Bigger Than Life
Bigger Than Life
•
1h 35m
Directed by Nicholas Ray • 1956 • United States
Starring James Mason, Barbara Rush, Walter Matthau
Though ignored at the time of its release, Nicholas Ray’s BIGGER THAN LIFE is now recognized as one of the great American films of the 1950s. When a friendly, successful suburban teacher and father (James Mason, in one of his most indelible roles) is prescribed cortisone for a painful, possibly fatal affliction, he grows dangerously addicted to the experimental drug, resulting in his transformation into a psychotic and ultimately violent household despot. This Eisenhower-era throat-grabber, shot in expressive CinemaScope, is an excoriating take on the nuclear family. That it came in the day of “Father Knows Best” makes it all the more shocking—and wildly entertaining.
Up Next in Bigger Than Life
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BIGGER THAN LIFE Commentary
Recorded exclusively for the Criterion Collection in 2009, this commentary features critic Geoff Andrew, author of The Films of Nicholas Ray.
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Profile of Nicholas Ray
This half-hour 1977 TV interview with Nicholas Ray, hosted by critic Cliff Jahr, provides a revealing look at the director's thematic interests, his love of actors, and his unique perspective on cinema.
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Jonathan Lethem on NICHOLAS RAY
In this featurette, award-winning novelist Jonathan Lethem talks about BIGGER THAN LIFE, one of his favorite films.
