The Big Country
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Movie Reviews of The Big Country
Movie Review: A fine Western that gets better with repeat viewings.
Summary: 5 Stars
"The Big Country," William Wyler's attempt at a Western super-masterpiece, doesn't quite achieve everything Wyler set out to do--there are a few too many panoramic scenes of the Great Plains, for example, in which nothing else is happening. The best parts of this movie, however, are so good that it easily deserves to be ranked as one of Hollywood's classic Westerns. It's interesting to contrast "The Big Country" with its contemporary, "The Searchers," which was denigrated as a mere programmer when first released but now is hailed as perhaps the definitive Western. It's true that John Ford's view of Western society is more mordant and finely shaded than Wyler's. Also, John Wayne's performance in "The Searchers" blows away both Gregory Peck's and Charlton Heston's in "The Big Country;" and although both Franz Planer's photography in "Big Country" and Winton C. Hoch's in "Searchers" are astonishingly beautiful, Monument Valley is simply more interesting to look at than the empty plains. But for all that, I still prefer "The Big Country," for any number of reasons. Its supporting cast is better than that in "The Searchers," and has juicier roles to play; Vera Miles in "Searchers" simply can't compare with either Jean Simmons or Carroll Baker in "Big Country," and Burl Ives' performance as Rufus Hanassey is one of the all-time classic character performances. Jerome Moross' score for "Big Country" is THE classic Western score of all time; the opening credits of "Big Country," showing the stagecoach galloping across the plains to Moross' energizing, haunting main theme, is one of the most stirring images in all cinema. (Compare this with the syrupy folksiness of the Sons of the Pioneers, in my opinion a major irritant in all of Ford's Westerns.) But above all, the big difference between "The Big Country" and "The Searchers" is faith, hope and charity. "The Big Country" insists that reasonable men of good will can make a difference in their society; "The Searchers" sneers at such optimism, insisting that society and community are Band-Aids on the raging cancer of the world as it is. Somewhere between the two viewpoints lies reality, but I know which viewpoint I prefer. (If you want to see a really great John Ford Western, I recommend "Stagecoach" or "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.") Big in every way, with a panoramic sweep and vigor that improve with each successive viewing. "The Big Country" is a solid four-and-half stars, and I'm happy to throw in the extra half-star.Movie Review: The only Western that I highly recommend watching
Summary: 5 Stars
Although my tastes in film are very broad, I am not fond of Westerns. However, "The Big Country" is an excellent film. It is a Western, but in many ways it doesn't FEEL like a Western. The film's intelligence, strong characters, and reliance on humanity provide a superior storyline to the traditional shoot-`em-up mentality so common in Westerns. The basic premise concerns retired sea captain James McKay (Peck), who travels West to marry his fiancé Pat Terrill (Baker), whom he met while she was visiting Baltimore. He is quickly thrown in the middle of a huge family feud between the wealthy Terrills and the struggling Hannasseys, presumably over water rights at the Big Muddy, a dormant ranch owned by the lovely schoolteacher Julie (Simmons). However, McKay, the intelligent outsider, sees through the feuding patriarchs (Bickford and Ives). What follows is, in my opinion, one of the most effective showdowns in Western cinema (forget "High Noon").
The characterization in this film is particularly strong. Gregory Peck is very good, as always, even though his McKay character has a level of integrity that may be just a BIT hard to swallow. Carroll Baker's role as the spoiled only child is sickeningly good. Jean Simmons is sweet and demure, but strong and self-sufficient, a perfect contrast to her friend, Pat. Charles Bickford's egotistical role as Major Henry Terrill is great, and his questionable relationship with his daughter raised my eyebrows. Charlton Heston's role is relatively small, but he provides the necessary tension and jealousy between himself, Baker, and Peck. In addition, his character's loyalty to Terrill, although misplaced, is touching. Chuck Connors' character as Buck Hannassey is vile, trashy, and degrading, but his performance is one of the most credible in the film. And, saving the best for last, Burl Ives is absolutely superb in the role of Rufus Hannassey, the overweight, bullying patriarch who simultaneously loves and hates his son Buck. He deserved the Best Supporting Actor Oscar that he won for this role.
There is one flaw to this film that stands out, and another reviewer mentioned it below: watch the canyon barricade scene near the end. The Terrill bunch HAD to see that coming, yet they acted surprised. Wyler missed it there, I think, but overall the film is a beautiful piece of cinema.
One last praise: the score. From the opening credits, this beautifully motivating music resounds throughout the film and is one of my favorites. Just beautiful.
Movie Review: One Of The AllTime Classics!
Summary: 5 Stars
From the opening titles of the galloping stagecoach horses, pulling against their bits, the harness and chains rattling and the spinning stagecoach wheels, this one had me HOOKED! Adult, smart, original, exciting, beautiful to look at, one of the most spectacular movie scores until Magnificent 7 and Dances With Wolves. (Why are the most inspiring scores western?)
I won't go into plot, everyone else did that. I do have trivia though:
I lived on a ranch and my landlady was actually the stunt lady for Jean Simmons and Caroll Baker. A small blond, she was the daughter of a horse trainer who trained movie stars to play polo in the 40s when polo was red-hot. This woman could ride like a Cossack and also played Debra Paget's double in the first Elvis picture "Love Me Tender" in which she jumped a horse off the bridge into the lake. I'm also suspicious that she may have doubled for Kim Darby in True Grit '69. She was small enough to play a 14 yr old girl.
She related that the movie was shot in Stockton, Calif., not Texas, and it was a very hot shoot, filmed in summer.
Contrary to their characters who didn't get along at all, Jean Simmons and Chuck Connors were carrying on a red-hot affair while filming.
The outlaw Appaloosa horse that tries to do in Peck was owned by Slim Pickens, an movie horse wrangler who fell into acting. One of the most intelligent horses who ever lived. Slim trained him. I had seen a picture in a horse magazine of Slim and this gelding jumping a convertible car with people sitting straight up in it. Probably a jump of a 5 foot spread and 5 feet in height. AND carrying the bulk of Slim who was originally a rodeo rider and trainer.
William Wyler wanted to make a great movie in each genre. Boy, did he succeed. A few years later, he made this little Biblical called "Ben Hur."
The movie score was as perfect as they come. My only complaint was the energetic piece played whenever Terrell made raids on the Hennesseys was never put on the (vinyl) record. This was the first time I came to realize that the major standard instrument for the western movie was the trumpet. You'll hear trumpets now in almost all westerns. It fits, it denotes masculinity, independence and strength.
My thanks to all the great artists involved in this classic! Wish we could have more like them now.
Movie Review: Only rarely the t'wain shall meet....
Summary: 5 Stars
What we have here is a blood feud over water rights between two ranching families headed by Major Henry Terrill (Charles Bickford) and Rufus Hannassey (Burl Ives), with school teacher Julie Maragon (Jean Simmons) caught in the middle. Directed by William Wyler with stunning cinematography by Franz Planer, we follow a narrative which involves the engagement of Easterner James McKay (Gregory Peck) to Terrill's beloved daughter Pat (Carroll Baker). Frankly, what he sees in her continues to elude my understanding. Some reviewers have dismissed this as a "B" movie but I do not. The quality of the acting (notably Ives's which earned him an Academy Award for best supporting actor) is outstanding. Although in what I guess could be considered a minor role as Steve Leech, Terrill's ramrod, Charlton Heston delivers a remarkably nuanced and controlled performance as does Chuck Connors as Buck Hannassey. This is much less a western than a study of two patriarchs (Terrill and Hannassey) who play a zero sum game to gain control of access to water on which they and their herds obviously depend. But there is something else at work in this great but (for whatever reasons) under appreciated film. Julie Maragon is quite willing to allow both patriarchs access to the water. That is not the core issue: rather, it is the conflict between the inflated egos of two proud and stubborn men who detest each other. For me, one of the most memorable scenes occurs when, just before dawn, McKay and Leech finally have it out. It is an awkward but inevitable and immensely effective fist fight, with much of it filmed as if we were observing it at a distance. Of course, the fist fight achieves nothing other than demonstrating that McKay is more of a "man" than Leech once thought. Before they begin throwing punches, McKay insists that no one know about their fight. Leech totally misunderstands McKay's reasons. Another memorable sequence of events focuses on Terrill and Hannassey as they slowly and carefully work their way through a canyon to their final confrontation. To repeat, theirs is a zero sum game except that neither wins. In these and other scenes, Planer's cinematography and Jerome Moross' music score blend effectively with the cast's superb performances under Wyler's direction.
Why has The Big Country been under appreciated, if not totally ignored among western films? I have no idea. I really don't.
Movie Review: A Classic Western, and a major breaker of the mold
Summary: 5 Stars
Somehow I missed this western for many decades, and its actually for the best that I did. If I had seen this movie earlier, it would have been a pan and scan version that completely misses great shots in the movie, including one of the most dramatic ever filmed in a western.
I first saw this on a TCM showing, which gave me the wide screen version this movie deserves. If you catch it on TV, don't watch it on Encore Westerns, as they show the pan and scan version.
For the story itself, the brilliance of this movie is a main character in a western that never fires a shot at a bad guy. In fact, the hero fires only one shot, and that into the dirt.
It is easy to think of this film as epic in scope, even tho only a few days are covered by it. The classic conflict between the 'civilized' cattle baron and his backwoods foe sets a stage in which the full panoply of western pageantry is displayed ... everything but a quick drawing hero. ;-) Captain McKay (Gregory Peck) is unarguably the best definition of a "man's man" that has ever appeared on film. He is not more heroic or more highly skilled than other film heroes. He is simply the best centered, most self confident man ever in a film role. He doesn't need to prove himself to anyone BUT himself. That is a refreshing and unique take on a film hero.
As much as I enjoy the acting and the story of this film, the score is just as magnificent. Majestic and sweeping, it perfectly sets the moods, at once keep tempo with the canter of horses and filling those wide open spaces with a sound you won't forget.
Unfortunately, this movie really needs a restoration. There are many "aged film" artifacts present. They're not as noticeable on your regular DVD player, but they stand out a lot on upconverted signals. Although I'd love to see a restored blu-ray, I don't know that this film is regarded as commercial enough for that to happen, which is a shame, as this is on my personal list of top 5 westerns of all time. Still, this DVD is the best you're going to see of "The Big Country" unless a restoration happens, and the movie is too big itself for the flaws to detract from your overall enjoyment.
Watch this movie and just enjoy. It is among the top westerns ever made, and likely among the top 25 or so films ever made.