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39-453: The Big Country is a 1958 American epic Western film directed by William Wyler , starring Gregory Peck , Jean Simmons , Carroll Baker , Charlton Heston , and Burl Ives . The supporting cast features Charles Bickford and Chuck Connors . Filmed in Technicolor and Technirama , the picture was based on the serialized magazine novel Ambush at Blanco Canyon by Donald Hamilton and

78-407: A clash with Buck, which is ultimately settled with a shootout using the old dueling pistols. Buck fires before the signal, his bullet grazing McKay's forehead − and leaving him open to be shot by McKay. Buck crawls under a wagon in a display of cowardice that convinces McKay to spare him. The frustrated Buck snatches another gun from a nearby cowboy, forcing Rufus to kill his own son. Rufus then goes to

117-509: A controversial hit in its day. He was involved as an associate producer on most of his brother's films through the 1950s, such as Roman Holiday (1953) and Friendly Persuasion (1956). Then 47-year-old Wyler married 24-year-old actress Cathy O'Donnell on April 11, 1948. They had met two years earlier while she was being directed by his brother in The Best Years of Our Lives . She died in 1970 on their 22nd wedding anniversary, following

156-668: A gift. When the Major learns of Buck's pestering of his daughter and future son-in-law, he gathers his men and goes to raid the Hannassey ranch, despite McKay's attempts to defuse the situation. The Major's group of twenty men finds neither Rufus nor Buck, so they settle for terrorizing the Hannassey women and children, shooting holes in the Hannassey water reservoir. They find Buck's posse in town and proceed to beat and humiliate three of them. Meanwhile, McKay privately tames and rides Old Thunder after many unsuccessful attempts and swears his only witness,

195-582: A letter stating: "I can't begin to tell you how pleased I am with the new ending.... The shots you made are complete perfection." The Blanco Canyon scenes were filmed in California's Red Rock Canyon State Park in the Mojave Desert . The ranch and field scenes with greenery were filmed in the Sierra Nevada foothills near the town of Farmington in central California. Today Snow Ranch, a working cattle ranch,

234-572: A massive scale. Biographical films may be less lavish versions of this genre. They often have a Roadshow theatrical release and are often shot on 70 mm film . Many writers may refer to any film that is "long" (over two hours) as an epic, making the definition epic a matter of dispute, and raise questions as to whether it is a "genre" at all. As Roger Ebert put it, in his "Great Movies" article on Lawrence of Arabia : The word epic in recent years has become synonymous with big-budget B picture . What you realize watching Lawrence of Arabia

273-462: A platitude. Peace is a pious precept, but fightin' is more excitin'. That's what it proves." Variety called the film "one of the best photography jobs of the year", with a "serviceable, adult" storyline "which should find favor with audiences of all tastes." Harrison's Reports declared it "a first-rate super-Western, beautifully photographed in the Technirama anamorphic process and Technicolor. It

312-438: A second screenplay and Robert Wilder wrote another, with the final script by James R. Webb and Sy Bartlett . After arbitration, Webb, Bartlett and Wilder received screenplay credit and Wyler and West received adaptation credit. Uris was not given credit as his script deviated too much from the original story. Director William Wyler was known for shooting an exorbitant number of takes on his films, usually without explaining to

351-590: Is a long picture, perhaps too long for what the story has to offer, but there is never a dull moment from start to finish and it holds one's interest tightly throughout." Richard L. Coe of The Washington Post called it "super stuff. Franz Planer's photography of Texas is downright awe-inspiring, the characters are solid, the story line firm, the playing first-rate, the music more than dashing in this nearly three-hour tale which should delight everybody." John McCarten of The New Yorker wrote, "Of those involved in this massive enterprise, Mr. Bickford and Mr. Ives are

390-510: Is also used during the winter months (of lower fire risk) by a club of the National Association of Rocketry for launches of model and mid- and high-power amateur rockets. Bosley Crowther of The New York Times wrote in a negative review, "for all this film's mighty pretensions, it does not get far beneath the skin of its conventional Western situation and its stock Western characters. It skims across standard complications and ends on

429-479: Is that the word epic refers not to the cost or the elaborate production, but to the size of the ideas and vision. Werner Herzog's Aguirre: The Wrath of God didn't cost as much as the catering in Pearl Harbor , but it is an epic, and Pearl Harbor is not. The epic is among the oldest of film genres, with one early notable example being Giovanni Pastrone 's Cabiria , a two-and-a-half hour silent film about

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468-469: The American West to join his fiancée Patricia at the enormous ranch owned by her father, Henry "The Major" Terrill. After a meeting with Patricia's friend, schoolteacher Julie Maragon, McKay, and Patricia are accosted by a group of drunks led by Buck Hannassey, the son of the Major's ardent and implacable enemy Rufus Hannassey − with whom he's had a longstanding feud over water access for cattle. In spite of

507-554: The Punic Wars , which laid the groundwork for the subsequent silent epics of D. W. Griffith . The genre reached a peak of popularity in the early 1960s, when Hollywood frequently collaborated with foreign film studios (such as Rome's Cinecittà ) to use relatively exotic locations in Spain, Morocco and elsewhere for the production of epic films such as El Cid (1961) or Lawrence of Arabia (1962). The genre soon spread to other regions of

546-624: The "epic" film, encompassing such examples as Ben-Hur , Gone with the Wind and more recently, 300 and the Star Wars films [...] none of these comes from literary epics per se , and there is little that links them with one another. Among those who espouse film genre studies, epic is one of the most despised and ignored genres". Finally, although the American Movie Channel formally defines epic films as historical films, they nonetheless state

585-517: The Big Muddy as a wedding gift for her, which initially convinces her to attempt to make amends with McKay. When she learns of McKay's plan to allow the Hannasseys equal access to the water, she leaves for good. Wanting to lure the Major into an ambush in the canyon leading to his homestead, Rufus takes Maragon hostage. Although McKay personally promises Rufus equal access to the water, he finds himself in

624-519: The Terrill-Hannassey dispute. With the only river nearby running through it, access is vital for both herds during times of drought. McKay persuades Maragon to sell the ranch to him in the hopes of both securing a gift for Patricia and ending the conflict by continuing Maragon's policy of unrestricted access to the river. McKay shows up at the camp of the Terrill search party led by Leech sent out to find

663-580: The Wind is the highest-grossing film ever, with two other romantic epics ( Titanic and Doctor Zhivago ) also featuring among the global top ten. So far the most Academy Awards ever won by a single film stands at eleven. This feat has only been achieved by three films: Ben-Hur (1959), Titanic (1997) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), all of which are above three hours long and considered epic films. The previous record holder

702-427: The actors what to do differently except "[make it] better", and this one was no exception. Many of the actors, including Jean Simmons and Carroll Baker, were so traumatized by his directing style that they refused to speak about the experience for years. Simmons later said they constantly received rewrites for the script, making acting extremely difficult. Gregory Peck and Wyler, who were good friends, fought constantly on

741-473: The architecture of the film. In a poll of 500 films held by Empire , it was voted 187th-greatest movie of all time. Ives won the Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor, as well as a Golden Globe Award. The film was also nominated for an Academy Award for the musical score by Jerome Moross. The Academy Film Archive preserved The Big Country in 2006. A comic-book adaptation of the novel and tie-in to

780-526: The basis of their enormous scope and the sweeping panorama of their settings such as How the West Was Won or East of Eden that do not have the typical substance of classical epics but are directed in an epic style. When described as "epic" because of content, an epic movie is often set during a time of war or other societal crisis, while usually covering a longer span of time sometimes throughout entire generations coming and passing away, in terms of both

819-616: The canyon for a final confrontation with the Major and challenges him to a one-on-one showdown. Armed with rifles, the two old men advance and kill one another. With that, the hostilities end, and McKay and Julie, clearly falling in love, ride off together with Ramon to start a new life together. Robert Wyler and Jessamyn West wrote the first screenplay for the film based on the Donald Hamilton story that had been serialized in The Saturday Evening Post . Leon Uris wrote

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858-449: The epic film may be combined with the genre of science-fiction and cite Star Wars as an example. Stylistically, films classed as epic usually employ spectacular settings and specially designed costumes, often accompanied by a sweeping musical score, and an ensemble cast of bankable stars . Epics are usually among the most expensive of films to produce. They often use on-location filming, authentic period costumes , and action scenes on

897-426: The epic is often credited to their ability to appeal to a wide audience. Several of the highest-grossing films of all-time have been epics. James Cameron 's 1997 film Titanic , which is cited as helping to revive the genre, grossed $ 1.8 billion at cinemas worldwide to become the highest-grossing film—a record it held for twelve years. If inflation is taken into account, then the historical romantic epic Gone with

936-402: The events depicted and the running time of the film. Such films usually have a historical setting, although speculative fiction (i.e. fantasy or science fiction ) settings have become common in recent decades. The central conflict of the film is usually seen as having far-reaching effects, often changing the course of history. The main characters' actions are often central to the resolution of

975-405: The harassment and mockery, McKay surprises Patricia by making light of the incident and stating that he's experienced worse and the boys meant no harm, they were just drunk. The next morning, McKay declines an invitation from the Major's foreman Steve Leech to ride an indomitable bronco stallion named "Old Thunder". McKay then brings a pair of dueling pistols once owned by his father to the Major as

1014-460: The most commendable as they whoop and snort about the sagebrush. But even they are hardly credible types, and as for the rest of the cast, they can be set down as a rather wooden lot." Philip K. Scheuer of the Los Angeles Times called the film "too self consciously 'epical' to be called great, but at its best, which is frequently, it's better than good." The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote that

1053-442: The movie was first released in 1957. Epic film Epic historical films would usually take a historical or a mythical event and add an extravagant setting, lavish costumes, an expansive musical score , and an ensemble cast , which would make them extremely expensive to produce. The most common subjects of epic films are royalty and important figures from various periods in world history. The term "epic" originally came from

1092-458: The picture's attempts to convey a message were for the most part "superficial and pedestrian," and found that "the pivotal character of McKay, played on a monotonously self-righteous note by Gregory Peck, never comes alive. It is mainly due to the power of the climactic canyon battle, and Burl Ives' interesting playing as Rufus, that this remains a not unsympathetic film, decorated pleasantly by Jean Simmons and with spirit by Carroll Baker." The film

1131-664: The poetic genre exemplified by such works as the Epic of Gilgamesh and the works of the Trojan War Cycle . In classical literature, epics are considered works focused on deeds or journeys of heroes upon which the fate of many people depends. Similarly, films described as "epic" typically take a historical character, or a mythic heroic figure. Common subjects of epics are royalty , gladiators , great military leaders, or leading personalities from various periods in world history. However, there are some films described as "epic" almost solely on

1170-488: The presumed lost McKay. Upon returning to Ladder Ranch, Leech calls McKay a liar when McKay explains he was never lost or in danger. Again McKay refuses to be goaded into a fight, which disappoints Patricia enough to make the pair reconsider their engagement. Before dawn and without an audience, McKay challenges Leech to a prolonged outdoor fistfight, which ends in a draw. In the morning, Maragon tells Patricia of McKay's purchase of

1209-404: The ranch hand Ramon, to secrecy. A gala is held on the Terrill ranch in honor of Patricia's upcoming wedding. At the height of the festivities, an armed Rufus crashes the party and accuses the Major of the hypocrisy of pretending to be a gentleman when his actions speak otherwise. The next day, McKay secretly goes to Maragon's abandoned ranch, known as the "Big Muddy", the property at the center of

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1248-532: The set and had a falling out for three years, although they later reconciled. Wyler and Charles Bickford also clashed, as they had done 30 years previously on the production of his 1929 film Hell's Heroes . Burl Ives, however, claimed to have enjoyed making the film. Before principal photography was complete, Wyler left for Rome to start work on Ben-Hur , delegating creation of the final scenes involving McKay and Maragon to his assistant Robert Swink , whose resulting scenes pleased Wyler so much that he wrote Swink

1287-464: The societal conflict. In its classification of films by genre, the American Film Institute limits the genre to historical films such as Ben-Hur . However, film scholars such as Constantine Santas are willing to extend the label to science-fiction films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and Star Wars . Lynn Ramey suggests that "Surely one of the hardest film genres to define is that of

1326-617: The world, such as India where it's flourishing Bollywood industry produced the landmark Mughal-E Azam (1960), which is widely considered as one of the greatest films of all time and a milestone in Asian epics. This boom period of international co-productions is generally considered to have ended with Cleopatra (1963), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) and Doctor Zhivago (1965). Nevertheless, films in this genre continued to appear, with one notable example being War and Peace , which

1365-479: Was Gone with the Wind (1939), also an epic, with ten awards. Robert Wyler Robert Wyler (September 25, 1900 – January 17, 1971) was a Swiss-American film producer and associate producer. He was the older brother of film director William Wyler and a nephew of Universal Studios head Carl Laemmle . Wyler was born in Mülhausen , Alsace , Germany (now Mulhouse, Haut-Rhin , France). His first credit

1404-530: Was a big hit, being the second-most popular movie in Britain in 1959. On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes , the film has an approval rating of 100% based on 13 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. President Dwight D. Eisenhower liked the movie so much, he screened it on four successive evenings in the White House during his second administration. Playmobil designed an entire cowboy line based on

1443-526: Was as a producer in 1928, and he made several unsuccessful attempts at directing in the early 1930s. Wyler found success in the late 1940s and 1950s. He was associate producer of his brother's adaptation of The Heiress (1949), which was nominated for Best Film at the Academy Awards and won its star, Olivia de Havilland , her second Oscar . Wyler was nominated for Best Screenplay for Detective Story (1951), another film directed by his brother and

1482-621: Was co-produced by Wyler and Peck. The opening title sequence was created by Saul Bass . Burl Ives won the Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for his performance, as well as the Golden Globe Award . The film was also nominated for an Academy Award for the musical score , composed by Jerome Moross . The film is one of the few in which Heston plays a major supporting role rather than the lead. Former sea captain James McKay travels to

1521-448: Was released in the former Soviet Union during 1967–1968. Epic films continue to be produced, although since the development of CGI they typically use computer effects instead of an actual cast of thousands. Since the 1950s, such films have regularly been shot with a wide aspect ratio for a more immersive and panoramic theatrical experience. Epic films were recognized in a montage at the 2006 Academy Awards . The enduring popularity of

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