Review: Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

With only three major film credits to his name, James Dean is an excellent example of the saying, "Only the good die young." Killed in a road accident at the age of 25, Dean left behind few examples of his talent, consisting mostly of random television episodes he did throughout the 1950s. Of the three movies he did complete, Rebel Without a Cause is probably Dean's most widely seen picture. Released in October of 1955, Rebel Opened just 27 days after Dean's death. It would go on to become the fourth highest grossing film of the year.

The "rebel" the title refers to is Jim Stark, a frustrated teenager with a troubled past. Having moved around a lot due to Jim's difficulty fitting in, he has become quite the outsider amongst his peers. He loves his parents, but cannot understand why his father never stands-up to his overbearing mother, which makes him angry, and usually results in Jim making trouble for the family. Having recently moved to a new town, Jim once again has to attend his first day at a new school, making both friends and enemies along the way.

"You Want My Jacket?"

Rebel Without a Cause reminded me of films like The Outsiders (1983) and West Side Story (1961), where gang use is heavy. Though the word 'gang' is never mentioned in Rebel, there is one very obvious gang featured in the movie, though its name is never mentioned. This gang, lead by Buzz "The Wheel" Gunderson, does not take to Stark and his manner, giving him a hard time from the word go.

Going into it, I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this movie. I've always looked upon it as "art" film, showcasing Dean's talents as an artist more than anything else. And though Rebel does do a great job at demonstrating what Dean was capable of, it's far from what I would call "artsy". Thank God for that.

"You're Tearing me apart!"

James Dean is stunning as Jim Stark. His movements as an actor were unusal, almost like he belonged on the stage as opposed to the sceen, but they were also quite fasinating to watch. The way he delivered the above line was so powerful, it took me by surprise. He was very good in this film. Natalie Wood, another one we lost too soon, was also very good as Judy, Stark's neighbour. The rest of the cast also turn in good performances, including a young Dennis Hopper as Goon, one of the gang-kids, in one of his first roles.

I liked Rebel Without a Cause a lot more than I thought I would, though I do believe I would enjoy it more the second time around. 7/10

Trivia: In 1955, T-Shirt sales soared after James Dean was seen wearing one in Rebel Without a Cause. Bonus: The opposite of this occured with undershirts in 1934, when Clark Gable was revealed to be barecheasted after removing his shirt in the Academy Award winning film It Happened One Night (1934).

- Vixtastr43