Children of Giant

This documentary by award-winning film-maker Hector Galan visits the dusty West Texas town of Marfa to tell the story behind the making of one of the classics of American cinema. Starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean, along with young actors Earl Holliman and Elsa Cardenas, Giant was based on a controversial novel by Edna Ferber. Filmed during the summer of 1955, Giant was a different kind of western, taking an unflinching look at feminism, class divisions and the racial divide between Anglos and Mexican Americans in the south west. A sweeping epic spanning three decades, the film tells the story of the rivalry between Texas rancher Bick Benedict and Jett Rink, a local boy who strikes it rich in the oil business. The movie earned ten Oscar nominations, with George Stevens collecting the Best Director award. Galan explores the film and its enduring legacy, combining interviews with the surviving cast and crew with the recollections of residents who participated in the production, many of whose lives mirrored the themes of racism and segregation explored in the story. Featuring rare behind-the-scenes footage and previously unseen photos, the documentary includes interviews with several noted film historians, celebrating a movie that remains as powerful and relevant today as when it was first released. (PBS)