own ranch but with her boyfriend Bob (Ear Holliman). I thought Fran Bennet's character was not given much attention but with a film this long the director would not have enough time to give each kid his own story.

Luz II (Carol Baker) is given a more interesting story as she is pursued by the now rich Oil Baron Jett Rink, she's the only character in the film who is able to see through Jett's loneliness and insecurities and feels sorry for him.

The film's story might have helped a little bit more if Luz (Mercedes McCambridge) had lived longer in the film,  McCambridge showed real toughness as the aging cowgirl. It would have been interesting to see Luz and Leslie actually get to lock horns or even resolve their differences, Sal Mineo also appears briefly as the teenage Angel Obregon.

But the most interesting character in the film of course is the handyman turned oil tycoon Jett Rink played by the iconic rebel himself James Dean. This is for me Dean's best performance, he only did 3 movies when he was alive but his presence on this film eventhough  brief dominated the whole movie and you just can't wait for him to show up on screen again. His deterioration from an ambitious young man to a drunk rotting millionaire was so believable you won't see any traces of James Dean on the character. There are scenes which are unforgettable like when Jett mumbles to himself on the car waiting for Leslie but you are still able to understand him, this is completely different from his idol Marlon Brando.

The chemistry between the actors though were I think a problem for Dean. Rock and Taylor looked pretty good together but it's completely different from Dean and Taylor. Taylor looked a little bit uneasy with Dean on each scene they were in, Taylor looked like a woman trying to talk and understand a moody child which I'm not sure Stevens intended. The problem with Dean in the film is he dominates every scene he is in even with a room full of people. Even with Bick's physically imposing presence you are still unable to take your eyes off Jett. Your eyes are glued to his every movement, twitch, facial expression and you almost get the feeling that you are watching a different film.

The scene that I found amusing was when Jett was being offered money by Bick to buy back the land that Luz gave to him. All of the men on the room were teasing him on how much money he will get, but Jett seems to be in another place and time not paying attention just playing with his rope and adjusting the knots.
Llegend persists that Rock Hudson was irritated by this because Dean always upstaged him, as shown on that scene Bick is not amused and all the other actors is anticipating what  the unpredictable Dean would do. I don't blame him for this because it will take a really good actor to take away a scene from a force of nature like James Dean.

But to sum up it was still George Stevens film, he was able to portray the characters of the film as big as the state of Texas itself. Even though Dean and Steven's did not get along (Dean was known as a difficult actor) they were able to make a classic film that are still being viewed today. 
You would also think that people should thank George Steven's because he was able to capture the last performance of one of cinema's iconic tragic rebel.

Of all of James Dean's films my most favorite is of course this very film.

The scene where Jett is walking along his land and checking the fence amidst the beautiful landscape and the skies all clear, he's smiling and seemed to be counting each step then climbing and sitting on top of the windmill. It was so iconic and poetic I feel that every time I watch that scene I remember that a true rebel once walked this Earth.

Grade: A