The Big Country (1958)

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  September 7, 2008

  brooklynspo

  It's a big movie. Don't get lost.

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  April 8, 2010

  bbcfloridabound

  Excellent Movie, Charlton Heston arrives in a western town looking like a typical gentlemen from the east, he has to prove himself not only to local cow hands but also to the father of his future bride. Story has many turns and twist. Interesting to see Burl Ives and Chuck Conno... read morers in this movie. A Classic that should be of value in any collection. 5 Stars

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  July 14, 2007

  garyX

  Intelligent and handsome western with a strong cast, but many will find it a bit too long on talk and a little too short on action; especially considering it's 3 hour length.

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  April 6, 2012

  crossbladezero

  This film certainly lived up to the "Big" in its title, because it runs almost 170 minutes, and that's too much country for one man to handle. The only thing William Wyler seemed to love more than westerns were long movies. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out that M... read moreichael Cimino actually stole Wyler's print of "Heaven's Gate" and marketed as his own film. Yeah, I know that Wyler probably would have told us, but when he watched the film in 1980, he must have decided to make the announcement after he finished, only to die of boredom in 1981, while he was still watching the film. Such a shame; he only had two more years to go on the film. Yeah, I know, I haven't seen "Heaven's Gate" yet, so I probably have no right to call it boring, but hey, if it's anything like this film, then, well, I'm probably still gonna enjoy it, just like I kind of enjoy this film. Of course, if it is anything like this film, then chances are, it will, in fact, be slow, because although I did still like this film, I wasn't just kidding when I said that this close to 170 minute runtime is too much country to for one man to handle.
  
  You can look up, down, left and right, but you will find few major genre determiners that would describe this massive film an epic, and quite frankly, they're right. The scope of this film lacks sweep and doesn't pump too much substance into the story, leaving development lacking, lengthy scenes to feel inorganic and the film, itself, kind of dull at points. Much of the film is quiet and dry in atmosphere, with limited intrigue and oomph, and it's made all the worse by the fact that, while the film does have enough material in its script to be somewhat lengthy, it still does not deserve to run close to 170 minutes. For long periods of time, absolutely nothing happens, and what does happen is padded out to no end, resulting in a 167 minute should-be epic that just does not warrant its massive length, one of the greatest sins a film of this type can commit. So, it's absurdly overlong, dry, underdeveloped, messily structured and slow, and yet it's still pretty decent, and I'll tell you why: Because it's old. No, but seriously though, this is a film given way too much credit by the critics for nostalgia's sake, even with its many, many flaws. This is a mess of a film if there ever was one, but it is a consistently watchable film, made so engaging by its many moves that are respectable, particularly when it comes to style.
  
  If nothing else, the film is beautifully-shot, not having the broad scope of the epic that it should have been, but still have a lot of dimension. For its time, the cinematography is something to behold, and now, it's still impressively bold and lively, with handsome lighting that will have moments of being purely awe-inspiring. The film's gorgeous look is enough to sustain your attention for much of it, and the just as excellent production designs help, recreating this world with a kind of rural touch found in most westerns, as well the bleed-over of then-modern times in an organic and immersive fashion. The production is elaborate, eye-catching and supplements the engagement, which would still dissipate, were it not for the charm that really saves this film. Now, remember that although this was 1958, it was still the '50s and very much plagued by some pretty bad actresses, and there are plenty to go around here. Of course, the real stars is Gregory Peck, who was then "the" definitive star of the show, and rightfully so, based on that voice alone. Well, sure enough, Peck is electrically charismatic, especially when he plays off of the other also sharply charming members of this colorful cast, giving the film some weight and humanity; maybe not as much to warrant the gratuitously mammoth runtime, but still enough to keep you going through all of the slow spots and low point, and render this film ultimately rather enjoyable.
  
  In the end (Yeah, I'm surprised this film ended eventually, as well), the film lacks the scope and intrigue to warrant its overlong length and makes that sting all the worse with spotty storytelling, limited exposition and overall slowness throughout, but the film goes supported by gripping photography and production designs that really bring this world to life, though not quite as sharply as Gregory Peck and company, all of whom boast the sharp charisma and chemistry needed to make "The Big Country" a charming and watchable classic piece, even with its missteps.
  
  2.5/5 - Fair

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• 
  
  January 18, 2009

  xxdebxx

  This movie has a strong message of non-violence, fair play and justice. Gregory Peck plays a sea Captain whose soft talk and quiet demeanor leads Charlton Heston's character to believe him weak and timid. A story of a man who steps into what is to him a totally alien world and de... read morecides not to become a part of it. He cares not a whit what others think, only that he lives up to his own values and standards. He is a man of honor who proves nothing to anyone except to himself. What a story. A great asset to the film is the rousing musical score. Its upbeat tempo tells you that you're in for a grand western but this is not just a western. It is pure greatness from William Wyler and a cast that added strength to the film. Burl Ives and Charles Bickford played their respective roles with the intenseness and professionalism of a classic Shakespearean play and Charlton Heston was perfect as the antagonist to Gregory Peck. Jean Simmons was absolutely intriguing. As a woman watching this movie, I soon realized what Mr. Peck would begin to see in this woman as the movie progressed.It is a big country and wonderful one at that. If you have never seen it, please do. You will not regret it.

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  August 27, 2011

  Tecnoandre

  This is a superb western, one of the best i ever seen.Directed by William Wyler. It stars Gregory Peck, who also co-produced the film with Wyler, plus Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker, Charlton Heston, Burl Ives, Charles Bickford, and Chuck Connors. It was based on the serialized maga... read morezine novel Ambush at Blanco Canyon by Donald Hamilton.
  Ives won the Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award. The film was also nominated for an Academy Award for the musical score by Jerome Moross.With a beautiful cinematography, filmed entirely in open fields, and an exciting musical score, this is a must see movie!

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  October 23, 2008

  mingsysar

  One of the greatest westerns ever made. The scenery, acting and story are inspiring. But the music is the best thing in this film.

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  October 4, 2008

  thrusz

  Okay, I went on this long tirade about how I wouldn't serve justice to Red River because it has been so long since I've seen it. Then I end up writing the longest, most in-depth review that I have written in a long, long time. Hopefully, the same thing will happen to thi... read mores movie because I barely remember seeing it.
  
  Really, this is a character drama. This one is a bit more old west / Gone With the Wind than Red River really was, but at its core is a character story and I suppose that is why I liked it so much. I really have to stress how much like Gone With the Wind that it felt like. A) Really long runtime. 165 minutes. That doesn't always win me over. Then there is the content and the set design. Everyone is a very proper gentleman and lady. I was honestly expecting David O. Selznick's name to be stamped all over this movie, but there was none of that. It didn't stop the fact that there was this unnecessarily epic scale. I guess an epic scale is kind of called for in this kind of movie. It is a feud movie that takes place during a romance. Consider it Romeo and Juliet if Romeo wasn't a Montegue or a Capulet, but an outsider. Yeah, that's what this movie was.
  
  Again, this is one of those stories where the woman starts falling out of love with her man because she's crazy superficial. Luckily, this movie has the opposite message than the end of The Quiet Man. I can't help but make the comparison because both movies have male characters who are capable of practically anything, but are modest characters all the like. In Quiet Man, Wayne wins over his girl by finally slugging it out at her request. I have to say that I like the message in this movie better. Gregory Peck doesn't see the need to prove anything to anyone. He only needs to prove it to himself. I dig that in a cool way and that probably was my favorite part of this movie. That idea really isn't encouraged anymore. Really, we live in a world where cool is the norm and if someone is called out, there has to be an immediate and public response. But Peck is the kind of actor who can bring a really natural humilty to a character with out (ironically) flaunting the fact that he is modest. I have to say, "I love Gregory Peck."
  
  The feud story is an interesting one, but I don't think that it is really the greatest part of the movie. I have to say that Peck's story is the one that I'm primarily looking for and that the feud is simply part of the setting. This is a really obvious A and B storyline situation. Peck's main problem is resolved fairly early (in comparison to the whole 165 minutes) and the details are wrapped up with the B-line. But I suppose that the B-line is important enough that the story keeps on going and tries tugging at the Peck romance for a little bit longer. I didn't mind. The story was interesting enough and it gives the viewer a heck of a duel scene to respect. Really, the respectable part about the feud is the final sequence in the canyon. These characters end up evolving into the most despicable characters ever, but at least one of them has a sense of honor about his evil deeds. That's kind of an interesting paradox. You'd almost feel like the bearded guy (I told you, it's been a while.) would become fast-friends with Peck if there wasn't this whole family bloodfeud (not to be confused with the hit game show). The payoff is pretty solid at the end because it doesn't coddle the audience like Red River, but actually shows the way that this story would play out. I'm wildly impressed by that.
  
  I'm not saying it is a perfect movie. Heck, I think the movie is just too darned long and I wish it was cut down a little, but it is pretty solid and there's a lot of great stuff here.

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• 
  
  August 9, 2008

  xoxoxolovin2lovelovinxoxoxo

  some of the characters in this movie were really good to look up to. Mcay was an excellent example of a real man, and Julie was the perfect description of a good woman. you'll just have to see for yourselves.

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  May 16, 2008

  IsaacMahomie

  A great, great film. Classic film at it's best. A modern family feud, a man of great character.. oh it's amazing.

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• Gregory Peck as James McKay
• Jean Simmons as Julie Maragon
• Carroll Baker as Pat Terrill
• Charlton Heston as Steve Leech
• Burl Ives as Rufus Hannassey
• Charles Bickford as Maj. Henry Terrill
• Alfonso Bedoya as Ramon
• Chuck Connors as Buck Hannassey
• Chuck Hayward as Rafe

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• • Pat Terrill: Don't you care what people think?
  • James McKay: No, you're not responsible for what other people think, only what you are.

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