Review of East of Eden (1955) by Diana A — 23 Mar 2008

An underappreciated near-classic, sort of a technicolor 'Grapes of Wrath'... the quite compelling story is a bible allegory with modern topical concerns, based on the novel by the one and only John Steinbeck, and the writing, performances, and cinematography are really top-notch.

James Dean's performance is probably superior to 'Rebel Without a Cause'; the role is really very similar in many ways but since this film is intentionally rendered as a period piece it's easier to swallow than 'Rebel''s self-consciously "cutting-edge" representation of the culture of its own time.

The two films also share a composer, Leonard Rosenman; 'East of Eden' was his very first film score, and it's a highly successful amalgam of outrageously pretty Americana and tumultuous, thundering Stravinsky-esque cues - really his best work by far and among the most interesting and satisfying mainstream film scores of all time, enough reason on its own to see the movie.

Much like 'Grapes of Wrath,' this film has aged very well despite being very much a product of its time, a testament chiefly to Steinbeck's compassionate, intelligent character writing. It's everything you want an old-time Hollywood grand-scale drama to be.