★ 7 / 10
Jim" (James Dean) is a kid with a
CinemaSerf
"Jim" (James Dean) is a kid with a troubled past whose parents have relocated to give him a bit of a fresh start at his new school. Pretty swiftly, though, he…
"Jim" (James Dean) is a kid with a troubled past whose parents have relocated to give him a bit of a fresh start at his new school. Pretty swiftly, though, he falls in with the wrong crowd - the sort that have flick-knife fights - and it looks like we are in for a repeat performance. Luckily for him, he has also two more benign influences on his new life. One is "Judy" (Natalie Wood) who comes from a decent home and the other is "Plato" (Sal Mineo) whose appreciation of his new friend borders on the acolytic. At home, he isn't neglected or unloved but his mother (Ann Doran) is constantly at him to improve and grow up and so he relies on his weakly doting father (Jim Backus) to fight his corner for him. With "Buzz" (Corey Allen) and his gang continuing to put pressure on him; "Judy" determined to keep him on the straight and narrow and "Plato" causing him to question certain aspects of his own identity and personality, it's a confusing time for a young man who must now find the confidence and the maturity to navigate what is becoming a fairly conflicted scenario. Dean may take top billing - and he does begin to craft his own enduringly charismatic and troubled image well, here, but for me it is Wood who delivers more powerfully with a complex character that has depths to her beyond the slightly soporific gal-next-door that we expect. Better than her, even, is Mineo. His effort nimbly treads on the egg-shells of a character who may or may not have physical designs on his friend, but who is in any case desparate to be noticed, to be valued and to be loved. Does he really just want to be the cool and attractive "Jim" or more than that? As stories of teenage angst go, this is one of the sharpest in terms of dialogue. There's no surfeit of pointless chatter, no expletives, just a tightly knitted character study that oozes a certain toxicity that the three hold together potently.
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★ 9 / 10
**An iconic, culturally significant film that helped immortalize
Filipe Manuel Neto
**An iconic, culturally significant film that helped immortalize James Dean.** This is one of those classic films when the theme is teenage rebellion and…
**An iconic, culturally significant film that helped immortalize James Dean.**
This is one of those classic films when the theme is teenage rebellion and generational clash. It is undoubtedly good, with a good story and good actors – it is the film that marked James Dean's short career – and continues to be a regular presence in classics cycles and specialty TV channels.
The film explores quite well the difficult relationship between parents and their children within the wealthiest families, and the way in which this tension has a decisive influence on the latter's delinquent behavior. Living in homes where there is truly no love, but rather a well-organized routine, and where parental care is limited to material goods and the act of giving things, these young people accumulate a revolt that they need to express through pranks and mischief that parents choose to ignore or consider that they are the consequences of harmful influences. The fact that they are children of rich parents only makes their devilry more elaborate: this is the case of racing with stolen cars. How many angry teenagers with rich dads continue to do similar things?
Expertly directed by Nicholas Ray, the film had a high budget that allowed for quality production values. The cinematography is excellent, the sets and costumes couldn't be better (I especially liked Dean's parents' house and the abandoned mansion where part of the final scenes take place) and the cars used are beautiful. James Dean's hair and costume were decisive in youth fashion at that time, and the soundtrack accompanies everything with distinction and discretion.
However, what decisively marks this film is the excellent quality of the cast and their work, particularly the excellent performance achieved by James Dean. He is absolutely credible in the role he was given, despite being a little older than his character. The opening scene is worthy of an anthology, but also that fight with razors that takes place near the Griffith Observatory. Natalie Wood is also not far behind: she was then more or less the right age and had the necessary talent, as well as being very beautiful and charismatic. Sal Mineo plays a highly dramatic role, and his participation in this film is one of the highlights of his career. Finally, a note of praise for Jim Backus and Marietta Canty, who made good contributions to the film in slightly less valued roles.
A curious note that I just noticed: the three main actors in this film have in common the fact that they died before the age of forty-five, and each had a mysterious and violent death. Everyone knows that James Dean saw his life taken as a result of an unfortunate car accident, a few months after this film was made. However, in 1976, Sal Mineo followed, stabbed to death during a robbery at his home. A few years later, in 1981, it was the turn of Natalie Wood, who drowned in more than strange circumstances, during a yacht trip off the Californian coast.
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★ 8 / 10
"You're tearing me apart!"
sme_no_densetsu
Like any film that strives to be current, "Rebel Without a Cause" has inevitably become dated since its release over fifty years ago. Therefore, you have to…
Like any film that strives to be current, "Rebel Without a Cause" has inevitably become dated since its release over fifty years ago. Therefore, you have to make allowances for this and take it in the context of its time. Those willing to do so will recognize the film as a substantial offering, especially for a film about young people.Certain aspects of the plot may be dated but the emotions are timeless. Each of the teens is looking for something different from their parents. Jim is hounded by the question of what it takes to be a man but gets no help from his hen-pecked father. Judy justifiably feels unloved due to her father's suddenly frigid demeanor. Plato, meanwhile, doesn't even have his parents around at all, therefore he feels lonely and abandoned. These problems (and a multitude of others) haven't vanished in the time since this film was released.The direction by Nicholas Ray brings this story to life and shows some interesting touches along the way. The opening credits with Jim drunkenly messing around with a toy monkey is just one memorable scene. The 'chickie run' scene is perhaps the film's most memorable set-piece.The movie also benefits from a legendary performance from James Dean, who didn't even live long enough to see the film hit theatres. His performance here is angst-ridden and filled with nuance. Perhaps his best scene is the one in which he confronts his parents when he returns from the chicken run. Puzzlingly, though, he never got an Oscar nomination while both Mineo & Wood did. Mineo was certainly deserving but to me Wood's performance was nothing particularly special. Also notable was Jim Backus who turned in a fine performance as Jim's father.The film contains a wealth of deeper meaning and, depending on who you ask, possibly some taboo-defying sexual undertones. After seeing the film a few times I'm no longer so sure about the supposed homosexual subtext of Jim & Plato's friendship; that may be more of a by-product of their respective issues stemming from missing or ineffective father figures. Judy's relationship to her father is also not without sexual undertones but, again, this may be a by-product of the issue at hand; that is, her father's lack of overt affection as she blossoms into maturity. Regardless of whether or not any of this was the intent of the film-makers they were nevertheless daring to present such provocative material while the production code was still in effect.All in all, a fine film that is deservedly lauded as a classic decades later. Check it out but be sure to put yourself in a fifties state of mind.
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Great movie, thanks mate :)