"Rebel Without a Cause" is the teen angst movie to end all teen angst movies, largely thanks to James Dean's nuanced performance. "Rebel" invented the teen angst genre, a genre has been popular ever since, with constantly Hollywood churning out teen movies at a furious pace. The strength of this movie lies not within its story, which is nothing special until the closing moments of the film. It is special because of the power of its performances, and because it was James Dean's last movie before the car crash that claimed his life.
The story of "Rebel Without a Cause" is simple, a format followed often by subsequent films in the same genre. Jim Stark (Dean) is a troublemaker who has recently arrived in town. It is clear that Stark is not a bad kid at heart, just misunderstood by his parents and acting out in hopes of getting their attention. It's a setup that has become as cliched as the teen movie genre as a whole.
Jim Stark is the core of this movie; everything else revolves around him. The movie follows his attempts to fit in and make friends with some of his new peers, a process made more difficult by the tight cliques and gangs already in place. Stark befriends a student nicknamed "Plato" (Sal Mineo), mostly because they are both outcasts in the society of the high school. Stark also attempts to befriend Judy (Natalie Wood), and though she rebuffs his advances early on, she grows to like him and clings to Jim after the tragedy of the chicken race off the cliff.
The trio's attempts to find solace are interrupted by vengeful friends of Judy's dead boyfriend, out for Jim Stark's blood. Plato is pushed over the edge by the actions of the gang members, and the film ends in one of cinema's greatest and most gripping climaxes.
"Rebel Without a Cause" is important both as a piece of film history for James Dean, and as a portrait of the increasingly disaffected youth of America and the growing rift between they and their parents. It is clear that the seeds of the1960's culture revolution are present in these teens, as they rebel against their parents and societal norms together, in order to form their own society.
The parallels drawn between families, gangs, and friends also shows the three groups to be not that different, and that those teens who cannot find love and affection at home such as Judy will often find it in groups that act as stand-ins for family. Perhaps the most engaging part of the story is Jim's efforts to reconcile with his parents, especially his weak father (Jim Backus, of "Mr. Howell" fame on Gilligan's Island) who is controlled by his domineering wife.
By the movie's end, things are finally looking up for Jim, despite a turn for the worse for Plato. He seems truly happy with Judy, and his father seems to finally come into his own and stand up for his son. The message of the film is to fight for what you believe in, even if you don't have anything to believe in yet; as happened for Jim, what you believe in may make itself obvious if you choose to take risks and make a stand. Though Jim Stark may have begun the film as a rebel without a cause, by the time the credits roll, he has found one that he is willing to fight for.
The story of "Rebel Without a Cause" is simple, a format followed often by subsequent films in the same genre. Jim Stark (Dean) is a troublemaker who has recently arrived in town. It is clear that Stark is not a bad kid at heart, just misunderstood by his parents and acting out in hopes of getting their attention. It's a setup that has become as cliched as the teen movie genre as a whole.
Jim Stark is the core of this movie; everything else revolves around him. The movie follows his attempts to fit in and make friends with some of his new peers, a process made more difficult by the tight cliques and gangs already in place. Stark befriends a student nicknamed "Plato" (Sal Mineo), mostly because they are both outcasts in the society of the high school. Stark also attempts to befriend Judy (Natalie Wood), and though she rebuffs his advances early on, she grows to like him and clings to Jim after the tragedy of the chicken race off the cliff.
The trio's attempts to find solace are interrupted by vengeful friends of Judy's dead boyfriend, out for Jim Stark's blood. Plato is pushed over the edge by the actions of the gang members, and the film ends in one of cinema's greatest and most gripping climaxes.
"Rebel Without a Cause" is important both as a piece of film history for James Dean, and as a portrait of the increasingly disaffected youth of America and the growing rift between they and their parents. It is clear that the seeds of the1960's culture revolution are present in these teens, as they rebel against their parents and societal norms together, in order to form their own society.
The parallels drawn between families, gangs, and friends also shows the three groups to be not that different, and that those teens who cannot find love and affection at home such as Judy will often find it in groups that act as stand-ins for family. Perhaps the most engaging part of the story is Jim's efforts to reconcile with his parents, especially his weak father (Jim Backus, of "Mr. Howell" fame on Gilligan's Island) who is controlled by his domineering wife.
By the movie's end, things are finally looking up for Jim, despite a turn for the worse for Plato. He seems truly happy with Judy, and his father seems to finally come into his own and stand up for his son. The message of the film is to fight for what you believe in, even if you don't have anything to believe in yet; as happened for Jim, what you believe in may make itself obvious if you choose to take risks and make a stand. Though Jim Stark may have begun the film as a rebel without a cause, by the time the credits roll, he has found one that he is willing to fight for.