Bigger Than Life (1956)

Although horribly miscast James Mason turns in a good performance as a man who overindulges in prescriptive cortisone. A happy well adjusted man turns into a psychotic monster bit by bit frightening everyone around him including his wife and son. The best performance in the film is that of Barbara Rush as Mason's wife and mother of their son Christopher Olsen. Mason after a few collapses and fainting spells is diagnosed with a rare malady that is causing the collapse of his arteries. Cortisone was an experimental treatment at the time, the most famous person taking it was Senator John F. Kennedy who was being treated secretly for Addison's Disease. All of which we learned after President Kennedy was assassinated. I myself was treated years ago for conjunctivitis with an eye drop in both eyes. Later on a shot to clear up skin problems. I can say that I never had the issues Mason did.As Mason's doctors Robert F. Simon and Roland Winters cautiously tell their patient cortisone will be a permanent part of your life now and it cannot be abused because we've detected bad side effects in people we've treated. But abuse it he does.Although James Mason has played American roles before I could not quite accept him as American here. For him it would have been better had the story taken place in an English setting. Part of this role called for him to be an old college jock, a football player and I could not buy that for a New York minute. Rush gave one of her best performances in a subtle and controlled way as Mason's frightened and concerned wife. Walter Matthau has a supporting role as a concerned neighbor and fellow teacher. Watching Bigger Than Life I could not help feeling if Matthau were in the lead the film would be better.Still Bigger Than Life is a fine drama about the evils of prescriptive drug abuse.

this is a very fun movie, especially to see with a responsive crowd. well meaning but overheated with casting that adds to the silliness resulting in a campy drama. (and for this I compare it to Mildred P, the films aren't terribly similar in any detail. this story is far simpler)there is also a very nice score by David Raksin* who seems to have been breathing the same "Atmostpheres" as Györgi Ligeti in a tech-y EKG sequence.* whose name I always thought was "Raskin" and it seems to me that William Winant, who knew or studied with DR pronounced it "Raskin" as well, but then on NPR I kept hearing "Raksin" and then came here to check, as the NPR guide also listed the composer's name as "Raksin"(I only mention this because I didn't have enough lines to publish the review.)

From director Nicholas Ray (In a Lonely Place, Rebel Without a Cause), it was later that I heard this film was a melodrama, and it featured in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, so I had to see it. Basically Ed Avery (A Star Is Born's James Mason, also producing) is the schoolteacher and family man who is suddenly struck by a series of increasing pains and blackouts, and in hospital it is confirmed that he has a inflammation of the arteries, called polyarteritis nodosa. He is at first told he may have only months to live, which upsets him, his wife Lou (Barbara Rush) and their son Richie (Christopher Olsen), but then they decide to try and experimental hormone drug, cortisone, to see if it will relieve and eventually eliminate the pain, and it seems to work. The doctors tell Ed he will have to take the cortisone tablets indefinitely if he wants prevent the pain and illness returning, and at home he makes a remarkable recovery, returning to his regular routine and home life. However signs start to show that this "miracle cure" has affects on Ed's personality and behaviour, as he starts to misuse and overtake them, causing nightmarish reactions. The drugs are causing him to have constant mood swings, irrational temper, and ultimately hideous and psychotic abuse with violence towards Lou and Richie, threatening their safety. Lou tries ways to get him to take less, or completely rid of the cortisone from her husband, including trying to get his friend, school caretaker Wally Gibbs (Walter Matthau) to help, but this only angers Ed much more. The drugs are eventually taken away from him and he restrained and put into hospital so that the drug affects can lessen and he can get back to his old self, and thankfully in the end he recovers, with no memory of his actions, and the doctors insist he will take much smaller doses in future, but Ed, Lou and Richie hug in relief. Also starring Robert F. Simon as Dr. Norton, Roland Winters as Dr. Ruric, Rachel Stephens as Nurse and Rusty Lane as Bob LaPorte. Mason gives a truly powerful performance as the at first mild-mannered and kind man who completely flips to become a scary, bully like, psychotic, megalomaniac monster towards his family, and Rush is perfect capturing the innocent fear and terror towards him, the bright colour scheme definitely works to create the striking scenes and feeling of unease, it is a must see psychological drama. Very good!

The casting of this film is strange. After all, James Mason playing a simple American school teacher is a stretch--especially when he had such a gorgeous British accent. And, when he talks about his great college football career, I couldn't help but laugh (perhaps he meant cricket)! But despite this, it's still a pretty exciting film to watch."Bigger Than Life" is a tale about a normal guy (Mason) who's been diagnosed with a rare and very painful disease. However, with Cortisone therapy prescribed for the rest of his life, he once again appears happy and functional. But, beneath his happy veneer, he's a changed man--full of wild self-confidence and truly full of himself. He's very obnoxious and his family suffers as a result of his odd personality change. But, without the drugs (which the family can ill-afford) he'll die. What they don't know is that the pills fill him with this confidence...and he's been taking more than was prescribed. Only when it's too late does the severity of his drug abuse become all too apparent.I enjoyed this film, as Mason was dynamite in this role. The film is very worth seeing but there was one problem about the film that detracted, a bit, from Mason's great performance. In contrast, his wife (Barbara Rush) was a complete and total wet noodle of a character and was simply too weak and too ineffectual in the movie. So, while Mason's character became crazier and crazier, she just stood back and did nothing (the worst was at the end). And, when Mason became abusive to the boy, she once again did nothing--just hoping, as if by magic, he'd become his sweet old self. Still, aside from that, it's a pretty exciting film to watch.