Barbara Rush, James Mason, Walter Matthau
A seriously ill schoolteacher becomes dependent on a "miracle" drug that begins to affect his sanity.
Stats: 85 reviews
Bigger Than Life is a movie I've looked forward to for a few years since seeing Martin Scorsese's Journey Through American Movies. Seeing James Mason in the throes of psychosis about to murder his son and claiming GOD WAS WRONG for not having Abraham kill Isaac was enough to add ...( read more)
Great movie with James Mason excellent as a man who takes a new drug to save his life only to have the side effects turn him into a raving psychotic. Wonderful performances by Mason and Barbara Rush as his long-suffering
wife. Widely regarded as Nicholas Ray's finest film.
Nothing to do with Biggy Smalls, this movie is occasionally-grating cheese with a shrieky performance from Christopher Olsen. Rush, Mason and Matthau do OK all things considered, but I think it would have been better if the doctors had prescribed him extasy instead.
The French went crazy over this at the time, just as they had of anything made by Nick Ray, but really, it's kind of an embarrassment.
A touching reflection on the effects of drug addiction. Bold and daring for tackling the bleak issue of addiction, especially for a film of the 1950s.
A brilliant dissection of life in the 50s. Cortosone in the film is really just the catalyst that unleashes Ed Avery's deep-seated dissatisfaction with his lot. The movie looks like a 50s magazine ad for the perfect middle class existence. But those glossy surfaces and split l...( read more)
This movie is guaranteed to be horrible so here is some Billy Squire for your amusement:
"Now everybody, have you heard
If you're in the game, then the stroke's the word
Don't take no rhythm, don't take no style
Got a thirst for killin' - grab your vial... "
First pers...( read more)
You could either look at this film and be amazed or see it as completely ridiculous. It has a lot of both. A massive melodrama held back from being looked at to seriously today by the dated quality given to it by the portrait of 50's domesticity.
You could love it or hate it, b...( read more)
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