Kindhearted schoolteacher Ed Lavery (James Mason) is having some health issues which cause him extreme pain and even, sometimes, to black out. A trip to the hospital reveals that Ed is suffering from a rare arterial disease, one which has an extremely poor prognosis. In fact, the disease usually proves to be fatal; however, his doctor tells him about an experimental drug which might be effective. Of course, Ed and his wife, Lou (Barbara Rush), are open to trying the drug, since it is really the only option they have. So, with a warning from his doctor about following the very strict dosage instructions and being aware of any behavior changes in himself, Ed is released from the hospital.
Early on, Ed's behavior begins to change; however, instead of mentioning these concerns to his doctor, Ed takes more than the proper dosage of pills. On two occasions, he even lies so as to get another prescription of the medication. One time, when asking his doctor for a refill ahead of schedule, he tells the doctor he dropped several pills down the drain; another time, he impersonates a doctor and writes a prescription for himself.
As Ed continues taking more than the prescribed dosage of medication, his personality completely changes---he becomes paranoid, angry, arrogant, condescending. His wife and son take the brunt of his behavior, and it all comes to a head one weekend when the doctor is away and unable to be reached.
I found this movie gripping. From about minute one, I was hooked, and it didn't let me go until the very end. James Mason, who I am only just now really getting to know, was spectacular here. I've only seen about six of his films thus far, but, surely, Bigger Than Life has to be the performance of his career. I read several reviews of this film on Net Flix, and many of the reviewers seem to think that this movie was a scathing indictment of the 1950's moral and social climate. I don't know, maybe it was, but if so, that message was lost on me. I didn't see that at all. To me, this was simply a powerful film which depicted the dangers of improperly taking prescription medication.
This film is out on DVD...it's part of the Criterion Collection. It should be readily available and quite easy to track down. Happy viewing!!