Giant (1956)

97% of critics liked it
(35 reviews)
85% of users liked it
(22,301 ratings)

George Stevens' sprawling adaptation of Edna Ferber's best-selling novel successfully walks a fine line between potboiler and serious drama for its 210-minute running time, making it one of the few epics of its era that continues to hold up as engrossing entertainment across the decades. Giant opens… More George Stevens' sprawling adaptation of Edna Ferber's best-selling novel successfully walks a fine line between potboiler and serious drama for its 210-minute running time, making it one of the few epics of its era that continues to hold up as engrossing entertainment across the decades. Giant opens circa 1922 in Maryland, where Texas rancher Jordan "Bick" Benedict (Rock Hudson) has arrived to buy a stallion called War Winds from its owner, Dr. Horace Lynnton (Paul Fix). But much as Bick loves and knows horses, he finds himself even more transfixed by the doctor's daughter, Leslie Lynnton (Elizabeth Taylor), and after some awkward moments, she has to admit that she's equally drawn to the shy, laconic Texan. They get married and Leslie spends her honeymoon traveling with Jordan to his ranch, Reata, which covers nearly a million acres of Texas. Once there, however, she finds that she has to push her way into her rightful role as mistress of the house, past Bick's sister, Luz (Mercedes McCambridge), who can't accept her brother's marriage or the changes it means in the home they share. Also working around Reata is the laconic ranch hand Jett Rink (James Dean) -- from a family as rooted in Texas as the Benedicts but not nearly as lucky (or "foxy"), Jett is dirt-poor and barely educated at all, and he fairly oozes resentment at Bick for his arrogance, although Luz likes him and for that reason alone Bick is obliged to keep him on. One thing Jett does have in common with his employer is that he is in awe of Leslie's beauty; another is his nearly total contempt for the Mexican-Americans who work for them -- Jett and Bick may have contempt for each other, but either one is just as likely to dismiss the Mexican-Americans around them as a bunch of shiftless "wetbacks." Luz feels so threatened with a loss of power and control that she decides to assert herself with War Winds, yet another "prize" that Bick brought back from Maryland that resists her authority -- then decides to ride the stallion despite being warned that no one but Leslie is wholly safe on him, and spurs him brutally in an effort to break him, which ends up destroying them both in the battle of wills she starts. After Luz's death, Jett learns that she left him a tiny piece of land for his own, on Reata, which he refuses to sell back to Bick, preferring to keep it for his own and maybe prospect for oil on it. Meanwhile, Leslie and Bick have their own problems -- Leslie can't abide the wretched conditions in which the Mexican families who work on Reata are allowed to live, taking a special interest in Mr. and Mrs. Obregon and their baby, Angel; but Bick doesn't want his wife, or any member of his family, concerning themselves with "those people." Leslie's humanity and her independence push their marriage to the limit, but Bick comes to accept this in his wife, and in four years of marriage they have three handsome children, a boy and two girls, and a loving if occasionally awkward home life. Meanwhile, Jett strikes oil on his land -- which he's named Little Reata -- and in a couple of years he's on his way to becoming the richest man in Texas, getting drilling contracts on all of the land in the area (except Reata) and making more money than the Benedicts ever saw from raising cattle. Bick is almost oblivious to the way Jett grows in power and influence across the years and the state, mostly because he's got his own family to worry about, including a son, Jordan III (Dennis Hopper), who doesn't want to take over the ranch from him, but wants instead to be a doctor; an older daughter, Judy (Fran Bennett), who wants to study animal husbandry and marry a local rancher (Earl Holliman) and start a tiny spread of her own; and a younger daughter, Luz (Carroll Baker), who's just a bit man-crazy and star-struck by the movies.The American entry into the Second World War and the resulting need for oil forces Bick to go into business with Jett and allow him to drill on Reata, and suddenly the Benedicts are wealthy enough to be part of Jett Rink's circle, which includes the governor of the state and at least one United States senator at his beck and call -- and Luz develops a serious crush on Jett, who likes his women young and is especially attracted to her, as Bick's and Leslie's daughter. Young Jordan marries Juana, a Mexican-American nursing student (Elsa Cardenas), and his father accepts it begrudgingly, with help from Leslie. The war kills Angel Obregon (Sal Mineo), a death that even affects Bick, but the Benedict family gets through it wealthier than ever and grows some more with the birth of Jordan IV to Jordie and Juana. When the family attends a gala opening of Jett Rink Airport, which concludes with a dinner honoring Jett's success, however, young Jordan's wife is humiliated by Jett's racist edicts, and he is beaten up by Jett's men after punching the oil baron. Seeing this, Bick challenges his old rival to the fight that's been brewing for a quarter of a century and wins by default, Jett being too drunk to defend himself or to hit; he's also too drunk to make the grand speech that was to climax the celebration, and he ends up alone in the ballroom. The Benedicts have it out with each other, young Jordan accusing his father of being as much a racist as Jett, and Leslie caught in the middle between her husband and her son. It looks like the Benedicts may lose each other, until an encounter with a racist diner owner forces Bick to stand up and get knocked down (more than once) defending his daughter-in-law and his grandson. Seen today, Giant seems the least dated of any of James Dean's three starring films, in part because it addresses issues that remain relevant more than 50 years later, and also because it has the best all-around acting and the best script of any of the three. Taken in broader terms, it's even better, with two of the best performances that Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson ever gave, and perhaps the second best of Hudson's whole career (after Seconds) -- the only unfortunate element at modern theatrical screenings is the tendency of younger viewers, who only know him in terms of the revelations late in his life of his being gay, to laugh and snicker at elements of Hudson's characterization; but his work is so good that the titters usually fade after the first 30 minutes or so. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: G, 3 hr. 17 min.
Directed By: George Stevens
Written By: Fred Guiol, Ivan Moffat
Genres: Western, Drama, Romance, Classics

In Theaters: Nov 24, 1956 Wide
On DVD: Jun 10, 2003
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff, Variety
An excellent film which registers strongly on all levels, whether it's in its breathtaking panoramic shots of the dusty Texas plains; the personal, dramatic impact of the story itself, or the resounding message it has to impart.
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
Much of it is awful, but it's almost impossible not to be taken in by the narrative sprawl.
Douglas Pratt, Hollywood Reporter
A real movie is big, grand, magnificent and regales you with all the power that movies can wield upon a viewer's imagination and spirit. George Stevens' 1956 production, Giant, is a real movie.
Bosley Crowther, New York Times
Giant, for all its complexity, is a strong contender for the year's top-film award.
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
At 202 minutes, it's just too long, yet it has the pull of nostalgia (if you're of a certain age) and sustains its emotional impact as a portrait of a durable marriage.
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
Although Giant may not be a classic in the purest sense of the word, it's a fine example of a virtually-extinct genre.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Like the title says.
, Film4
Its deeper themes and superb performances from Taylor, Hudson and Dean make it a classic Hollywood epic.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
Dean's last performance is poetry in motion.
Geoff Andrew, Time Out
Stevens' sprawling epic of Texan life, taken from Edna Ferber's novel, strives so hard for Serious Statements that it ends up as a long yawn.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Some critics consider Giant to too bloated and sprawling, but by its era's standards, it exposed idelogical cracks in the American Dream, the myth of melting pot, women's allotted place in society.
Dan Callahan, Slant Magazine
Giant defines the word "interminable," and watching it just once is guaranteed to lop at least a year off your life.
Dan Callahan, Slant Magazine
For a reason I cannot fathom, Giant still has a reputation as a fine film, and it will no doubt go on boring audiences forever and a day.
Douglas Pratt, Movie City News
The film is bursting with delightful entertainments and arresting beauty, living up to the promise of its title in every way.
Dan Jardine, Apollo Guide
This two-disc DVD set is packed with interesting special features.
Dan Jardine, Apollo Guide
An uneven, but satisfying variation on the traditional western.
Luke Y. Thompson, New Times
Old-fashioned life-of-a-family pic that's like nothing you'll see today -- and I mean that in the best way possible.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Overrated, overlong, and marred by some of the worst old age make-up ever seen.

Read all 18 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Chris W

George Stevens is lucky he made this when he did, since I doubt he'd have been able to get away with making a film that favored storytelling over running time in this day and age. Yeah, that's right, this sucker is 210 gloriously excessive minutes of soapy melodrama on a… More
George Stevens is lucky he made this when he did, since I doubt he'd have been able to get away with making a film that favored storytelling over running time in this day and age. Yeah, that's right, this sucker is 210 gloriously excessive minutes of soapy melodrama on a grand scale, covering the lives of a few generations of rivalry and love between old money Texas cattle barons and new money Texas oil tycoons during the early 20th Century. It touches upon an interesting bit of Texas history, and deals with issues of racism, classism, and female independence as well, although these last three issues don't come as revolutionary like they did in 1956. This is a sprawling film, and, though it does have some really good moments, I hesitate to call it a classic. It's overlong (in places), really soppy and melodramatic, a bit dated, and doesn't have the weight it could. I sure as hell dug the production aspects though, that's for sure. This sucker as great cinematography, wonderful sets and costumes, decent music, and some excellent shooting locations. Oh yeah, and the performances are pretty decent, too. You've got young Elizabeth Taylor putting in some solid work, a decent turn from Rock Hudson, and James Dean in his final film (he died a few days after he finished shooting his scenes) knocking it out of the park in a very histrionic performance as the rugged rogue. There's also young Dennis Hopper and scene stealing Mercedes McCambridge. All in all, a decent film, but nothing truly remarkable beyond the surface. It's definitely deserving of the title epic though, even if it is fluff.
Reid V

A brave, and epic film for its time. You cannot help but be amazed by its bold message, it's strong acting, and the amount of issues he tackles in this film.
Conner R

It might not be one of the greatest movies ever made, but it's sure important. While it might appear to be a love story on the outer shell, this is really about class structure and racism. Elizabeth Taylor's crusade as a humanitarian stretches over 25 years, as does her… More
It might not be one of the greatest movies ever made, but it's sure important. While it might appear to be a love story on the outer shell, this is really about class structure and racism. Elizabeth Taylor's crusade as a humanitarian stretches over 25 years, as does her struggle with her marriage and family life. When you look at James Dean's Jett, all he wanted to do was to become as rich and powerful as Bick so he could win the heart of Leslie when that was something she never admired about her husband to begin with. All the side-characters, scenery, thickness and rich storytelling really pays off. You almost feel like a Benedict by the end of the movie. The conclusion in the diner is one of the greatest and most rewarding build ups in movie history.
Jennifer X

Epic love stories have to be really tightly strung for me to completely feel it, and Giant does a pretty good job with it. James Dean is excellent, as is Liz Taylor. I like how it covers racism sort of subtly.
Ken S

Really long and occasionally brilliant, this production lives up to it's name in the scale of the story alone. James Dean's best overall performance.
Veronique K

"giant" is james dean's final screen presence, perhaps the leastly empathetic one. it's an overlong "masterpiece" of george stevens who brings the dynamic trio of taylor, hudson and dean together to delineate a epic of texas. excessively ambitious, but… More
"giant" is james dean's final screen presence, perhaps the leastly empathetic one. it's an overlong "masterpiece" of george stevens who brings the dynamic trio of taylor, hudson and dean together to delineate a epic of texas. excessively ambitious, but the plots're teetering after the first hour and it almost flops. the epic sets off with mighty texasian ranch baron(hudson) who discovers the breathbreaking beauty from the daughter(taylor) of a prestiged family who sells the horse he wants in the east coast. then the dashing baron walks away with the horse as stallion and the daughter as wife. but this woman is more brightful and un-tamed than what he expects, so they quarrel over their perceptions on various local customs. meanwhile the insolent, outrageous worker of his sister's (dean) harbors a severe crush on his lovely wife, and this petite worker inherits a small piece of lean land of baron's according to his sister's will, so this insignificant man gets to be the biggest texasian tycoon to emulate him. the first one hour of the film is highly watchable for its grappling tension between the trio, and the smoldering covet of dean's character for taylor is a great stimulant to defy rock hudson who is literarily the stance of patriachy. and mercedes maccambridge gives an impressionable cameo as hudson's rough-to-the-bone "cowgirl" sister who wants to teach taylor a lesson of how to be a competent texasian wife, but maccambridge who may be the most interesting character dies too soon to redeem the giant from being a lump of ponderous work. the gratuitous feast for the eye would probably be the youthful looks of taylor and hudson while james dean's boyish cuteness is shrouded by the muddy cowboy hat. when the trio play out the senile part with grey dust sprinkled over their ebony hair, the movie loses its charm. additionally, it is comically absurd to see james dean in overcoat with oversized shoulder-paddings to dwarf his height. the whole flick remains in a certain interesting light until the character began to age and their kids grow into goofy teenage bores. who cares how those kids are gonna be? give me back the dynamic trio in their glowing beauty. the first hour passes, the story starts to go flat with all those politically righteous issues, such as racial bigotry, the demise of ranch business and the swarming oil-pumping fever. and it's very corny and contrived to assert racial equality by having the son married to a hispanic woman, then the patriach fistfights in a local restaurant to claim the notion of civil rights. also it attempts to bare the wasted hollowness of the nouveau riche by having dean's character rot in alcoholism an his un-fulfilled yearnings for elizabeth taylor, so the shrewd capitalist who is smart enough to conquer the market insightfully must be pathetic loser who groans like a wretched baby? so the reactionary family, as long as they embrace multiculturalism, could thrive as a whole. oddly two actors of "rebel without a cause" also appear in the giant, dennis hopper and "plato", the rebel gay who adores dean. unfortunately the james dean formuli cannot fit into the giant, and my private doubt would be, could james dean play any other character except the stretched reflection of himself? it's like, if he seeks an appropriate niche for his idiosyncrasies, he dominates the show, if not, he vanishes into thin air carrying his personal wound to rush toward the merciless highway then passes for good without even bidding a farewell to others. (ps) as i pointed out, the james dean pattern would be eternal defiance to paternality or the void of patriachal recognitions. for the giant, it would be his repugnance to rock hudson who symbolizes the authorized patriach who possesses everything he covets but couldn't get as the void of recognition, even he's got everything, he still mourns over the abscence of the beautiful wife of hudson's that he couldn't have. also, the last shooting of giant is the scene dean serves tea to elizabeth taylor, but he got too god-damned nervous to pull it off, but the whole crew of 2000 men were awaiting him to finish, so he took the necessary means to get riddance of his nervousness: take a piss in front of the 2000 crew!!! dean announces, if he has the courage to take a piss in front of everyone, he would also have the guts to finish his last scene with taylor.
Saskia D

I enjoyed this movie immensely! Although I liked Deans goofy character, Taylor and Hudson made the biggest impression on me. I don't want to bother you with what the movie is about, but what I can say that it's more than a story about the life of a family, it also covers… More
I enjoyed this movie immensely! Although I liked Deans goofy character, Taylor and Hudson made the biggest impression on me. I don't want to bother you with what the movie is about, but what I can say that it's more than a story about the life of a family, it also covers some very interesting social themes. This movie had everything that I missed in the Maltese Falcon (which I saw a couple of days ago). Although it's running time is very generous, it didn't take any effort to watch it all the way through.
William S

The cast are great, especially James Dean and Mercedes McCambridge but I always find it hard going getting to the end of this!
Dean M

Absolutely 1956 epic about a cattle-ranching family still packs a punch. Although the lead performances by Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean are amazing in their character from 20s to aged "older" with make-up.
Michael G

Runs a bot long, but the scenes with Dean and Taylor are great.
Kalel J

Quite simply, a masterpiece. Giant is a triumphant film that spans decades in it's storytelling to convey many different aspects of life. This is a film that gives an insight into family and the expectations of those close to us, of solitude and longing for a place, and of racial… More
Quite simply, a masterpiece. Giant is a triumphant film that spans decades in it's storytelling to convey many different aspects of life. This is a film that gives an insight into family and the expectations of those close to us, of solitude and longing for a place, and of racial tolerance in a changing society. The performances of those in this film are breathtaking, Hudson and Dean are electrifying in their leads as they play each side to the messages given to us. Hudson gives his character the inflections of a head strong man but is able to convert that into a change as the film progresses, and James Dean, as usual, plays his character perfectly in all regards (in every scene that Dean is in he steals the show). George Steven has a lot of ground to cover with this epic and he does it with style, giving the film a rythm that abstains from the possible pitfalls the film could have suffered. The only qualm I have with this film is that James Dean was underused, the story was begging for more of his character; but, without that we are instead treated to a more in depth look at the family of this Texas ranch. Giant is an asonishing film that succeeds on all accounts and is highly recommendable.
Dannielle A

When I borrowed this movie, it did not say "Side A" it only said "widescreen" so I thought that the other side would be full screen. I ended up watching the entire movie from middle to end (and it was looooong!) I didn't realize that I missed the whole first… More
When I borrowed this movie, it did not say "Side A" it only said "widescreen" so I thought that the other side would be full screen. I ended up watching the entire movie from middle to end (and it was looooong!) I didn't realize that I missed the whole first half until the movie was over and I looked at the front cover of the DVD and thought, "Hey, I didn't see Elizabeth Taylor with black hair or James Dean with brown hair. They both had gray hair. That's strange..." So I flipped it over and started to watch the beginning. I was like oooooh man I just ruined the whole movie for myself but now things are really starting to make sense that didn't make sense before like the part where the guy I just met died and they made a big deal out of his death and I didn't know why because I didn't know who he was. The movie stinks because I saw it backwards but maybe if I come back to it in the future, it will make more sense!
Mike T

Although it may not have the graceful structure of a masterpiece like Gone with the Wind, I consider Giant to be a great film in its own right. The scope of the picture is enormous, and although it isn't always ideally handled, the strength of the material radiates through its… More
Although it may not have the graceful structure of a masterpiece like Gone with the Wind, I consider Giant to be a great film in its own right. The scope of the picture is enormous, and although it isn't always ideally handled, the strength of the material radiates through its flaws. Making powerful statements about racial intolerance, sexism and class differences, this is a film that touches on a lot of themes. It's a piece full of rapturous visual appeal, filled with memorable set pieces and performances. As a finale to his three-picture career, James Dean is particularly brilliant. For fans of classic Hollywood epics, this is a must-see.
Dimitris S

James Dean is in and out of the screen.The respective leads flash in an instant and if the terrific direction won't shun you,family epics aren't your thing.Stevens reaches pinnacle and as the sparkling tension of American civilized attention processes,we can always diminish… More
James Dean is in and out of the screen.The respective leads flash in an instant and if the terrific direction won't shun you,family epics aren't your thing.Stevens reaches pinnacle and as the sparkling tension of American civilized attention processes,we can always diminish those criticisms and enjoy the ruthless catapults of ranchers,crooks and brawlers.
Andre T

A great modern epic.
Marion R

A really neat epic film. I really loved Dean's performance in this film. Really enjoyied this film.

Read all 16 featured audience ratings

Cast

            Elizabeth Taylor as Leslie Lynnton

            Rock Hudson as Bick Benedict

            James Dean as Jett Rink

            Carroll Baker as Luz Benedict II

            Mercedes McCambridge as Luz Benedict

            Jane Withers as Vashti Synthe

            Sal Mineo as Angel Obregon Ill

            Chill Wills as Uncle Bawley

            Dennis Hopper as Jordan Benedict III

            Judith Evelyn as Mrs. Horace Lynnton

            Paul Fix as Dr. Horace Lynnton

            Rod Taylor as Sir David Karfrey

            Earl Holliman as Bob Dace

            Robert Nichols as Pinky Synthe

            Alexander Scourby as Old Polo

            Fran Bennett as Judy Benedict

            Charles Watts as Whitside

            Elsa Cardenas as Juana Benedict

            Carolyn Craig as Lacey Lynnton

            Monte Hale as Bale Clinch

            Mary Ann Edwards as Adarene Clinch

            Victor Millan as Angel Obregon I

            Mickey Simpson as Sarge

            Pilar del Rey as Mrs. Obregon

            Maurice Jara as Dr. Guerra

            Noreen Nash as Lorna Lane

            Napoleon Whiting as Swazey

            Ray Whitley as Watts

            Tina Menard as Lupe

            Fernando Alvarado
            
            Barbara Barrie as Mary Lou Decker

            Ray Bennett as Dr. Borneholm

            Richard Bishop
            
            Tex Driscoll as Clay Hodgins Sr.

            George Dunn as Verne Decker

            Ella Ethridge as General's Wife

            Bill Hale as Bartender

            Mark Hamilton as Guard

            Paul Kruger as General

            Charles Meredith as Minister

            Tom Monroe
            
            Julian Rivero as Old Man

            Slim Talbot as Clay Hodgins

            Max "Alibi" Terhune as Dr. Walker

            Felipe Turich as Gomez

            Natividad Vacio as Eusebio

            Rush Williams as Waiter

            Sheb Wooley as Gabe Target

            Steven Kay as Jordan Age 4

            John Garcia as Angel as an Infant

            Eddie Baker as Governor

            Juney Ellis as Essie Lou Hodgins

            Maxine Gates as Mrs. Sarge

            Guy Teague as Harper
See full cast