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The Big Country

The Big Country

Drama · Western · Romance · 1958

Retired wealthy sea captain Jim McKay arrives in the Old West, where he becomes embroiled in a feud between his future father-in-law, Major Terrill, and the rough and lawless Hannasseys over a valuable patch of land.

Movie details

The Big Country

“Big they fought! Big they loved! Big their story!”

1958 Drama · Western · Romance 2h 47m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.6 / 10

Community rating

Retired wealthy sea captain Jim McKay arrives in the Old West, where he becomes embroiled in a feud between his future father-in-law, Major Terrill, and the rough and lawless Hannasseys over a valuable patch of land.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Big Country?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Joe Kidd

Joe Kidd

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Brokeback Mountain

Brokeback Mountain

Drama · 2005

In 1960s Wyoming, two men develop a strong emotional and sexual relationship that endures as a lifelong connection complicating their lives as they get married and start families of their own.

Urban Cowboy

Urban Cowboy

Drama · 1980

After moving to Pasadena, Texas, country boy Bud Davis starts hanging around a bar called Gilley's, where he falls in love with Sissy, a cowgirl who believes the sexes are equal. They eventually marry, but their relationship is turbulent due to Bud's traditional view of gender roles. Jealousy over his rival leads to their separation, but Bud attempts to win Sissy back by triumphing at Gilley's mechanical bull-riding competition.

Heaven's Gate

Heaven's Gate

Drama · 1980

Harvard graduate James Averill serves as the sheriff of prosperous Jackson County, Wyoming, standing at the center of a conflict between impoverished immigrants and affluent cattle farmers. Politically connected ranchers enlist mercenary Nathan Champion—who is also vying for the affections of local madam Ella Watson—to combat the immigrant uprising. As tensions escalate, both Averill and Champion start to question their decisions.

Montana Story

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Two estranged siblings return home to the sprawling ranch they once knew and loved in order to care for their ailing father.

Echoes of War

Echoes of War

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A Civil War veteran returns home to the quiet countryside, only to find himself embroiled in a conflict between his family and the brutish cattle rancher harassing them.

True Grit

True Grit

Drama · 2010

Following the murder of her father by a hired hand, a 14-year-old farm girl sets out to capture the killer. To aid her, she hires the toughest U.S. Marshal she can find—a man with 'true grit'—Reuben J. 'Rooster' Cogburn.

Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

William Wyler

Written by

James R. Webb · Sy Bartlett · Robert Wilder

Gregory Peck

Gregory Peck

James McKay

Jean Simmons

Jean Simmons

Julie Maragon

Carroll Baker

Carroll Baker

Patricia Terrill

Charlton Heston

Charlton Heston

Steve Leech

Burl Ives

Burl Ives

Rufus Hannassey

Charles Bickford

Charles Bickford

Major Henry Terrill

Alfonso Bedoya

Alfonso Bedoya

Ramón Guiteras

Court is in session

Put The Big Country on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.