A film well ahead of its time is getting a big upgrade for home viewers. Giant, the 1956 western classic which featured James Dean in his final role alongside Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson is getting a 4K Ultra HD release on Blu-ray and digital courtesy of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Based on the novel from Edna Ferber, the film returns with its 4K facelift on June 21.
Giant delved into some unexplored territory at the time like racism and the clash between different cultures in order to tell a long-running saga of jealousy and bitterness. It centered on two men: wealthy Texas rancher Bick Benedict (Hudson) and the poor, low-class cowboy Jett Rink (Dean) who both pursue a woman from Maryland, Leslie Lynnton (Taylor). In their efforts to woo the young woman, she ultimately chooses Benedict only to discover the widespread racism in the Texas oil fields. Locals of Mexican descent are constantly treated horribly by the bigotted White Texans. With Rink discovering oil on his own small plot of land and using the money he made to buy up everything around the Benedict ranch, it sows the seeds for conflict between the families that will last for generations.
At the time it was released, Giant was a massive hit with audiences, earning $39 million at the box office against a budget of $5.4 million. It also bucked many a trend at the time, showing not just the injustices against Mexicans in America but also having Taylor play a strong role, fighting for a better, more tolerant society starting with her own family. It racked up 10 Academy Award nominations including a win for George Stevens Sr. Back in 2005, it was also selected to join the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as one of the landmark films of its time.
The 4K Ultra HD upgrade will take the classic film and brighten it up with a wider spectrum of color while sourcing both the original camera negatives and protection RGB separation master positives to bring the film up to code without losing any of its original charm. Both the picture and audio were restored to fit modern technology by Warner Bros. Post Production Creative Services: Motion Picture Imaging and Post Production Sound.
For this new release of Giant, all of the old special features from previous editions will be included. This includes commentary by George Stevens Jr., screenwriter Ivan Moffat, and critic Stephen Farber. In all, the film will set you back $24.99 regardless of if you pick up a physical copy or spring for the digital version. The film can be purchased digitally via select online retailers. It’ll also be picked up by several Video on Demand services and gaming consoles, giving you plenty of options to pick up this remastered classic.
Giant‘s 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and digital remaster will be released on June 21.
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