Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Nicholas Ray

Writers:

Stewart Stern (screenplay)
Irving Shulman (adaptation)

Release Date:

27 October 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Teenage terror torn from today's headlines

Plot:

A rebellious young man with a troubled past comes to a new town, finding friends and enemies.

Plot Keywords:

Cliff | Knife Fight | Mansion | Switchblade | Police

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

James Dean	...	Jim Stark
Natalie Wood	...	Judy
Sal Mineo	...	John 'Plato' Crawford
Jim Backus	...	Frank Stark
Ann Doran	...	Mrs. Carol Stark
Corey Allen	...	Buzz Gunderson
William Hopper	...	Judy's Father
Rochelle Hudson	...	Judy's Mother
Dennis Hopper	...	Goon
Edward Platt	...	Ray Fremick
Steffi Sidney	...	Mil
Marietta Canty	...	Crawford Family Maid
Virginia Brissac	...	Mrs. Stark - Jim's Grandmother
Beverly Long	...	Helen
Ian Wolfe	...	Dr. Minton - Lecturer at Planetarium

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some violence and thematic elements. (2005 re-issue)

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Warnercolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (optical prints) | 4-Track Stereo (RCA Sound Recording) (magnetic prints) | Dolby Digital (DVD version)

Certification:

Australia:PG (TV rating) | USA:Not Rated (video rating) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Finland:K-16 (uncut) (1981) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1956) | Spain:T | Iceland:12 | Canada:14A (Canadian Home Video rating) | USA:Approved (No. 17504) (original rating) | France:-16 | South Korea:15 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Chile:18 | Norway:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:15 | UK:AA (re-rating) (1976) | UK:PG (video rating) | UK:X (original rating) (cut) | USA:PG-13 (new rating) (2005) | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

7529 Franklin Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

James Dean was free to star in the film because Elizabeth Taylor got pregnant, which delayed production of Giant (1956).

Goofs:

Continuity: When police backup arrives at the Griffith Observatory, the officer approaches the vehicle on the driver's side to talk to the Juvenile Division officer in the back seat. There are two cutaway shots and now the conversation continues on the passenger's side of the car. The officers within the car change sides of the vehicle, too.

Quotes:

Jim Stark: Turn out the light!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Neal Cassady (2007)

Soundtrack:

Ride of the Valkyries

Powerful

I agree with most of the reviewers. This movie is just as powerful as it was 44 years ago. Inside the cheesy braggadocio of an angry gangster is a confused kid. I can't think of a single person that did not feel alienated as a teenager. James Dean represents what every teenager would want to be. Individualistic: has a set of values and sticks to them Brave: engages in activities most of us would never consider (esp. chicky run) Kind: caring to Plato and Judy

James Dean is perfect in his role as Jim Stark. More is said in this movie through gestures than words. One lift of his eyebrow, one syllable can say so much. When he does speak, you know that he believes what he is saying. The shot of Jim rolling out of the speeding car is amazing. I can think of few modern action films that have had me riveted to the seat as I was during the switchblade fight.

Natalie Wood is superb in her role as well. Judy is looking for attention that isn't there. This is perfectly summed up when she says "I love somebody, all this time I was looking for someone to love me, but now I love somebody." She desperately looks for acceptance and acknowledgment in the wrong places because her father does not want to see her as a young woman.

Even though Dennis Hopper's role is rather small, you can see that he knows what he is doing. He portrays in my mind, someone easily pushed around when he tries to fit in. He seems different than the rest of Buzz' gang and even looks more boyish. He timidly tries to interject a comment in front of Buzz and is just brushed off.

I don't think that this movie is strictly an us versus them type of scenario. Trying to take care of Plato and to protect him, Jim realizes that being a parent is not as straightforward as he thought. His parents are more than just caricatures of the nagging wife and emasculated husband. Everyone in the film is confused about how they fit in to the big picture. The movie is simply told in the self centered manner any teenager would view it as. This can account for the sequences which many would see as over the top. I think the central theme of the cosmos presented in the planetarium show demonstrates how teenagers view themselves as the center of the universe. Thus all the scenes concerning each of the three teens conflicts are equally dramatic.