(George Stevens, US 1956, 201 min., 35mm)
Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean, in his final performance, drive this powerful saga that remains marvelously entertaining 70 years after its original release. Hudson, a Texas cattle baron, marries a fiercely independent Virginia woman, Taylor, and brings her home to his sprawling ranch. While Taylor struggles to adjust to Texas life, a young farmhand, Dean, becomes enamored with her verve and gorgeous good looks. When Dean strikes oil on his own small piece of land, his newfound wealth leads to a showdown with Hudson, with Taylor trapped in the middle. Giant’s somber color palette presents an expansive landscape where the difference between mud and oil can mean the difference between failure and fortune.
Published in 2024, Giant Love: Edna Ferber, Her Best-selling Novel of Texas, and the Making of a Classic American Film is a detailed re-telling of the writing and publishing of Ferber’s controversial novel in 1952 and the difficult production of the film, written by Ferber’s great-niece, Julie Gilbert. A pre-recorded interview with our curator of film exhibitions, Jared Case, and Julie Gilbert, will be shown after the film.