claudiaeilcinema
Strange what time does. I wasn't in a hurry to see Giant again. I had a fuzzy memory of the film. I remembered James Dean but I also remembered the length and the pace. Now in 2018 it had a completely different effect. I was riveted from beginning to end. Elizabeth Taylor ! How is it that I didn't remember the groundbreaking aspect of her character. She's a woman of the future tied by marriage to a reactionary past. I was born in Italy but I've been married to a Texan for 23 years. I know Texas well and I know the difference between Texas and New York as well as Texans who never left Texas and Texans who have lived and traveled elsewhere. Giant, made in 1956 tells us that without partisan bias. That's how it was and how, in many respects still is. James Dean, magic, of course Rock Hudson is terrific but it is Elizabeth Taylor's film. Carroll Baker, Dennis Hopper, Mercedes McCambridge and Sal Mineo are moving parts of this arid and beautiful landscape.
HotToastyRag
Giant lived up to its title, in every sense of the word. It starred the famously tall Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor, a petite woman with a larger-than-life personality off screen. George Stevens, one of the great Hollywood legends, directed the movie, and James Dean tragically died before the film was released, elevating it to an entirely different echelon. And at three and a half hours, it certainly had a gigantic running time as well.While there are more all-American themes, such as settlers and Native Americans, or the Revolutionary War, Giant comes close to one of the most American films that came out of the twentieth century. Rock Hudson comes from money; oil runs through his veins. He picks the strong-tempered Liz Taylor for a wife, and she doesn't always fit in with his lifestyle. Instead, she seeks solace in her friendship with James Dean, a common hired hand, who represents the absolute opposite of her husband. One scrapes and claws for a chance to become a giant. The other already is, but he risks losing everything by resting on his laurels.A powerful metaphor for the American Dream, Giant garnered ten Oscar nominations, and won Best Director. James Dean gives a startling performance, given his youth, but it's heartbreaking to watch him in the film. On screen in the epic, he reaches an older age than he did in real life. To me, it's one of those classics that you watch once or twice but don't really want to own in your collection, but give it a try and see if you like it!
texastay
The first time I ever watched this film I was about 17 years old and I loved the movie because being a Texan, I could relate to some of the themes in the movie.Now that i'm in my 20s, I tried watching this movie again but I just couldn't finish it. The movie goes on way too long, there are so many things about it that just feel too unrealistic like Liz and Rock getting married after only knowing each other for barely one day, and Liz wanting to stay living in an ugly desert after having moved from the beautiful and lush green east coast, etc. But what bothered me the most about watching this film was the hypocrisy of Liz's character. She judges the Texans for their unequal treatment of the Mexicans and yet whenever there is a scene in Liz's home back east the African-Americans are not treated equally to the whites, and yet this hypocrisy is never explored.I think that this was a good movie for its time because it brings up the issues of racism, sexism, and poverty in a time when these issues were not discussed in movies, but now that it's the 21st century I feel this movie is dated and there are other movies out there that deal with these controversial issues much better.
gloria-26-49384
I want to say I've been unable to watch this classic all these years, as the airing times never were on during a time I could watch it. However, last night on TCM the times finally worked out and I viewed the movie from beginning to end. Let me say the cinematography was awesome, and the actors were AMAZING, the entire cast pulled off their roles flawlessly. With that being said, I didn't like a single character in the movie at all. The story was not your typical "I want to be entertained happy ending." As a result the 5 rating I give is only for the actors and cinematography of the piece. I finished watching the movie not liking anyone in it as a character there was not one to identify with morally, intellectually, or emotionally. Had there been one character I liked I would have rated it probably higher.
AD
