So, if 2016 was bad enough, I see it also threw up a remake of Ben Hur. I'll think I'll pass. I haven't seen the 1959 version either, but I really enjoyed one of William Wyler's other works, his 1958 western film, The Big Country based on a novel of the same name by Donald Hamilton.
Gregory Peck stars as James McKay, a former sea captain from Baltimore who plans to settle down in Texas with his fiancée Patricia Terrill, played by Carroll Baker. Unfortunately, he finds himself in the middle of a feud between Patricia's father Henry and Rufus Hannassey. He attempts to keep the peace with the aid of Patricia's friend Julie Maragon, played by Jean Simmons. Julie owns a ranch known as The Big Muddy, which provides a vital water source to both families in times of drought. McKay hatches a plan to buy the Big Muddy in order to maintain the fragile peace, but his plan doesn't quite work out.
I think this is one of Gregory Peck's best roles, second only to Atticus. He's often regarded as a "tenderfoot" because of his Eastern dress sense, and seen as a coward because he always backs down from public challenges, having sworn off such behaviour after his father died in a meaningless duel. However, that doesn't mean he's incapable. He's not a coward; he just doesn't have anything to prove except to himself.
Meanwhile, Charles Bickford and Burl Ives as the feuding patriarchs are a great foil for one another. Bickford's Terrill is smooth and refined, fancying himself as a Southern Gentleman, but in reality he's underhanded and ruthless. On the flip side, Hannassey is from a poorer clan, but he nonetheless has a strong sense of honour even if he isn't the nicest man around. It's his son Buck, played by Chuck Connors, who is the notorious but cowardly troublemaker.
Once again, the film has a great visual style, and the score by Jerome Moross is fantastic. It's a long film, but it's one that's worth the time.
No comments:
Post a Comment