The Big Country (1958)

I feel if you are an admirer of old classic American films this should be on the list. From the plots, dialogue, cast and filming this movie is hard to beat. Looking at all the Oscar nominees for 1958 it is my belief that this movie should have won more. Charleton Heston and Jean Simmons gave exceptional performances. Gregory Peck also was excellent. The entire cast could not be duplicated just like trying to remake the "Magnificent Seven". The bar was set too high. The music is epic and equal to the Grand Canyon Suite. I don't give out "10" easily but I lean towards it on this movie. Made in the late 50's this is amazing what Hollywood could do back then without all the HD CG of todays movies. This is a "pure" film.

THE BIG COUNTRY is a grand old American western pairing William Wyler and Gregory Peck. The film is best known these days for its excellent and stirring theme music which has gone down in film history as one of the best of all time. Other than that, it feels largely dated as a western, a film more in line with the types of genre movies that John Ford was making in the 1940s rather than the action-packed offerings that, say, John Wayne churned out in the 1950s.This certainly isn't a bad film and there's plenty to recommend it here, not least Wyler's sweeping vistas and the all-star cast. The film's sole problem is the running time; at nearly three hours, this is just way too long and gives the movie numerous pacing issues. I think if they'd lost an hour of the romantic scenes and the endless non-furtherance of the plot with Jean Simmons' character, it would have been a lot better.Still, fans of Gregory Peck will be rewarded by another dependable turn from the star, and the supporting players are to die for. I only know Burt Ives from his sweet Disney roles but he makes for a fine and imposing villain, supported well by Chuck Connors playing his son. Charlton Heston appears on the cusp of stardom with BEN HUR to follow shortly, and Carroll Baker brings feistiness to her part. There are plenty of memorable set-pieces here, it's just that patience-testing running time that's at fault.

This is in response to the many critics who have slated the "The Big Country" for being too long (a famous cry of derision) and for dragging along without the proverbial action. What I cannot understand is how many of these same critics wax lyrical about so many other films that "drag on" for well nigh three hours. I am thinking about some of David Lean's epics, for example ("Doctor Zhivago" and "Ryan's Daughter") which come to mind here. I am not for one moment suggesting that these films are boring or lacking in artistic merit. I am simply curious as to why "The Big Country" is constantly singled out in almost the all the opening lines of the commentaries that have been written.Is this tendency, perhaps, attributed to the fact that the film is a western? Is the western, then, supposed to adhere strictly to the time honoured formula of blood and thunder, hell and leather bang-bang served up in the customary ninety-minute time capsule? Strait-jacketed? Comparisons, I concede, are odious. Pray, allow me a moment to allude to another Western purely in an attempt to illustrate my point.A fellow reviewer on this forum, in his denunciation of "TBC" ("boring, boring") drew comparisons with Sergio Leone's "Once Upon A Time in the West" (a brilliant film, no doubt). In the words of respected critic, Leonard Maltin, the film is, "a languid operatic masterpiece". Maltin however, dismisses "TBC" as "an overblown western". And herein lies the rub!Both these films are thematically rich and complex, layered with gripping sub-plots emerging in all the respective stages of development. Both films are enrich by stellar performances from star-studded casts. There is never a dull moment in each. Even though the viewer may guess the outcome of "TBC", he or she is intrigued as to how the plot will finally resolve itself. This is what sustains the heart and soul of the picture.There is not a single flawed performance in "TBC". The actors remain true to the script. The action, like in "Once Upon a Time ..." and in Lean's masterpieces, is measured and seamless. It represents a study in the concentrated stream of consciousness (personified in the character of James Mackay). This is diametrically opposed by the smouldering temperments of many of the other characters in the fabric of the work; a classic case of antithetical counter-balancing, here. Pound for pound, ounce for ounce, "TBC" stands up to "Once Upon a Time ..." and its counterparts. Why then this prejudice against, "The Big Country"? It intrigues me!

I'm always appalled at how little William Wyler I've seen. I adore The Best Years of Our Lives and Roman Holiday, but Ben-Hur is underwhelming. Now with The Big Country winning my heart, he really deserves better. I'm a sucker for a good subversive Western. The myth of the American frontier in cinema is fascinating to me and any film that develops the ideas inherently has my attention. The Big Country is credited as the first pacifist Western as Gregory Peck refuses to fight until the last moment or acknowledge the seriousness of any conflict. He's an unconventional hero. One who teeters a line of cowardice. But this just makes him all the more endearing as a three dimensional character. Granted, the film has its caricature characters on the side, but the script has such a dry wit. Burt Ives won an Oscar for his role and coming in an hour into the film, there wasn't much spotlight left to share, but he certainly has his moments. It's a grand epic in visuals and length that I easily sunk into. It's a big country alright. Also boasts one of the best scores I've ever heard. Can't believe it's not considered a greater classic.8/10