http://newcritics.com/blog1/2008/04/07/charlton-heston-1923-2008/ culture blogging for the good of the planet Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:01:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 http://newcritics.com/blog1/2008/04/07/charlton-heston-1923-2008/#comment-103153 newcritics - » The Omega Star Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:07:22 +0000 http://newcritics.com/blog1/2008/04/07/charlton-heston-1923-2008/#comment-103153 [...] The Siren’s post includes a nice appreciation Heston’s work in The Big Country: He’s also the Siren’s favorite thing in The Big Country, a movie she loves and has seen many times. Heston’s character, the unfortunately named Steve Leech, is often described as a heavy but he’s no such thing, just a strong silent type eaten up with love for Carroll Baker and determined not to lose her. Heston often had a lack of chemistry with his leading ladies, perhaps because the diva-esque prerogatives of stars like Sophia Loren and Ava Gardner drove the punctual, meticulous Heston round the bend. But in The Big Country his scenes with Baker smolder, and his longing for her is so nakedly sexual and apparent that you sympathize with Leech long before the character starts to do anything sympathetic. [...] [...] The Siren’s post includes a nice appreciation Heston’s work in The Big Country: He’s also the Siren’s favorite thing in The Big Country, a movie she loves and has seen many times. Heston’s character, the unfortunately named Steve Leech, is often described as a heavy but he’s no such thing, just a strong silent type eaten up with love for Carroll Baker and determined not to lose her. Heston often had a lack of chemistry with his leading ladies, perhaps because the diva-esque prerogatives of stars like Sophia Loren and Ava Gardner drove the punctual, meticulous Heston round the bend. But in The Big Country his scenes with Baker smolder, and his longing for her is so nakedly sexual and apparent that you sympathize with Leech long before the character starts to do anything sympathetic. [...]

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