|
Search DVDBeaver |
S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
|
|
Giant [Blu-ray]
(George Stevens, 1956)
Review by Gary Tooze
Production: Theatrical: A George Stevens Production Video: Warner Bros.
Disc: Region: FREE! (as verified by the Oppo Blu-ray player) Runtime: 3:21:07.513 Disc Size: 46,243,175,680 bytes Feature Size: 42,752,071,680 bytes Video Bitrate: 21.94 Mbps Chapters: 56 Case: 48-page Book-style Blu-ray case Release date: November 5th, 2013
Video: Aspect ratio: 1.66:1 Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio English 2071 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2071 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) Dolby Digital Audio French 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB Dolby Digital Audio German 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB Dolby Digital Audio Italian 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB Dolby Digital Audio Portuguese 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB Dolby Digital Audio Czech 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB Dolby Digital Audio Polish 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB * Dolby Digital Audio Japanese 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB / Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English (SDH), English, Chinese, Czech, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, none
Extras: • Commentary by George Stevens Jr., Critic Stephen Farber, screenwriter Ivan Moffatt • George Stevens: By Filmmakers Who Knew Him (45:40)• Introduction by George Stevens Jr. (2:55) Disc 2 (DVD) • George Stevens: Filmmakers Who Knew Him• Memories of Giant (51:39) • Return to Giant (55:11) • New York Premiere Telecast (28:53) • Hollywood Premiere Featurette (4:21) & Giant Stars are off to Texas (:38) • Stills (7:12) and Documents Galleries
Disc 3 (DVD)
Bitrate:
Description: George Stevens' sprawling adaptation of Edna Ferber's best-selling novel successfully walks a fine line between potboiler and serious drama for its 210-minute running time, making it one of the few epics of its era that continues to hold up as engrossing entertainment across the decades. Giant opens circa 1922 in Maryland, where Texas rancher Jordan "Bick" Benedict (Rock Hudson) has arrived to buy a stallion called War Winds from its owner, Dr. Horace Lynnton (Paul Fix). But much as Bick loves and knows horses, he finds himself even more transfixed by the doctor's daughter, Leslie Lynnton (Elizabeth Taylor), and after some awkward moments, she has to admit that she's equally drawn to the shy, laconic Texan. They get married and Leslie spends her honeymoon traveling with Jordan to his ranch, Reata, which covers nearly a million acres of Texas. Once there, however, she finds that she has to push her way into her rightful role as mistress of the house, past Bick's sister, Luz (Mercedes McCambridge), who can't accept her brother's marriage or the changes it means in the home they share. Also working around Reata is the laconic ranch hand Jett Rink (James Dean) -- from a family as rooted in Texas as the Benedicts but not nearly as lucky (or "foxy"), Jett is dirt-poor and barely educated at all, and he fairly oozes resentment at Bick for his arrogance, although Luz likes him and for that reason alone Bick is obliged to keep him on.
The Film:
The film version of Giant (1956), Edna Ferber's epic, Texas-based
tale about the Benedict family and their numerous internal conflicts
over a twenty five year period, is famous for many things; It was Rock
Hudson's first important dramatic role (He received a Best Actor Oscar
nomination), it marked a significant turning point in the film careers
of two young actors, Dennis Hopper and Caroll Baker, and the movie
earned ten Academy Award nominations and won the Academy Award for
director George Stevens. However, Giant is best remembered as
James Dean's final film. Like Hudson, it earned him an Oscar nomination
for Best Actor but he never learned of the honor. Two weeks after his
last scene for Giant was filmed, Dean was killed in an automobile
accident while speeding in his Porsche 550 Spyder toward a road race in
Salinas, California.
"Giant" (1956) offers extensive pleasures - it had better, at 201
minutes - not the least of which is watching James Dean age from a
misunderstood, penniless youth into a mean, rich, middle-aged alcoholic.
Add Rock Hudson as a landowner and Elizabeth Taylor as the woman both
men love, set it all in Texas, and you have some kind of amazing
spectacle.
Image : NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. Giant arrives on Blu-ray from Warner and fans of the film were in great anticipation from the lowly letterboxed, flipper, DVDs of the past. Unfortunately, I wasn't even born to have seen this premiere theatrically over 57-years ago. The film is 3-hour 20-minute film is, naturally, transferred to a dual-layered disc. Colors seem brighter and truer than SD could relate although it can tend to look blocky at times. As I felt about the old SD - the beginning of the film can look soft-ish but visuals do tend to improve as the film passes the first 30-minutes. It would be easy to blame DNR as it can, initially, have a very waxy, flat look - but I don't think this is the fault of the transfer. Skin tones warm notably in comparison to the DVD and we may lose a slight amount of information from the bottom of the 1.66:1 frame. I'd prefer to believe this appearance is close to the original and the increase over letterboxed DVD resolution is impressive even though details don't crisp up as demonstratively as most would have hoped. There is grain - a bit blocky at times but it is there. The DVD had a green/yellow leaning - which appears to be gone. On my 60" plasma it looked pleasing with the Texas country impressive - as always. There is a lack of depth but I could appreciate the film's thickness. I doubt we will ever see Giant looking glossy and sharp-as-a-tack. This is probably it - whether accurate to production technicals or the elements have been compromised to some degree. I still thoroughly enjoyed the 1080P presentation.
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Original non-anamorphic Warner DVD TOP - Region FREE Blu-ray - BOTTOM
Original non-anamorphic Warner DVD TOP - Region FREE Blu-ray - BOTTOM
Original non-anamorphic Warner DVD TOP - Region FREE Blu-ray - BOTTOM
Audio :Warner give us a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel at 2071 kbps along with a host of foreign-language DUBs and subtitle options. The score by Dimitri Tiomkin (Angel Face, Strangers on a Train, The Men, Dial M For Murder, The Thing From Another World etc. etc.) is proud with nobility hailing Texas at every turn. There are others - The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You, Oh Susanna, The Yellow Rose of Texas and much more supporting the grandoise expressions. My Oppo has identified it as being a region FREE disc playable on Blu-ray machines worldwide.
Extras : Mostly extras are from the past SE with the commentary by George Stevens Jr., Critic Stephen Farber, screenwriter Ivan Moffatt. We get a 3-minute intro by George Stevens Jr., plus a DVD (one of two) with the 50 minute pieces Memories of Giant and Return to Giant. Included is the 45-minute George Stevens: By Filmmakers Who Knew Him which, is less necessary as it has excerpted interviews from the almost 2-hour George Stevens: A Filmmakers Journey - which is included as a new supplement on a 3rd DVD disc. The package is a book-style DVD case with 48-pages of photos, essays, adverts and more.
DVD 1
DVD 2
BOTTOM LINE: Gary Tooze October 20th, 2013
|
|
About the Reviewer: Hello, fellow Beavers! I have been interested in film since I viewed a Chaplin festival on PBS when I was around 9 years old. I credit DVD with expanding my horizons to fill an almost ravenous desire to seek out new film experiences. I currently own approximately 9500 DVDs and have reviewed over 5000 myself. I appreciate my discussion Listserv for furthering my film education and inspiring me to continue running DVDBeaver. Plus a healthy thanks to those who donate and use our Amazon links.
Although I never wanted to become one of those guys who
focused 'too much' on image and sound quality - I
find HD is swiftly pushing me in that direction. 60-Inch Class (59.58” Diagonal) 1080p Pioneer KURO Plasma Flat Panel HDTV PDP6020-FD
Oppo Digital BDP-83 Universal Region FREE Blu-ray/SACD
Player APC AV 1.5 kVA H Type Power Conditioner 120V Gary W. Tooze ALL OUR NEW FORMAT DVD REVIEWS
|
CLICK PayPal logo to donate!
|
Gary Tooze
|
|
Thank You!
