Bigger Than Life
| Bigger Than Life | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Nicholas Ray |
| Produced by | James Mason |
| Written by |
Story: Berton Roueché Screenplay: Cyril Hume Richard Maibaum |
| Starring |
James Mason Barbara Rush Walter Matthau |
| Music by | David Raksin |
| Cinematography | Joseph MacDonald |
| Editing by | Louis R. Loeffler |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release dates | 2 Aug 1956 |
| Running time | 95 mins |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1 million[1] |
Bigger Than Life is an American DeLuxe Color CinemaScope film made in 1956 directed by Nicholas Ray and starring James Mason, who also co-wrote and produced the film, about a school teacher and family man whose life spins out of control upon becoming addicted to cortisone. The film co-stars Barbara Rush as his wife and Walter Matthau as his closest friend, a fellow teacher. Though it was a box-office flop upon its initial release, many modern critics hail it as a masterpiece and brilliant indictment of contemporary attitudes towards mental illness and addiction.[citation needed] In 1963, Jean-Luc Godard named it one of the ten best films ever made.[2]
Bigger Than Life was based on a 1955 The New Yorker article by medical writer Berton Roueché entitled "Ten Feet Tall".[3]
Plot summary
Schoolteacher and family man Ed Avery (James Mason), who has been suffering bouts of severe pain and even blackouts, is hospitalized with what's diagnosed as polyarteritis nodosa, a rare inflammation of the arteries. Told by doctors that he probably has only months to live, Ed agrees to an experimental treatment: doses of the hormone cortisone.
Ed makes a remarkable recovery. He returns home to his wife, Lou (Barbara Rush), and their son, Richie (Christopher Olsen). He must keep taking cortisone tablets regularly to prevent a recurrence of his illness. But the 'miracle' cure turns into a nightmare when Ed begins to misuse the tablets, causing him to experience wild mood swings and, ultimately, a psychotic episode which threatens the safety of his family.
Cast
- James Mason as Ed Avery
- Barbara Rush as Lou Avery
- Walter Matthau as Wally Gibbs
- Robert F. Simon as Dr. Norton
- Christopher Olsen as Richie Avery
- Roland Winters as Dr. Ruric
- Rusty Lane as Bob LaPorte
- Rachel Stephens as Nurse
- Kipp Hamilton as Pat Wade
Reception
Bigger Than Life was extremely controversial upon its release [citation needed]. Its critique of the patriarchal family was considered shocking for the time, and it was not a financial success [citation needed]; however the film was extremely popular with the critics at the Cahiers du cinéma and in 1963 Jean-Luc Godard named it one of the "Ten Best American Sound Films". [citation needed]
References
- ↑ Aubrey Solomon, Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History, Scarecrow Press, 1989 p250
- ↑ Editors (December 2, 2013) "A Young Jean-Luc Godard Picks the 10 Best American Films Ever Made (1963). Open Culture.
- ↑ Roueché, Berton (1955), "Ten Feet Tall", The New Yorker; September 10, 1955, pp. 47-77.
External links
- Bigger Than Life at the Internet Movie Database
- Bigger Than Life at allmovie
- Bigger Than Life at the TCM Movie Database
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