Review of Rebel Without a Cause (1955) by Tim L — 30 May 2009

It's hard to believe that there was ever a time when there were no 'teenagers' (or at least when the term wasn't coined). But films such as this, the Asphalt Jungle and the Wild One really gave a voice to a generation. While it seems slightly tame by today's standards, what seems cliche now was very daring at the time - and it's important to realise that much of what we call 'cliche' was started by this film and only became cliche when a hundred other films followed in it's blazing trail.

James Dean steals every scene he's in, and you can see the influence of his iconic 'anti-hero' everywhere in cinema. This is also an early example of 'method acting,' and although I didn't feel he was as capable with this as Brando, there is a difference in age and experience of the two actors, and I thought James Dean showed incredible range and substance for such a young guy. It becomes easy to see why his legacy was built in just a few films.