Giant

Arguably the biggest soap opera ever, "Giant" is aptly titled, despite the fact that the title has nothing to do with the plot. It is merely an adjective for everything the movie is: not just big, literally Giant! Portraying three different generations of the Benedict family, this Texas epic is definitely Texas sized at 201 minutes. Beginning with stubborn Benedict bachelor, Jordan, played by matinee idol Rock Hudson, and his courtship of Eastern blue blood Leslie, played by the gorgeous Elizabeth Taylor, this is merely the first layer of the tale to come. Inexplicably glossing over their marriage (a sin made even more confusing when you consider the film skimps on absolutely nothing else), the narrative rolls into Texas, where it will spill out over the next three hours. In that time Jordan and Leslie become parents and grandparents. There is great romance (mostly courtesy of Jordan and Leslie, when they are not butting heads that is), great drama (mostly courtesy of ranch hand turned billionaire Jett Rink, apparently channeling Hunter S. Thompson with his bizarre performance) and great use of its Texas setting, brilliantly captured by Hollywood veteran George Stevens, who was a veritable jack-of-trades, writing, directing, producing, and shooting dozens of films throughout his time in Hollywood. He would need all of these attributes to tackle this, his largest film ever, but his hard work eventually paid off, as he was awarded Best Director. "Giant" is not simply a bloated Hollywood epic, however. The film contains a powerful subtext which runs throughout, that of racial tolerance, which separates it from other hollow, superficial Hollywood spectacles of the time. This can be attributed to George Stevens, who was also responsible for "A Place in the Sun", "The Diary of Anne Frank" and "Shane", all three films which, for their time, took unflinching looks at the evils of society. This is what elevates "Giant" however, what distinctly places it in the realm of Old Hollywood is the stars.

Rock Hudson, in a rare challenging role, not clowning with Doris Day, is Jordan Benedict, owner of Reata, one of the largest ranches in Texas and also one of the richest. Sprawled over 595,000 acres, and home to some 50,000 head of cattle, Reata is not so much a place, as it is a state of mind to Jordan and its inhabitants. It is big, old, and rich. Those three adjectives make up how Jordan Benedict sees himself, Reata being an extension of him, and this does not sit well with his new wife, Leslie. Leslie comes from Maryland and is at first ignorant of Texas custom, then decides to fight it. She frequently quarrels with her husband over his indifference towards the Mexican ranch hands and house servants, who live in a poor, disease riddled village on the fringes of the Benedict land. She also chafes at the position Jordan would prefer she stay in, as the quiet, subservient Texas wife. Their marriage is virtually saved by the birth of the children, first twins, then later another girl. Shortly after though, Leslie is again challenged by Jordan's "old ways" preference, and she takes their children back to Maryland with her, for a "break" from Jordan, but also for a break from Texas. Initially arriving in Texas, Leslie was a headstrong idealist but did not have the physical makeup to match. This was a point of frequent contention with Jordan's sister, Lux, who regarded Leslie with mild scorn, and subtly tried to keep her from adjusting. After her untimely death however, Leslie assumes more of a command role at Reata, but still cannot avoid disputes with Jordan. Showing the first signs of the overall softening of his stubborn character, Jordan comes to Maryland, literally hat in hand, and asks Leslie to come back to Texas. She tells him she has not changed, and to her pleasant surprise Jordan says that is fine, he simply wants his wife back. This is merely the first significant change Jordan will undergo in the latter half of the film.

The second half of the film is devoted to Jordan's other major problem: Jett Rink. A troublesome ranch hand, Jett loathes Jordan, (the feeling is mutual), and when he finds that Lux left him a small patch of land in the middle of Reata, he smugly refuses to sell it back to Jordan, even for the inflated rate Jordan is offering. He would much rather be a literal thorn in Jordan's side, and takes wicked delight in the displeasure it causes Jordan. The problem of Jett Rink is exponentially made worse when Jett strikes oil on his land, now dubbed Little Reata, becoming a billionaire over night. Now it is Jett in the position of buying, and he offers exorbitant sums to purchase more of Reata, the dollar signs dancing in his eyes as he imagines the gold mine Jordan is too stubborn to realize. Jordan is steadfast about using his land as a ranch, not as an oil field, and the fued between the two takes grows to Texas sized proportions.

Eventually Jett, with a government contract in his pocket, convinces Jordan to relinquish some of Reata. By this point Jordan's world is crumbling, and losing some of Reata is simply another chink in the armor. His son, Jordan Benedict III, becomes a doctor, turning his back on the life Jordan had pre-destined for him: assuming control of Reata. He also marries a Mexican girl, something Jordan cannot comprehend, but simply goes along with. His twin sister marries a simpleton farmer whom Jordan initially dislikes, then resents even more for refusing to take over Reata, preferring something smaller and simpler. And finally, the youngest daughter, Lux, channeling her namesake, finds she prefers the company of Jett Rink. Jordan tolerates a lot in his old age, but he blindly ignores his daughter's blossoming romance with the now thoroughly deranged (or maybe that was just how James Dean played him?) Jett Rink, and creates a huge scene at the opening of Jett's new downtown Dallas hotel, much to Lux' embaressment. The film ends with Jordan's world in pieces. His three children are spread to the winds, all of them rejecting life on Reata. His grandchildren are part Mexican, forcing Jordan to embrace a people he had all his life treated with equal parts indifference and ignorance. All he has left is Leslie to keep him company as he enters his twilight years, Reata's twilight years, because after all, the ranch is an extension of Jordan. Jordan finally realizes he has changed, because, literally, Texas has changed.