The Big Country

There are many things to enjoy in 'The Big Country'. The landscape itself is a character that seems overwhelming. There are many panoramic shots of it, sweeping out to a misty horizon. All beautifully photographed. This big country seems to glow and the film gets an appropriate music score, sweeping and colourful. It must be one of the most perfect film scores written.

In this breathtaking landscape the story of the characters unfold with their prides, jealousies, fears, loves, pretensions, hopes, disappointments. The actors are first rate and convey lots of feeling not just in dialogue but in looks. It is worth seeing more than once to catch the emotional nuances. This is a film with space in lots of senses and it gives the cast time to flesh out their characters. In all the splendid acting I have a particular admiration for Chuck Connors in a performance of a lifetime. His Buck Hennassey is a coward and a bully yet you can't help feeling sorry for him in the end.

There is also the political undertones, the oft quoted Cold War parallels, embodied in the confrontation between Bickford and Ives of mutually assured destruction, that was an ever present issue in the late fifties. Bickford and Ives have narrow self interested vision that portends destruction, while the Peck character has a wider view of co-operation and fairness. (In an illuminating exchange at the engagement party a guest asks Peck if he has seen anything bigger than the 'big country' and Peck replies to the guest's astonishment that he has, a couple of oceans!) It is the outsider who sees clearest.

William Wyler was a great director and made a great film to be enjoyed on many levels. It is an aural and visual treat but the film also has believable characters performed by a superior cast. And I can't stop humming that theme tune....

A delightful movie with particularly strong characters that pound the silver screen (in a good way)

No one actor steals the show making for a balanced film without any downturns.

Beautifully shot and excellently paced.

Great western :)

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

A New Englander (Gregory Peck) arrives in the Old West to marry a beautiful young (Carroll Baker) , there he becomes embroiled in feuding families with rival patriarchs (Burl Ives , Charles Bickford) over a valuable patch of land and water rights on a river . Furthermore , this exciting Western pits stubborn Gregory Peck and tough ranch foreman , Charlton Heston, as ongoing adversaries , both of whom carry out a marathon fist-fight .

Impressive and big-budgeted Western with action , adventure , thrills , energetic drama , spectacular scenarios and interesting message about peace and no violence. Outstanding acting from Gregory Peck as obstinate ex-sea captain forced to take sides in familiar battle and Charlton Heston stands out as quick-tempered cowboy . Two beauties as Jean Simmons and Carroll Baker give splendid performances . Special mention to Burl Ives who deservedly won Academy Award as burly pater families. Brief appearance , almost extra , of Roddy McDowall as watchman . Wonderful camera work by Franz Planer who photographs marvelously the colorful outdoors and interior . Classic musical score by Jerome Moross , one of the best from cinema's history . This marvelous Western , as long as epic , has become a classic , being stunningly and finely crafted directed by the maestro William Wyler . Wyler was an expert on Western as proved in ¨The Westener , Friendly persuasion, Big Country¨, but his specialty were dramas as ¨Jezebel, Best years of our lives , Dodsworth , The heiress, The letter , Wuthering heights , Dead , These three ,The collector ¨ , his biggest hit was ,of course, ¨Ben Hur¨. Rating : Very good but overlong as the runtime is approx three hours . This famous Western will appeal to Peck and Heston fans . Worthwhile watching and above average .

I love movies, and this is as close to perfect, as it gets. First of all can, you imagine a movie with such a cast. Heston, Peck, Ives, Bickford, Connor, Baker, and Jean Simmons ( one of my favorite actors ). Throw in the scenery, the incredible musical score, and a plot with romance, and minimal violence, and you have a classic. On a home widescreen with the volume high, I am sure even compared to todays movies it is entertaining and ageless. As a footnote, I saw this movie years ago and it stuck in my mind. One day while listening to CBC radio on a call in request segment someone called in and asked for the theme from Big Country. It stirred me to track down a copy of the movie. I also like the story about Heston thinking of turning it down ( An Actor's Life ) since his part was secondary. His agent said are you nuts to turn down Willy Wyler. This movie led Wyler to cast him in Ben Hur.