296. Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

Directed By Nicholas Ray

Synopsis

James Dean must have been the worse student at the high school, as he is clearly in his mid 20s pretending to be oh so traumatised by high school. Plato gets shot. Good, you killed some puppies off-screen you sick fuck!

Review

The first half of the film is really not that great. Dean and Wood were never great actors, I am sorry to say. Dean was a pretty face who died too soon, Wood was a medium to good actress who died too soon, none of them were great. Dean was no Brando, who was not only attractive but a great actor.

That said the film starts picking up later on when the action focuses more on Plato, the Sal Mineo character, which is frankly the most interesting of the three. The film gets few point for script or acting.

It does make up on originality, however, but bear in mind that this is originality for its time, as most of the themes have been repeated endlessly in cinema and TV. From the chicken-run to the switchblade knife it is now all old hat, but it is important to keep in mind that it wasn't old hat then. The film had the guts to tackle teenage frustrations and mental imbalance like none other before it, and for that it is worth watching.

Final Grade

8/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

The mansion in which Jim, Judy and Plato seek refuge was also Norma Desmond's house in the film Sunset Blvd.. It was owned by millionaire J. Paul Getty.