Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

“You’re tearing me apart!”

     Choosing a classic from the 1950s was relatively easy. After completing some online research, I realized that the only movie that sounded remotely familiar to me was Rebel Without a Cause. While something called Teenagers from Outer Space certainly sounded intriguing, I knew I had to choose a movie that was the most culturally relevant and that could truly be considered a classic.

     I didn’t have an inkling of what Rebel Without a Cause was about, but the name sounded familiar in an “I’ve probably heard it referenced on a TV show” kind of way. Looking at the cover of the movie, I saw it starred James Dean, a name that was also vaguely familiar, admittedly because of a bad Hilary Duff song called “Mr. James Dean”.

     Watching Rebel bolstered my courage to watch other movies from this era. I started watching this film with hesitance. I had been scarred in previous years by the 1963 version of Pink Panther, which was torturously slow and unbearably boring. Consequently, I steered clear of anything made before the 1980s. 

     Let’s get down to business.

     The movie centres on Jim Stark, (James Dean) a teenager in 1950s America moving to a new place. Jim’s parents hope that the move will fix Jim’s problems with finding friends, fitting in, and getting into trouble, since they are caught up in their own problems. The root of Jim’s frustrations and problems throughout the movie stem from the fact that his parents aren’t who he wants or needs them to be. This problem is taken on and explored very seriously throughout the film.

     The movie opens with Jim drunkenly on the ground, alone, petting a plastic monkey, which is apparently what you do in 1955 when you have no friends. From then on, the movie follows the consequences of Jim’s struggle to find his place in the town. Things become serious when a group of kids from the high school issue challenges to Jim, whom they have determined to dislike. The consequences involve the people who turn out to be Jim’s friends, Plato (Sal Mineo) and Judy (Natalie Wood).

     While Rebel Without a Cause certainly fits into the teen genre, it is part of a slightly different subgenre than the rest of the films I have chosen to review. A serious, intense drama, this film stands in stark contrast to, say, Clueless. Rebel Without a Cause seriously tackles issues of mental illness and bullying through an exciting, dramatic, and very suspenseful film. The main characters, Jim, Judy, and Plato are portrayed as complex individuals with real problems and personalities that were as relatable in the 1950s as they are today. The film is also interspersed with moments of humour. Some humour is unintentional, stemming from the unfamiliarity of customs of the era to a modern-day teen. Some of the slang is unfamiliar, including terms with meanings I could not decipher, despite how straightforward they may seem in isolation, such as “yo-yo”, “wheel” and “monkey”. A part of what makes a film like Rebel fascinating fifty-six years later is the look into another era that it provides, in everything from fashion and music to attitudes and slang.



The Planetarium AKA Griffith Observatory, 2010

      The action of Rebel Without a Cause is put into perspective through narrative provided by a field trip to the local planetarium. The presenter’s comments about how, compared to the immensity of the universe, “man, existing alone, seems himself an episode of little consequence” emphasizes the loneliness felt by Jim, Judy and Plato. The perspective gained by the trip to the planetarium and the effect of the purely instrumental score of the movie lend a feeling of existential significance to the teens actions, which is developed as the movie progresses. The broad, worldly perspective of the film stretches the boundaries of what one would expect to find in a teen movie.

     The constraints of the somewhat rigid and proper 1950s atmosphere contribute to the necessity for the rebellion that the characters pursue, and make their struggles more satisfying and dramatic. While watching the film, aspects of the 1950s aesthetic proved particularly foreign, quaint, and consequently alluring. When picked up for public drunkenness off the street, Jim is wearing a suit and tie. When his parents pick him up, his mother is wearing jewels and a fur cape. The film also has a slightly distorted colour scheme, since it was filmed in "WarnerColor". While these quirks are the root of the film’s retro appeal, they also serve as reminders of the of the film’s timeless qualities, ever-present markings of the film’s age, and the fact that the movie is still relevant in 2011. While fashion, slang, and technology may have changed, people, and common human struggles have remained the same.

Rating:

5/5 Red windbreakers

The Verdict: Classic status of the highest order, because it is/has:

a)      intense, suspenseful, all around “good movie”

b)      successfully tackles issues relevant to teenagers

c)      James Dean

      d)     successfully withstood the test of time (bonus: irresistible retro flavour)

      e)     James Dean

      f)     sharp dialogue

Should You Watch it?

     Next time you are in the mood for an intense, suspenseful drama, watch this movie. The film is as good as or better than any modern drama, with the added “street cred” you’ll qualify for by watching an old movie, starring James Dean and Natalie Wood nonetheless. I foresee successful pop cultural references in your future.

Two reasons to watch the film: James Dean and Natalie Wood. Also pictured is director Nicholas Ray.

Director: Nicholas Ray

Writers: Stewart Stern, Irving Shulman, Nicholas Ray

Starring: James Dean

Natalie Wood

Sal Mineo