Unit 5: Bigger Than Life

For my film from the 1950s I chose, Bigger Than Life. The film compares to Breaking Bad by having Walter White and Ed Avery both are school teachers, only to suddenly find themselves diagnosed with a terrible illness. For Walter it's cancer and Ed diagnosed with kidney inflammation. Walter starts out by making meth, and Ed just abuses the medication he's prescribed. However, the plots of both differ because Walter uses he gifts for creating "Blue Meth" to help leave his family with something upon his passing. Ed however just abuses the medication and eventually his violence turns towards his family. While, Walter White is generally a violent drug kingpin, he seems to generally care about his family and doesn't really get violent towards them, unlike Ed. Walter's family over time learns about the terrible things he's done and learn to fear his reputation but, they know in the end he's just trying to provide for his family while, being a bastard. In the end Walter ends up with his drug empire destroyed, and his family is torn apart, before he dies. In Bigger Than Life, Ed ends up breaking up his family by having a violent psychotic episode towards them however, unlike Walter Ed doesn't get killed by gang members in a blaze of glory.