Interesting documentary about the filming of the George Steven's "Giant." The documentary is likely of no interest to people who aren't already fans of the "Giant," but if you are a fan, it's a treat to see pretty much all living cast and crew member interviewed, along with townsfolk from the small Texas town where this American film classic was shot. There's a nice mix of production history, interesting anecdotes, and the movie's place in the pantheon of cinema.
4 Reviews
The second best 'making of' featurette on the disc
planktonrules7 August 2012
There are two different 'making of' featurettes on the accompanying disc for "Giant". The first, "Memories of 'Giant'", is the best because it spent less time talking about the production and more talking about what the actors thought of each other and how they spent their time together during their off time in the middle of rural Texas. To me, that was great. But the more traditional featurette is "Return to 'Giant'" and it's pretty typical of one of these films--no better and no worse. There were some lovely things I learned--such as how the director, George Stevens, encouraged the locals to watch and often participate in filming--as well as how he previewed each day's rushes with any local who wanted to view it in their local theater. Not a must-see but certainly well worth your time--particularly if you love and appreciate "Giant". The only misgiving I have is that quite a few of the interviews on this film are ALSO in the other--making seeing both less imperative.
Good Look Thru the Eyes of the Small People
Michael_Elliott26 March 2012
Return to Giant (2003)
*** (out of 4)
Don Henley (Narrator), Don Graham (University of Texas), Earl Holliman, Bryan Woolley (Dallas Morning News), Carroll Baker, George Stevens, Jr., Dennis Hopper, Fran Bennett and Monte Hale are all featured in new or archival interviews about the mammoth making of GIANT. This is one of two documentaries that have been produced about the making of George Stevens classic and there's no question that this one is the better of the two. Not only do we get the basic Hollywood story of the cast coming together, the script coming together and the director putting it all together but what's most fascinating is getting the story from the locals who had this major motion picture coming to their town. The most interesting interviews come from locals who recall the making of the movie as they saw it. It's made very clear that Stevens enjoyed the locals coming by to watch the filming and apparently he would even invite them into the local theater where he would watch the dailies. One example is Clay Evans whose property was used for the set of the house. We also hear from the Mayor of Marfa, Texas who discusses the state of the city and what it meant for them to have Hollywood come there. Even better than the stories is that we're taken to where much of the film was shot and to my surprise there were several places where the old sets are still standing even though they're in very bad shape today. As with any document on GIANT, there's also talk of the people getting the news that James Dean had been killed. There's also some talk about how most Texans hated the book but they all fell in love with the movie. Fans of the film should really enjoy this documentary because of getting to view it through the eyes of the small people who never appear on the screen.
*** (out of 4)
Don Henley (Narrator), Don Graham (University of Texas), Earl Holliman, Bryan Woolley (Dallas Morning News), Carroll Baker, George Stevens, Jr., Dennis Hopper, Fran Bennett and Monte Hale are all featured in new or archival interviews about the mammoth making of GIANT. This is one of two documentaries that have been produced about the making of George Stevens classic and there's no question that this one is the better of the two. Not only do we get the basic Hollywood story of the cast coming together, the script coming together and the director putting it all together but what's most fascinating is getting the story from the locals who had this major motion picture coming to their town. The most interesting interviews come from locals who recall the making of the movie as they saw it. It's made very clear that Stevens enjoyed the locals coming by to watch the filming and apparently he would even invite them into the local theater where he would watch the dailies. One example is Clay Evans whose property was used for the set of the house. We also hear from the Mayor of Marfa, Texas who discusses the state of the city and what it meant for them to have Hollywood come there. Even better than the stories is that we're taken to where much of the film was shot and to my surprise there were several places where the old sets are still standing even though they're in very bad shape today. As with any document on GIANT, there's also talk of the people getting the news that James Dean had been killed. There's also some talk about how most Texans hated the book but they all fell in love with the movie. Fans of the film should really enjoy this documentary because of getting to view it through the eyes of the small people who never appear on the screen.
The Making of a Legendary Film
dougdoepke18 November 2017
For film buffs, behind-the-scenes clips are nearly always interesting. Here clips from the epic Giant (1956) are assembled and lengthened into a near-movie 55-minutes. Happily these 60-year old clips are interspersed with on-screen comments from various participants, including both movie folks and Texas locals. Among the stars who've since passed on there're interviews from Rock Hudson and Dennis Hopper; then there's Carroll Baker and Earl Holliman, who're happily still with us. Unfortunately, Liz Taylor may not have been available, so we're missing her. Of course, there's also the star-crossed James Dean with several of his dramatic scenes from shortly before his untimely death. It's also interesting to hear some of the surviving locals from Marfa, TX, talk about how the glitzy invasion from Hollywood affected their little west Texas town. And being a teenager at the time, I know how the movie's big splash sent us in droves to see three of the biggest stars of the day showcased on an immense background. But you don't have to have roots from that era to enjoy this background peek at movie-making, legendary style. So, connect with this unusual period piece if you can.
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