284 - Bigger Than Life
from Have You Seen This?
Jen and Tim look back at a dark entry from the often astonishing oeuvre of Nicholas Ray, the thrilling melodrama Bigger Than Life. Also Tim has medical trauma. Errata: Jen says “They Drive By Night” when she meant They Live By Night, confusing Raoul Walsh’s 1940 hit with Nicholas Ray’s 1948 debut feature. Her pay will be docked accordingly. The Classic Film Noir website has a wonderful visual essay about the film, including details about the negative critical response when it was released. Adrian Danks writes about Bigger Than Life and the psyche of its central character in a 2009 essay for Senses of Cinema. Sam Wasson’s article at the same site gives cultural context to the film,including the chilling affect of the Cold War and anticommunism.
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