Apparently either director George Stevens or writer Edna Ferber's love letter to Texas. A big budget production the likes of which Hollywood no longer caters to unfortunately. Even with a runtime of 3 hours and 21 minutes, the story and film never seem to drag. Outstanding performances by the three leads: Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean. Unfortunately, this was Dean's last film and we're always left wondering what might have been. At just 24 years old, he strings together a memorable performance by ranch hand turned oil billionaire Jett Rink. I found myself wondering while watching this just how much more rich Hudson's Jordan Benedict would have been had he discovered the oil on his property rather than Jett? A little surprised they didn't have an intermission either. 7.5/10
