Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean star in a sweeping saga of jealousy, racism and the clash of cultures set in the vast Texas oilfields. Wealthy rancher Bick Benedict (Hudson) and dirt-poor cowboy Jett Rink (Dean) both woo Leslie Lynnton (Taylor), a beautiful young woman from Maryland who is new to Texas. She marries Benedict, but she is shocked by the racial bigotry of the White Texans against the local people of Mexican descent. Rink discovers oil on a small plot of land, and while he uses his vast, new wealth to buy all the land surrounding the Benedict ranch, the Benedict’s disagreement over prejudice fuels conflict that runs across generations.

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Video Quality

Giant makes its long-awaited 4K UHD Blu-Ray debut with a really fetching 2160p HDR transfer which allows the film to look better than it ever has, although expectations should be in check given the source limitations. It is derived from a new 4K restoration sourcing both the original camera negatives and protection RGB separation master positives for the best possible image, and color corrected in high dynamic range to allow this film to look as close to the original intent as possible.

The new 4K UHD disc offers substantial improvements over the already-lovely previous Blu-Ray, but you have to understand going into this movie that the original material is not ideal for image clarity. The most obvious detriment is the optical printing process in which single-strand direct positives were cut long instead of the preferred short method. This means that the small step down you see in image quality during optical transitions with older movies will last entire scenes at times in this presentation. There is also the issue with the poor quality film stock the film was shot on that was processed by the extremely problematic WarnerColor, which was thankfully abandoned after a short lifespan. A lot of the film is made up of duplicate material which makes the picture softer than many 4K fans may expect.

That being said, the movie has a great amount of natural film grain which veers on the thick side but resolves very tight and specific. This is a major upgrade from the Blu-Ray, which suffered from many more moments where grain would turn into a blocky mess that looked chunky rather than detailed. The fine grain allows this movie to shine and give some pleasing texture and detail to the transfer. There is some management to the grain when it comes to the optical shots, but not so much that I feel it would be a dealbreaker for anyone. The image presents with a solid amount of depth that makes this locale feel more three dimensional than ever. The improvements in contrast and overall clarity are outstanding, especially when you look at the exteriors of the house or textures on costumes.

There is a subtle difference in color temperature between the Blu-Ray and this latest restoration. The UHD disc contains very vibrant, deep colors throughout with the sumptuous Texas setting truly dazzling thanks to the cinematography. The HDR and color grade makes the movie feel more color-accurate than the previous release. White levels are brighter and offer a greater stability without veering into blooming. Black levels are deep and allow the picture to maintain an excellent amount of depth and detail in darker environments. Skin tones look natural and the clarity of the transfer gives you a great amount of facial detail including some of the sweat of the stars. This transfer is a treat for fans of the film, even if the presentation might not be reference quality due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control.Those who have not updated to 4K yet should note that there is not a Blu-Ray included in this package.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master audio track sourced primarily from a 1995 protection copy of the Original Magnetic Mono soundtrack. The disc handles this material well in a way that makes it even more of a win than the video portion. The track does not feature constant kinetic activity, but it comes alive when it makes sense. The rousing score from Dimitri Tiomkin sounds thematically appropriate with excellent fidelity on a technical level. The track is free of damage and juggles all of the competing sounds quite deftly so that dialogue does not get trounced upon. The environmental sounds such as the weather effects and the din of a group of people are rendered well alongside everything else. This track does pretty much everything you could ask from it admirably.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: George Stevens Jr., Screenwriter Ivan Moffat and Critic Stephen Farber come together to provide a terrific commentary track which sustains fairly well over the lengthy runtime as they discuss the process of adapting the source material, the performances in the film, the troubles faced during the production, the shooting locations, the disappointments that arose from shooting in Eastman Color, the film’s reception and awards run, the legacy of the features and more. This provides a good mixture of personal and historical detail that fans will appreciate.

Final Thoughts

Giant is a classic novel that was turned into an equally compelling feature film that brings the story to life in a peerless manner. It is a bit staggering to witness the sprawling nature of this story on screen, and it is an experience you get more from every time you revisit it. The performances are among the strongest we have witnessed on screen as delivered by three titans of the profession. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray sporting a very strong A/V presentation but almost nothing in the way of special features. If you are a fan of this classic, you will be thrilled to own it in the best presentation possible. Highly Recommended

Giant is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.