In one of the
most influential performances in movie history, James Dean plays the
new kid in town whose loneliness, frustration and anger mirrored those
of postwar teens - and still reverberates 50 years later.
CRITIQUE
There is a
telling moment in Rebel Without A Cause between Jim Stark
(Dean) and his father (Jim Backus). “What do you do when you have to
be a man,” asks Jim. His father is speechless; he does not know what
to tell his son. Mr. Stark is the emasculated man, so much so that he
is practically useless as a father. Mr. Stark wears an apron around
the house, an interesting gender reversal; it stands out even today,
so it much have reverberated with audiences all the more with
audiences 50 years ago. Jim’s mother is overbearing, unwilling to
listen to her son, concerned only with the fact that “I almost died
giving birth to him,” as if to lay a guilt trip on her son for even
being born. Mrs. Stark is the man of the house, Jim’s dad is the
wife, and Jim is caught in the middle. With incompetent parents like
this, no wonder Jim is so confused.
Nicholas Ray
played a lot with gender roles and sexual identities (see Ray’s 1954
film Johnny Guitar for a more full example of that), and this
film is no different. The reversals are more subtle, but they are
plain to see for anyone watching. In addition to Jim’s father, there
are subtle allusions that Plato (Sal Mineo) is a homosexual: the
picture of Alan Ladd in his locker, the way he idolizes Jim. Rebel
broke ground in Hollywood for being one of the first films to be
told from the point of view of the teenagers. Even that other famous
rebel film of the 50s, 1953’s The Wild One, was about a group
of slightly older young people.
On Jim’s first
day of school, the class goes on a field trip to a planetarium (filmed
on location at the Griffith Observatory, which today features a statue
of Dean), where they are treated to a doomsday presentation, all about
the end of the world and the insignificance of man. The presentation
says that the problems the kids have are insignificant, meaningless,
and yet to them it is the end of the world. The show speaks
particularly to Plato, the most alienated and disturbed of them all.
“What does he know about man alone,” Plato says after the show. Plato
is the most lost of the three main characters, and he instigates much
of what happens late in the film. Sal Mineo plays him well, making
his volatile emotional fragility apparent just beneath the surface.
The direction in
the film is stylized enough to add to each scene without being
self-indulgent. Ray had made several films by this point and clearly
had a vision for what he wanted the film to be, and he hits the right
pitch in every scene. All the performances are strong, especially
Dean’s. Rebel Without A Cause is the iconic James Dean
role; by the time the film was released in 1955, Dean was dead, a fact
that no doubt helped lift his performance here to mythic proportions.
Natalie Wood is also strong as Judy. Wood had been a child star, and
at the time of this film she was trying to make the transition from
child roles to adult ones. Her performance here as the “fast girl” is
a strong one. The three principals are solid, and they are
complimented by a rich supporting cast, including a young Dennis
Hopper, who would also share the screen with Dean in Giant.
While the acting is strong, it also dates the film; the performances
tend to the melodramatic, and probably wouldn’t work if the film was
made today.
The complaints
are minor, and the film holds up surprisingly well. Ray takes a story
about teenage angst and elevates it to operatic, tragic proportions.
Along the way, careers were made and a legend was born.
THE VIDEO
Rebel Without A
Cause is presented in
the original 2.35:1 widescreen format, and the presentation is
superb. Ray knew how to get the most out of the frame, and that fact
is evident here. The lush technicolor photography is expertly
rendered, and the overall picture is free of any scratches or defects.
THE AUDIO
This DVD is
presented in Dolby 5.1 Surround. The sound is near perfect, coming
sharply through all channels. The remastering really gives this film
the presentation it deserves. Also available is an optional French
Mono track.
THE EXTRAS
Disc One:
Commentary by
Biographer Douglas L. Rathgeb:
Rathgeb gives interesting background trivia and analysis of the film,
scene by scene. A highly interesting track...
Theatrical
Trailer:
The original theatrical trailer, a vintage gem. They don’t make
trailers like this anymore.
Disc Two:
James Dean
Remembered:
A documentary from the mid-70s that looks back at the life and work of
the iconic star. We get a look at his early film and television
roles. Natalie Wood, Sammy Davis Jr and other stars talk about their
personal and professional relationships with Dean. (66:00)
Rebel Without A
Cause: Defiant Innocents:
A 50 year anniversary look back at the making and impact of the film,
from its genesis to release and resonance through the years. (36:00)
Screen Tests:
A test with all three principal actors, rehearsing the scene towards
the end where they are holed up in the mansion.
Wardrobe Tests:
Dean standing next to some of the other actors in the film, trying on
different jackets.
Deleted Scenes:
16 deleted scenes, including an alternate ending. All are presented
without sound, and some are in black and white, as originally filmed.
Behind the
Cameras:
Three segments from the Warner Bros. Presents television
series, featuring Natalie Wood, Jim Backus, and James Dean. (20:00)
FINAL THOUGHTS
Rebel Without A
Cause,
one of the most powerful films of the 1950s, holds up incredibly well
today, dated more by small details than anything else. The
audio-visual presentation is superb, and the bonus material is
detailed and insightful. The performances are emotionally intense,
and Nicholas Ray’s direction has the style to match.
