The Big Country (1958)

A New Englander arrives in the Old West, where he becomes embroiled in a feud between two families over a valuable patch of land. (imdb)
Cast and Information
Directed By: William Wyler
Written By: James R. Webb, Sy Bartlett, Donald Hamilton, Jessamyn West
Starring: Charlton Heston, Charles Bickford, Gregory Peck, Chuck Connors, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker, Burl Ives, Alfonso Bedoya, Chuck Hayward, Buff Brady, Jim Burk
Genres: Romance, Drama, Western
Country: USA
Where to Stream
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The Big Country belongs to 18 collections
1. Empire's 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time (public: Ross - 36 stars)
2. Academy Award - Oscar - ALL Best Picture, Directing, Acting & Screenplay Nominees (collaborative - 22 stars)
3. Best of criticker: Drama (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 18 stars)
4. Films available in HD (collaborative: moderated by kubricksucks - 13 stars)
5. Epic (collaborative - 8 stars)
6. Anamorphic Cinematography (collaborative: moderated by Bojangles - 7 stars)
7. Great Fights (collaborative: moderated by doctor7 - 6 stars)
8. Best of criticker: Romance (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 6 stars)
9. Best of Classic Old Hollywood (pre-70s) (collaborative: moderated by 90sCoffee - 6 stars)
10. Oscar: Best Supporting Actor (collaborative: moderated by Bojangles - 5 stars)
11. Cinemacom's 500 Best Westerns (collaborative: moderated by Pickpocket - 5 stars)
12. Best of criticker: Western (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 4 stars)
13. Triumvirate of Oscar Winning Actors/Actresses in the Cast (3 or more) (collaborative: moderated by Dunstan-xxx - 4 stars)
14. father-son relationship (collaborative: moderated by livelove - 2 stars)
15. Texas (collaborative: moderated by Pickpocket - 1 star)
16. Integrity (or lack of) (collaborative)
17. Available on Divicast (collaborative: moderated by Dunstan-xxx)
18. Western watchlist (public: AFlickering)
Browse the full list of collections
Stars | User | Rating | |
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Moribunny | 65 65th |
I wouldn't call it a good script, but it's a melodrama of considerable complexity, a welcome change from more action-oriented westerns, and for almost three hours it hasn't a dull moment. Peck's (mostly) nonviolent proto-Yojimbo is wooden and vacant, and the least interesting character, but I enjoyed Heston and the old men, and the real hero here is Technicolor, anyway.
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TheDenizen | 65 51st |
Pretty decent flick with a strong cast and good performances. At nearly 3 hours, though, this movie could've been great if they had trimmed some of the fat.
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Ytadel | 9 98th |
This may be my favorite new (to me) movie I’ve watched since Blade Runner 2049. There is such richness and thematic depth here and still searingly relevant commentary about rising above vengeance and the urge to escalate. Gregory Peck’s performance is sublime and his character - dogged in his pursuit of peace, even in the face of unpopularity - is a true instructive portrait in being a better man. The beautiful widescreen cinematography is just a cherry on top. I loved this film.
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JooJoo | 5 80th |
The casting, oh-so-beautiful photography, & wonderful script make this epic go by in what feels like half the time.
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KasperL | 80 86th |
The presentation (cinemascope, catchy score) goes a long way in itself, but the simple, well-told story is also a plus. The film doesn't feel its length, and it's very digestible for those who, like me, aren't exactly crazy about westerns.
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glumpy_99 | 96 91st |
Wonderful epic western; showcases Wyler's versatile directorial skills in shooting exciting action scenes, expansive landscapes, and intimate human relations. Entire cast is flawless; Oscar winner Ives is the standout in his Big Daddy-ish performance, and Heston is very good (if unusally cast) as a sullen rival for Peck. Staggeringly beautiful scenery and score, matched by an intelligent and witty script which has interesting things to say about masculinity, and the codes and mores of the west.
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Average Percentile 70.17% from 364 Ratings | ![]() |