Giant (Special Edition) [DVD] [1956]

We had bought 'Giant' several years ago, on DVD (Warner Home Video’s 2003 2-disc Special Edition), and there was a big glitch on the disc, so we never finished it. I bought the Blu-ray version (Warner Home Video’s 2015 All Region in 1080p HD) to ensure there was no repeat of the problem. It was well worth it.This is really rather a strange film. It is big and sweeping, and is set largely in very barren, bleak rural Texas, from the 1920s onwards (although it could actually be any time).There are 3 big performances, from Liz Taylor, who looks gorgeous and stands up valiantly for women's rights and also for minority rights; Rock Hudson who very soon becomes the sort of husband that any woman would be glad to walk away and leave; and James Dean, who bizarrely was Oscar-nominated for a rather gruesome bit of over-acting. Some of the lesser performances are actually noteworthy, especially the wonderful and reliable Chill Wills as Uncle Bawley. It is also interesting to see a very young Dennis Hopper as Hudson and Taylor's son.The film begins as a lush Maryland-set romance, which looks as though it will turn into a sort of modern Western. There is an early villan(ess), Hudson's sister Luz. But then she dies after only a brief spell of screen-time, and it then looks as though it might become a 'love triangle' story. But no, not that either.The big clue is that very early in the film, Taylor challenges her future husband over the history of Texas. She tells it as she sees it, and he is furious. The film is actually about the huge ironies and imperfections of Texan society, the inequalities and anomalies. This is a land stolen from the Mexicans (as Taylor says at the beginning), and they are now second-class citizens, an underclass who live in poverty and who act as servants, cleaners and ranch hands, but who cannot eat in cheap diners run by whites, or have their hair washed in a salon staffed by white women in a posh hotel. They can however, fight and die for the good old US of A, though few will turn out to honour them back in Texas. The film is also about the fact that women are only fit to look good and have children if they are wealthy, or be your servant if they are poor. The film spares no punches on either issue. It is also about the most gross and vulgar forms of conspicuous consumption for the new oil tycoons of Texas.There is redemption, and evidence that some, at least, can learn the hard lesson that none of this behaviour is acceptable.As a historical document, this film is well worth sitting through the long running time. It is well-done, but not always a comfortable watch.

An eye opener,for people who need to know money isn't everything!

As far as 4K quality goes, it's hard to evaluate a movie like this, because, given its age, the scenes where it looks great are still marvelous, and compensate for some others where there's clearly some softness around the actors and some excessive grain, but again, this movie is almost 70 yrs old, so, I guess this is the best it CAN look, given the source material available. As for the movie itself, it's a sprawling family saga with undertones of race and class struggles and capitalism sprinkled throughout. The stereo sound is clear, without being spectacular, and, as for Special features there's only a commentary track, with George Stevens Jr, a film critic and the screenwriter.

The dvd is a great movie

Its a fantastic looking 4K UHD HDR disc from the recent restoration.Its not perfect some scenes look DVD level. Some have way too much DNR going on but this is because they did not have any better elements to work with.This is the best this can ever look. Overall its about 95% flawless. The minor issues are not fixable due to the film elements & how the scene fades were cut into the original negative.Great story great acting. James Dean, Rock Hudson & Elizabeth Taylor all in their prime making you realise just how natural their acting talents were.Must buy 4K UHD Disc release!!

Great film, and great acting especially the gorgeous Liz Taylor

This was a favourite film of mineWell worth a look!

Having owned a visually disappointing DVD of this film for some time I was pleased to be able to finally buy a Blu-ray. The photography of the great, wide plains of Texas was always one of 'Giant's' strengths.So my disappointment was all the greater when I projected this onto a 96" screen and found that much of the movie is cursed with a soft, often rather blocky image. In several scenes, notably a close-up of Liz Taylor near the start of the story, the image is so out of focus that one is presented with almost double-vision. And no, it's not my home-theatre set-up; I've played other Blu-rays and DVDs and they are fine. Maybe it would be better on a small TV screen.I have since read that the restorers found many of the elements were badly damaged and they did the best they could so I suppose we should be grateful for what we've got. Certainly the package itself is attractive - there are a number of extras plus a book. So I'm sort of pleased that I upgraded from the even-worse DVD but this is probably the poorest Blu-ray visually in my collection. No one to blame, I guess, except for those long-ago studio executives who allowed a major production like this to rot.