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Bigger than Life

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Bigger than Life

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Summary

Psychological drama starring James Mason, Barbara Rush and Walter Matthau. A teacher becomes addicted to an experimental drug that's being used to treat his arthritis. His subsequent personality transformation has a traumatic effect on his family life.

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Review

A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Adrian Turner

One of those legendary 1950s melodramas, this was treated as a routine release in America and Britain, but hailed as a major work of art by the French (notably Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut) because it is "un film de Nicholas Ray", the director of Rebel without a Cause and They Live by Night. It stars James Mason, in one of his best roles, as a mild-mannered teacher whose career and marriage are wrecked by his addiction to cortisone, which turns him into a megalomaniac monster. Made in CinemaScope and famous for its dramatic colour scheme (New York cabs are at their yellowest), it is a real humdinger. And it features Walter Matthau, too.

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7.4/10

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Credits

Cast

rolenameEd AveryJames MasonLouBarbara RushWallyWalter MatthauDr NortonRobert F SimonRichie AveryChristopher OlsenDr RurichRoland WintersLa PorteRusty LaneNurseRachel StephensPat WadeKipp HamiltonMrs La PorteBetty Caulfield

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Crew

rolenameDirectorNicholas Ray

Details

Theatrical distributor

BFI

Released on

2003-11-28

Languages

English | Japanese

Guidance

Drug abuse.

Available on

DVD

Formats

Colour

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