Overview
A clash of values and loyalties unfolds in the rugged West, where love complicates everything.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- grand
- tense
- romantic
- classic movie night
- western marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's spectacular Technicolor widescreen photography, strong performances, and engaging adult western drama, while some found it overlong and thematically conventional.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The vast Texas terrain, canyon vistas, ranches, and Technicolor photography receive sustained emphasis.
Retired sea captain James McKay refuses to conform to the ranchers' aggressive codes and avoids unnecessary fighting.
The Terrill and Hannassey clans struggle for control of land owned by Julie Maragon because of its essential water supply.
McKay's engagement to Patricia Terrill is shaped by her spoiled behavior and her father's dominance over the ranch family.
Films like The Big Country, and why
Shane
grand-scale western drama centered on honor, land conflict, and masculine codes
Giant
epic western melodrama combining ranching dynasties, romance, and social conflict
The Searchers
classic western featuring rivalry, moral restraint, and spectacular frontier landscapes
Movie Details
- Director
- William Wyler
- Release Date
- 1958-08-13
- Runtime
- 167 min
- Rating
- 7.6 / 10 (429)
Cast
- Gregory Peck
- Jean Simmons
- Carroll Baker
- Charlton Heston
- Burl Ives
- Charles Bickford
- Alfonso Bedoya
- Chuck Connors
- Chuck Hayward
- Buff Brady
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Big Country about?
- A principled sea captain enters a brutal Texas water-rights feud and challenges the violent code governing his future in-laws.
- What is The Big Country like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Big Country as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Big Country violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Big Country as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Big Country?
- Critics broadly praised the film's spectacular Technicolor widescreen photography, strong performances, and engaging adult western drama, while some found it overlong and thematically conventional.
- Which films are like The Big Country?
- Films with a similar feel include Shane, Giant, and The Searchers.
- How long is The Big Country?
- The Big Country runs 167 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Big Country?
- In United States, The Big Country streams on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus.
