I want him to teach me how and I bet he wont get mad if I goof. The movie begins with Jim in a police station drunk and his parents arguing about his drinking. For the scene in which Jim drunkenly pounds on the desk in the police station, Dean apparently actually got drunk and then pounded the desk as hard as he could, breaking bones in his hand and leaving Ray forced to shoot around the bandages. Jim talks Plato into coming outside. Frank Stark is a well-meaning but ineffectual parent. The young actor challenged the director to a fist fight, and Rays preference was to simply fire Hopper and keep him away from the set. The film was partially shot in black and white, but the studio then stopped production and reshot in colour. Jim tends to use the technique of binary reasoning to problem solve. Great film all around. This absence of integrity results in a lack of respect from Jim. I think he felt like he just didn't fit in, and didn't have the emotional tools to deal with that or to ask for help from anyone else. . The fathers arms envelop him. Rebel Without A Cause is remembered as the movie that made James Dean an icon, but it also boasted some groundbreaking themes for its time heres the classic films gay subtext explained. . While searching for some stability, Stark forms a bond with a disturbed classmate, Plato, and falls for local girl Judy. The police, Jims parents, and Platos housekeeper have converged outside the planetarium. Mom? A person who fights, rebels, or protests against the established norm of society or government, without having any real or particular end goal they wish to achieve. Salvatore Mineo Jr. (January 10, 1939 - February 12, 1976) was an American actor. (Stern 73). An example of an unessential restriction put on the requirement of becoming is illustrated by Platos desire to be part of a happy family with Jim as his father: According to a Vanity Fair article, star James Dean instructed Mineo to Look at me the way I look at Natalie while the actors were filming a particularly intense scene between their characters. Its a crazy game (Stern 30) by waving a knife in his face; the chickie run is a test of the boys courage; and so forth. The film was an attempt to portray the moral decay of American youth, critique parental style, and explore the differences and conflicts between generations. Dean is provoked into a knife fight at one point, and then into a frightening game of 'Chickie Run', with drivers meant to jump out of their cars speeding towards the edge of a cliff at the last minute. They steal Plato's address book and go off after Jim; Plato retrieves his mother's gun and leaves to warn Jim and Judy, finding them at the mansion. And man, existing alone, seems himself an episode of little consequence." The critical consensus reads, "Rebel Without a Cause is a searing melodrama featuring keen insight into '50s juvenile attitude and James Dean's cool, iconic performance. . Let me try to be as strong as you want me to be (Stern 116). By todays standards, thesubtle gay subtext in Rebel Without A Cause is restrained. The film stars James Dean, Sal Mineo, and Natalie Wood. .Its the age when nothing fits. (Stern 68). Warner Brothers, How Agent Carter Will Capture Hollywood Glam in Season Two, RT25: Celebrating 25 years of Rotten Tomatoes. The movie featured James Dean in one of his final roles; he died one month before the release. . Read critic reviews. that jacket . Jim touches his fathers elbow, bringing him to his feet. Mazzola gathered his friends and had them actually hassle Ray and Dean (who was not yet famous) as if they were really making a move on Athenian turf. You must have had a reason. In 2006, members of the Film Society of Lincoln Center petitioned to have the scene printed and archived for historical preservation. I will say that the film begins to drag slightly about halfway through, but aside from that, this is a very well-crafted drama that any film fan should love. Plato, Jim, and Judy invent an imaginary family life, relieving their angst for a few carefree moments. From Oscar-winning films like Call Me By Your NameorMoonlight to critically acclaimed TV shows like Love, Victor and Euphoria, theres an abundance of productions that feature young LGBTQ characters discovering and accepting their sexuality. There are 14 compilation albums for this title. Jim gives Plato his opinion on when the world will end, just moments before Platos life ends. "[11], The film was in production from March 28 to May 26, 1955. That they are unable to articulate their desires leaves them to resort to their physicalitysuch as fightingwhich only undermines their aspirations to be taken seriously. Rebel Without A Cause is essentially a sociological case study in American masculinityits attractions, its limitations, its pathologies, its postures, and its obstacles. You better give me something fast. Jim and Frank attain the experience necessary to be a man. Hes mine! For example, Frank encourages activities that are buddy buddy in nature, but that are not necessarily meaningful for a father and son relationship: The following analysis reveals a comprehensive look at the Storyform for Rebel Without a Cause. Why are we moving? As the film plays out, we see Wood has problems with her parents too - her dad, apparently uncomfortable with her budding sexuality, slaps her across the face for giving him a kiss as she would have when smaller. It also taps into a feeling of existentialism, of meaninglessness on a larger scale, with an outstanding scene in the planetarium where Dean's class listen to the lecturer say "to the infinite reaches of space, the problems of man seem trivial and naive indeed. The tragedy of Platos death brings the Stark family, that (for now) includes Judy, closer together. Shortly after moving to Los Angeles with his parents, 17-year-old Jim Stark (James Dean) enrolls at Dawson High School. Seemingly unimpressed by Jim at first, she declines and is instead picked up by her "friends", a gang of delinquents led by Buzz Gunderson. In that less tolerant era, this meant depictions of homosexuality in film was a no-no. The thematic conflict that Jim must grapple with is the absence of a secure family home life that he so desperately needs to counteract the outside world in which he is vulnerable. Because Jim has determined his castrating mother and grandmother are why his father is a chicken, he makes every effort not to turn out the same way. The film helped launch the teenager to a new level of cultural awareness, and it would carry on for decades. Father: Lookjust relax, will you? Franks suggestion is to make a list of pros and consan unacceptable answer to Jim. The film has not aged well, and Dean's performance seems more like marked-down Brando than the birth of an important talent. Rebel Without a Cause, American film drama, released in 1955, that is a classic tale of teenage rebellion and angst. Frank does not act on his intuition that his son needs his immediate help. Not surprisingly, the landmark Rebel Without a Cause was chosen as one of the all-time Top 100 American Films by the American Film Institute.Rebel Without a Cause . Its hard to imagine Rebel Without a Cause in anything but color now, in part because its hard to imagine seeing Dean without that striking red jacket hes wearing on the films posters, but that wasnt always the plan. Plato runs to the observatory and barricades himself inside as more police converge including Fremick who, with Frank and Carol, have been searching for Jim. Marlon Brando as a surly motorcycle gang leader in "The Wild One" (1953), James Dean in 1955 . The three act as a family and find a few moments of peace. Should he face the kids down by entering into the chickie fight? Or should he stay at home, thus avoiding dangerJim asks his father: What can you do when you have to be a man? (Stern 54). Jim leaps at Plato with a cry and knocks him down. It would come four years later, in the movie version of Streetcar, which earned him an Oscar nomination and made him into a rising icon. Mother: Are you going down there? [21][22] Rebel was also banned in Spain, where it had to be smuggled into the country for private screenings, and wasn't officially released there until 1964. On the other hand, she praised James Dean's acting, writing, "[w]ith complete control of the character, he gives a fine, sensitive performance of an unhappy, lonely teenager, tormented by the knowledge of his emotional instability. As an example of how attention is focused on expectation in the objective story, Jim expects the same kind of amused reaction from the kids when he moos at the planetarium lecturers discussion of the Taurus bull that Buzz received when he imitated the Cancer crab; Judy anticipates the same kind of affection from her father as a teen that she had always received as a little girl; Jims family expects he will make friends if he can stay out of trouble; and so forth. Jim: Youre not going to use me as an excuse again, Mom. [16], Wanda Hale of the New York Daily News found fault with Rebel's depiction, in her view, of its adults as cardboard figures and of its middle-class teenagers as hoodlums, arguing that it lacked credibility and that "[a]s an honest purposeful drama of juvenile hardness and violence the film just doesn't measure up." The entire knife fight scene between Jim & Buzz was removed, and heavy edits were made to the chicken race scene, shots of Jim attempting to throttle his father, and the fight between Jim and probation officer Fremick. Why did you do it? Jim does not anticipate turning out like his father: One thing I know is I never want to be like him (Stern 16). Ray worked hard to get to know his young lead, hanging out with Dean in New York, getting drunk and smoking pot together, and then ultimately holding lengthy rehearsal sessions at Rays Chateau Marmont bungalow. Peary comments, that for all Jims inarticulateness, he does finally manage to send a message to his parents: Ray, alarmed that his star had been injured, called cut, and Dean was furious. I thought we could have a real old-fashioned stag partyjust the two of us, what do you say? One actress who was not a contender at first was Natalie Wood, who Ray was hesitant to consider because of her early career, and thus public reputation, as an innocent child star. In the past, Jim has been in trouble for fighting. . It significantly boosted the career of James Dean, who died tragically in a car accident before the movie's release and became the cultural icon that we know him as today post-mortem. As an example of how he does not serve his sons needs, he relies on his experiences that are inappropriate as guidelines, and instead of dealing directly with Jims requests for immediate answers, assures his son once he gains his own experiences his present problems will seem insignificant. Frank tries to comprehend the meaning of Jims actions. Franks inability to give advice causes problems between the two: Ranked 477th on list of the 500 greatest movies of all time in 2008. For example, Jims parents are not concerned enough to realize he is not in his bed; Judys parents let her flounce out the door without knowing where she is going, when she had been picked up wandering aimlessly around only the night before; the police officer isnt concerned enough to bother with Jim when he comes in to relay his part in Buzzs death; and so forth. Jim: No! Jim tries to solve his problems by first taking action. Plato is inadvertently shot, and as Frank comforts Jim, the teen-ager is finally able to depend on his father for support. Jim and Judy follow Plato into the observatory, where Jim persuades Plato to trade the gun for his red jacket; Jim quietly removes the ammunition before returning it, and then convinces Plato to come outside. In their book Live Fast, Die Young: The Wild Ride Of Making Rebel Without A Cause, film critics Lawrence Frascella and Al Weisel note that an earlier version of the movies script even featured a scene in which Jim and Plato shared a kiss. Jim: I dont want to drag you into this but I cant help it. Plato then falls asleep, and Jim and Judy leave to explore the mansion, where they share their first kiss and voice their love. This is the ostensible reason why his family must move from place to place. Regal Despite outdated touches -- these punks don't listen to rock music, but rather big-band swing -- Rebel Without a Cause still comes on strong. They won't be able to see your review if you only submit your rating. His parents are often fighting. Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! (Stern 73), Once Jim can articulate his own theory on why his family is dysfunctional to his parents, he has done all he can do to try to reach them. Shortly after moving to Los Angeles with his parents, 17-year-old Jim Stark (James Dean) enrolls at Dawson High School. ", "The Room: how the worst movie ever became a Hollywood legend as bizarre as its creator", "Rebel Without a Cause" by Raymond Weschler, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rebel_Without_a_Cause&oldid=1150360205, United States National Film Registry films, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Online Film & Television Association Awards. So we fought and some cars were smashed, some people were really hurt, and then Nick said cut, and that was that, Jack Grinnage, who played Moose, recalled. Soon after his family moves to a new town, he takes on violent gang members while finding comfort with fellow troubled teens Judy (played by Natalie Wood) and Plato (Sal Mineo). (Stern 59-60); to Platos way of thinking, Jim is his father figure although they have only known each other briefly; Judy explains to Jim that she must treat him one way in front of the kids and another way when they are alone; Jim explains to the juvenile officer how his parents handle his transgressions: By the time filming on Rebel Without a Cause began, Ray and Dean had more than a typical director/star relationship. Was it because we went to that party? Jim and Judy hide out in the deserted mansion that Plato had told Jim about. Jim Stark is a vulnerable, sensitive, self-destructive loner (Peary 283) who is trying to make friends in a new town and find peace and parental guidance within his own home. Author/co-author of numerous books about the cinema and is regarded as one of the foremost James Bond scholars. Filmed in the then recently introduced CinemaScope format and directed by Nicholas Ray, it offered both social commentary and an alternative to previous films depicting delinquents in urban slum environments. After moving to a new town, troublemaking teen Jim Stark (James Dean) is supposed to have a clean slate, although being the new kid in town brings its own problems. . Franks good intentions also include buying gifts for his son, and buying his sons way out of trouble. Franks interactions with his wife and mother have given Jim the impression that his father is weak and a chicken. This has developed into a problem in their relationship, as Jim cannot respect his father, and, in his effort not to turn out like him he finds himself constantly fist fighting. As an example, he demands yes or no answers from his parents. As production began, Deans passion for Method acting led Ray to give him an extremely large share of creative control over each scene, to the point that it was often Dean who would dictate that pace and tone of a scene to the other actors. When production began, Warner Bros. considered it a B-movie project, and Ray used black-and-white film stock. . He takes the position that what works for him in one situation holds true for another in the same situation. While searching for some stability, Stark forms a bond with a disturbed classmate, Plato (Sal Mineo), and falls for local girl Judy (Natalie Wood). 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