Rating: 
Summary: giant is just that
Review: george stevens really earned his award for this grande of a movie. I really sat threw the 2 tapes and watched the 200 minutes of it and I tel you it payed off good. lots of nicely shot footage of the western country. James Dean as Jett Rink is the treat here. He is the likable character in this piece. Hudson and Taylor do good jobs as well. romantic, dramatic and exciting
Rating: 
Summary: This movie is GIANT success
Review: It stars Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean. It is based on a bestselling book by Edna Ferber, about a tale of oil, cattle, and racial injustice that follows the fortunes of one family from the 1930s to the 1950s, in Texas. It is directored by George Stevens, who won an Oscar, for this 1956 box-office hit, which got nine other nominations, including Best Picture.
Rating: 
Summary: Warner Bros cheaps out on DVD of Giant
Review: First, let's establish that I don't think "Giant" is a classic by any definition. Too long, indifferent acting, too much fluff. That said, I guess I remember it as a spectacle worthy of the total sprucing up it needed to bring it to DVD. Tiomkins rousing score in 5.1 digital sound. Punching up of the very faded VHS tapes film quality and some nice extras. Maybe 1 out of 3 isn't bad except in this case the extras are the only plus. Otherwise the movie seems to have been transferred directly from VHS to DVD. The sound over the opening titles was so tinny and distorted that I double checked my sound settings to make sure my equipment wasn't out of wack. Nope, just plain lousy monophonic clamor. The color is so washed out in many places that I started to think maybe I had been sent a preproduction copy before sound and color had been worked on. But I see several other reviewers had the same reaction.
Shame on Warner Bros for putting out a major movie of such abominable quality. The extras are terrific but I know very few film fans who buy movies based on the extras. Take it off the market and do it right Warners.
Rating: 
Summary: THIS DVD IS AN INFERIOR TRANSFER OF THIS CLASSIC
Review: The two stars that I rate this DVD is simply for the terrible transfer of this classic motion picture. This movie is a 10 star movie, but this particular DVD release is simply terrible. It seems as if they used third generation, or even fourth generation negatives to create this transfer, with absolutely no regard for consistancy. Some scenes are tolerable, at best, and seem that the transfer might have come from a decent third generation negative, and some scenes are totally dismal and seem as if they were done from a fourth generation negative that was found on the cutting room floor. There is absolutely no consistancy of the colors and brightness from one scene to another. But this is only the half of it. The transfer to this disc was done in a near full screen picture which cuts so much of the scenery off of the sides of every frame. It was a shame how this disc was done. This beautiful Hollywood epic deserves such better treatment. The roles played by Rock Hudson, James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor are classic Hollywood roles, and the original shooting of this epic was done in a beautiful way, (which you can enjoy on laserdisc if you find a copy.) This movie tells the story of racial injustice and trys to teach a morality lesson of racial tolerence, all set in the by-gone days of depression era rural Texas. The story of us-and-them as played out by Mexicans and Anglos, and as seen through the eyes of Hollywood, dosen't get any better than this motion picture. For that reason alone, if you really must own this movie, buy this DVD. Otherwise you would be better off waiting for a better transfer or buying a good used copy on laserdisc or buying this movie on the 1985 VHS put out by Warner Brothers, (do not buy any VHS tape of this movie other than the 1985 version, the rest were terrible). I love this movie, and it hurts me to see this terrible transfer.
Rating:
Summary: Really Great
Review: I really like this movie alot. It has such a great story line not to mention the great actors! I love this movie so much. Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson are so excellent in this movie! Its a classic so dont miss it!
Rating:
Summary: TONS OF EXTRAS DON'T MAKE UP FOR A TERRIBLE TRANSFER!
Review: "Giant" is the epic western drama directed by George Sidney. Based on the book by Edna Ferber, the film deals with racial intolerance and sexual repression - both taboo subjects of the day. The film stars Rock Hudson as Bick Benedict, a lumbering cattle rancher from Texas who's new bride (Elizabeth Taylor) is torn between her loyalty to her husband and her own strong will. James Dean, in his final role before his untimely death, is electrifying as Jett Rink, a poor boy come to greatness that ultimately seduces him to the dark side of wealth. Mercedes McCambridge, Chill Wills and Jane Withers all give stellar performances.
Warner Home Video's 2 disc DVD is A GIANT DISAPPOINTMENT! The transfer, long available in Canada as a single, double sided disc, is tired worn and horribly out of focus. It is NOT ANAMORPHICALLY ENHANCED for widescreen televisions. Colors are muddy, dull and, on occasion, bleed into one another. Flesh tones are way too orange. Black levels are a muddy brown at best. Aliasing, shimmering, edge enhancement and pixelization all intrude. The worst factor in this transfer however is the horrible misregistration of the image - creating deeply out of focus images in medium and long shots as well as annoying halos around almost everything. The sound has been matrixed for stereo but is horribly strident, with scratchy pitch and an abundant amount of background hiss. There is nothing even remotely engaging about the sound field.
EXTRAS: Enough to make Texas blush. We get a retro documentary, an intro by George Stevens Jr. some wonderful home movies shot on location, a good stills gallery, the original theatrical trailer and some other toss away junket material including news trailers and radio snippets.
BOTTOM LINE: The extras are the reason "GIANT" received a one star rating in this review. For its transfer quality alone a negative two seems better suited. Without the extras there is really no reason for Warner Brothers to be celebrating the release of this classic motion picture in its current incarnation on DVD. What a shame that the studio that funded the movie can't see fit to do it justice for a new generation!
SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!!!
Rating:
Summary: More Relevant Than I Once Thought
Review: Not having read Edna Ferber's novel on which this film is supposedly based, I am obviously unqualified to comment on how faithful it is to the original material. George Stevens directed the film, working with a screenplay co-authored by Fred Guiol and Ivan Moffat. I saw it when it was first released in 1956, immediately put off by what I viewed as the boorishness of the native Texans, especially Vashti Synthe (Jane Withers) and Uncle Bawley (Cill Wills), who bear at least some resemblance to members of the Jed Clampett family. Then and now, I think Rock Hudson is only infrequently believable as Bick Benedict. Not so Elizabeth Taylor as Leslie Lynnton Benedict. Gordon Bau and his staff must be faulted for the sometimes ineffective make-up work, notably on the Benedicts and Jett Rink (James Dean) in their later years. At any moment, I expected an elderly and enfeebled Charles Foster Kane to appear, announcing that he is Fuz Benedict, the long-lost cousin of Bick and his sister Luz (Mercedes McCambridge).While viewing this film again recently, however, I appreciated much more than I had before efforts made in it to address some very important and highly controversial racial issues. Keep in mind that this film was released only two years after the historic Supreme Court decision which declared racial segregation unconstitutional and therefore illegal. At least the larger ranches in the Southwest, plantations in the Deep South, and mining communities in the Southeast were, in effect, empires with well-entrenched and fiercely defended social and economic hierarchies. Throughout all levels, everyone was very class-conscious. Any challenge of the prevailing values was perceived as a threat to the entire culture. I was fascinated by Bick Benedict's gradual, sometimes grudging acceptance of new perspectives on race and "place." That progression is largely explained by his son Jordan's marriage and parenthood. Slights to Jordan's wife prepare us (and Benedict) for the climactic scene in the diner which clearly indicates how significantly his perspectives have changed. Oh sure, his response to the proprietor reflects Benedict's family pride and macho temperament but I think his behavior makes an important statement which brings the film to an appropriate conclusion, one which I had not previously appreciated. Some portions of Giant still seem corny and mushy to me; other portions seem dated. However, on balance, I think the film makes an important contribution to understanding where our society has been and where it seems to be now so that, hopefully, we will be better-prepared to resolve whichever issues are still divisive. With all due respect to the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights as well as to the Supreme Court, there are certain matters which can only be affirmed and sustained by the human heart. I was again reminded of that while seeing this film again.
Rating:
Summary: Giant: An Unforgettable Masterpiece
Review: Giant brings together everything that makes a film great. The movie stars James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, and Rock Hudson. Giant represents a set of morals, luck, fear, and love. Just like life. The way Rock Hudson stands up for Mexicans, the way James Dean strikes it rich with oil, the way the tension mounts between Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor, and in the end when love overcomes all. All in all, Giant is an unforgettable masterpiece that everyone can enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: A Worthy Film for a Great State.
Review: With so many reviews, there is little left to be said about this classic 50s film. Despite a lot of negative technical comments, I found the film beautiful to watch, even if the sound is a bit thin. Yes--it is long--but there is a story to tell ( remember when movies actually told a story ? ), and the story takes time. The performances by the actors are fine, but--let's face it--long after the movie is over, it is James Dean that is remembered.
James Dean--that incredible talent taken so early in life--James Dean--the young rebel for all eternity. It seems to me that the theme music for "Giant" is still played at many college football games--it clearly still strikes a chord in the hearts of Texans everywhere. A personal note--if there is one actor who will hopefully some day write an autobiography, it should be Dennis Hopper. For nearly 50 years, this guy has had an incredible career in motion pictures--from acting with James Dean to the present--Dennis just keeps on rolling ! Of course--who am I kidding ? He probably has no time to write a book ! Bottom line--if you collect classic movies, "Giant" should be in your home.
Rating:
Summary: The eyes of Texas are apon you.
Review: The film is a portail of Texians and how they saw themselves. Of course I'm a James Dean fan and saw it for the first time on television, the first time I saw it I was as little dissapointed with the film. But then I had to figure that the film is nt about James Dean, but about Texas, and seeing the film as a whole, it will leave you thinking of a Texians point of view or perhaps, the film is actually seen from the eyes Elizibeth Taylors character, we are introduced to Texas the same way she is and go strait from there as the running time increases, we come to appriciate Texas. The DVD features are truly awsome and even the commentary is interesting and gets kind of funny when the characters Leslie and Bick make up after the big argument they had and then wake up the next morning. The chronicals of James Dean in the special features are also satisfying.
"Giant" a great Texas epic.
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