I’ve tried to like this film and have seen it several times—trying to “force” myself to love it because it is such a “respected classic”.
I’ve finally come to the conclusion that there are a few good/great scenes, but overall, this is not a perfect or 4 star film (in my opinion).
I like Liz Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean as actors in general and I think that both Liz and Rock are very good in this. Dean is charismatic as all get out and I like him as young Jett (his scenes with Taylor and especially the oil discovery scene are my favorite in the film and I think he is electric in them ...).
But, yes, as “old Jett” Dean is awful and it is like he’s in a completely different film. I just think he was too young and inexperienced (and not directed well enough) to play that old of a man.
The film is also way too long and—as much as I hate to admit this—the writing is weak in some ways because it comes off as very “preachy” and almost like an after school special in all the speeches about Mexico and race relations. It’s not subtle or well done in that regard at all.
The intermarriage with Liz and Rock’s son (played by Dennis Hopper) could have been very touching—and in some scenes toward the end (the Rock and his “mixed family” in the diner scene especially) really is emotional and touching.
Having said that, the movie itself is kind of all over the place: some good scenes with Rock and Liz’s initial courtship, some lovely cinematography and set design, some good scenes with Liz and young Dean/Jett, good scenes at the end with Rock, Liz, and their whole big brood spending time together—but then there’s also *horrible* old age makeup for everyone, a meandering weak “plot”/story that never seems to end, Liz’s character giving over the top speeches (really meant for the audience) about how modern day Texas with all its big houses, infrastructure, and oil fortunes should really just be given back to Mexico (really? Because the Mexican government was doing such a great job of running the rest of Mexico at that point? It’s all a bit overdone and overwrought...), and Dean as old Jett acting like an insane young man in clown like old age makeup....
Yeah, so, a mixed bag overall (with a great, iconic poster however featuring Dean sitting in the car in front of the big Rock and Liz estate—cowboy hat covering his face) but not something I consider either a personal favorite or an all time classic.
(Also (last complaint): the makeup on or casting of the girl who Rock and Liz’s son (Dennis Hopper’s character) falls for and marries is just odd. She looks frumpy, her makeup looks excessive and badly done, and she just does not look like someone a “golden boy from a big Texas family” would risk everything to marry. It’s not a racial thing either *at all*; there were *plenty* of stunning real Latino or Hispanic actresses in Hollywood at the time that they could have easily put in that role who would have been lovely *and* had good chemistry with Hopper. As it is in the film (I didn’t even bother to look up the name of the actress), the actress they have Hopper fall head over heels for is frumpy and oddly made up and has no chemistry with him, so it really takes you out of the film because you can’t see why he would risk social stigmas and family difficulties to be with this woman (and casting some effortlessly lovely Latina actress would have been very easy, so it just seems like lazy, bad casting on their part).