Review of Rebel Without a Cause (1955) by Matt P — 16 Oct 2010

The movie that jump-stared James Dean's career. Rebel Without a Cause falls along the lines of On the Waterfront, or The Wild One. But this time, the whole rebel thing is more literal. And the movie's "hero" is non other then a punk kid, outcasted by the trauma's of high school as a new student.

Dean fits this roll perfectly. Not having the exact physique Brando could carry, but not too scrawny to be made fun of either. Still a target for school bullies, Rebel Without a Cause focuses mainly on the school rejects rather then the school tough-guys.

By doing this we, as the audience, learn that the tough, stereotypical bullies you meet at school aren't always the toughest. it's the ones they hurt to the point of disparity to where they feel they need to reach out and do something.

Hence, the whole chicky-run deal. Now, granted, it's not the most original script. You can tell some things are going to happen, and certain characters may be "killed off." But this movie shows how all this gang violence can happen in high school just as bad as adults.

How bad it can escalate. And I'm not just talking about Jim Stark, brilliantly acted out by Dean. But also Plato, Sal Mineo's character. Just a shrimpy, awkward little imp that everyone picks on.

All he needs are friends, but can't feel the need to reach out for what he feels he deserves, hence the .45 he pulls at the end. The finale to this movie was quite tragic, and it was a different wrap up then most teen-punk films.

I think this is where people misinterpret the theme of the movie, and put it under the category of "attempting" to be like a Brando or Newman kind of film. On the contrary, it started it's own thing.

With a leading star like James Dean it runs it's own orbit.