Broad land

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Movie
German title Broad land
Original title The big country
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1958
length 165 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director William Wyler
script James R. Webb
Sy Bartlett
Robert Wilder
Jessamyn West
production Gregory Peck
William Wyler for United Artists
music Jerome Moross
camera Franz Planner
occupation

Weites Land (Original: The Big Country ) is an American Wild West film directed by William Wyler . The main roles are played by Gregory Peck , Carroll Baker and Jean Simmons . Release date was October 1st, 1958. The film script is based on the published in the same year novel The Big Country by Donald Hamilton .

action

James McKay, captain from a shipowner's family on the American east coast , travels to the Wild West to marry Patricia, the daughter of Major Terrill, the owner of the huge “Ladder Ranch ”. The rough cowboys look at the gentleman from the East with suspicion, who in their eyes is a fine piss and cocky coward. For example, he doesn't feel like riding the wild Bronco “Old Thunder” just to land in the dust for general amusement. When he later tried - but only in the presence of the Mexican ranch assistant, whom he swore to keep quiet - he succeeded after many attempts to stay in the saddle.

The harmony is soon tarnished by Major Terrill's hateful feud against ranchers Rufus Hannassey. Both have been trying for years to get the important watering hole "Big Muddy" under their control, which the pretty teacher Julie Maragon inherited from her grandfather. Julie refuses to sell her abandoned ranch to Terrill or Hannassey, instead she works to ensure that all neighbors can get some of the water and that the peace is preserved.

Finally, also Patricia turns away from McKay when he does not want to get involved in a fight just because Steve, the foreman of the ranch, (accused him of lying on the night before McKay leaves the farm, he reflected with Steve, but again without an audience, and then asks the question “Steve, what have we proven with that?”). James McKay does not believe in the boastful and violent demeanor of the opponents and does not allow himself to be involved in the conflict. Instead, he buys the “Big Muddy” from Julie and hopes to bring about peace by thinking of administering the subject of the dispute fairly and for the benefit of all.

Nevertheless, the situation is escalating more and more because the two stubborn old patriarchs are only concerned with their abysmal hatred. It comes to a bloody showdown at Blanco Canon, where Hannassey holds Julie Maragon hostage to lure Major Terrill into a trap. In the end, McKay turns out to be the bravest man of all. He frees Julie and rides off with her.

backgrounds

Director William Wyler on his intentions: “I have never seen a great virtue in the American tradition of punching a person on the nose when they say something one does not like. That only proves who can hit the fastest or the hardest. The question that interests me is whether people also place their trust in someone who doesn't make a big splash. "

Reviews

To date, the film has mostly received positive reviews; all ten reviews on the American critic portal Rotten Tomatoes are positive. The lexicon of international films wrote: “An epically broadly developed western with fascinating landscape shots and excellent actors, which, with almost academic virtuosity, discusses the question of whether reason and trust are not better means of conflict resolution than violence. Despite its length, the film draws a high degree of inner tension in addition to the usual external drama. " Adolf Heinzlmeier and Berndt Schulz were also positive in the lexicon" Films on TV " :" Top-class Western school play in terms of subject, implementation and cast (...) . Large-scale, palatable study by old master Wyler (...), who with a superior hand mixes up the clichés of country, people and genre. ”(Rating: 3 stars = very good).

Thomas Koebner writes: “American critics have only declared the film exciting when it comes to the traditional standard situations. From a European perspective it is difficult to share this assessment: As broad as this epic is, the chamber play-like, quiet, almost intimate scenes and reactions are more memorable than the variations of showdowns of all kinds. (...) Franz Planer, one of the great cameramen who emigrated from Germany, who has never photographed a western before, surpasses the visual aesthetics of many genre-proven cameramen in this late work. "The Motion Picture Guide judges:" A Western that even stubborn opponents this genre can change its mind: excellent camera, brilliant music, intelligent script, excellent actors. "The Hamburger Abendblatt wrote that the film was a" super western with moral standards. " Weites Land " thoroughly cleared up a number of common western clichés. "

Thomas Jeier , on the other hand, came to a negative assessment: wide country is a “mostly overrated monumental western. (...) According to director William Wyler, the film was supposed to propagate pacifism, but it is remembered primarily for its brawls and action scenes. "

Prizes and awards

Burl Ives received an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award for his supporting role in 1959 .

The soundtrack was nominated for an Oscar .

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Joe Hembus : Western Lexicon. Heyne, Munich 1978, ISBN 3-453-00767-0 .
  2. ↑ The Big Country (1958). In: RottenTomatoes.com . Retrieved September 30, 2018 .
  3. ↑ Wide Land. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  4. ^ Adolf Heinzlmeier , Berndt Schulz in: Lexicon "Films on TV". (Extended new edition). Rasch and Röhring, Hamburg 1990, ISBN 3-89136-392-3 , p. 911.
  5. ^ Thomas Koebner in Film Genres. Western film.