Rebel+Without+A+Cause+Review

Review - Rebel Without A Cause //James Dean// //Natalie Wood// //Sal Mineo//

//Rebel Without A Cause// is a ten out of ten. A movie accurately depicting the lives of troubled teenagers in the 1950s suburbs. Released less than a month after James Dean’s fatal car accident, starring him fresh off of oscar nomination and rise to fame with //East of Eden.//

The movie starts off with Jim Stark(James Dean)is being taken to the police office because of being out late at night and susceptibly having had alcohal. There two other teenagers are shown there for their own reasons, Judy(Natalie Wood) being out late who was telling the police officers about her troubles with her father. Lastly there is a kid named John nicknamed Plato (Sal Mineo) having shot puppies. When Jim’s parents come by the police office, the audience is presented with some of the problems of the family. It seems as though his parents are always fighting or disagreeing and Jim is caught in between it. Also we learned that although his father is the one who often defends him he is always defeated by his mother. Jim may feel frustrated for his father’s lack of moral. We find this out later on as he is always asking him for answers he doesn’t know how to give. Eventually learning that Jimmy had just moved to this town the audience is also taught that his family moves around a lot, this contributes to a lot of his troubles. At his first day of school there that day he is introduced to Judy, who he briefly saw at the police office and Plato as well as the school ‘bullies’. Plato is sort of a social outcast, he idolizes Jim upon meeting him. Although it can be debated weather he thinks of Jim as a fatherly figure he doesn’t have or a potential lover, the way that Plato is shown makes the audience believe he really does love him. Plato seems to fit the mold of a tormented gay teenager although it is not shown right out. The way that he acts towards Jim, shows that he may have true feelings for him. It’s not long before he finds out the bullies are not to fond of him but Plato wants more than anything to befriend him. Soon he is faced with the bullies slashing the tires of his car causing him to get in a knife fight, although he tries not to be part of it. Soon he is challenged to a “Chickie run”. A game where the boys drive cars at a fast speed to the end of a cliff almost going off the edge. However it is a game of whoever jumps out first is the loser or the chicken. The tragedy that took place here had Jim conflicted. He tries to tell his parents and wonders if he should go talk to the police. He soon becomes frustrated with them and storms off. What follows is a mesmerizing tragic ending. When the thugs of the school go to chase after Jim when they seem in the police office, scared he was going to tell about everything, they terrorize Jim’s parents and Plato to find out where he is. Plato goes to find Jim to warn him in some way taking a gun that he had under his pillow. Jimmy had found Judy and was hiding out in the abandoned mansion that Plato had shown him earlier. A memorable scene from it was when Plato had arrived and the three actors played out a scene in which they pretended life was perfect; Jim played the Dad, Judy the mom and Plato the kid, and they all lived in the mansion. Soon their idyll is interrupted by the thugs who leave Plato unbalanced and shaken. Plato starts to fire his gun at them simply because he is scared and confused. Shocked but still unbalanced Plato runs to the near planetarium to hide while the police soon come. It is very soon when Jim and Judy go inside to help him. Jim gets Plato to trust him soon, by sweet talking and giving him his jacket. This allows Jim to be able to silently take out the bullets of Plato’s gun before giving it back like he promised. Due to the bright lights and maybe other things, almost outside of the planetarium Plato gets scared and runs. The cops seeing his gun, shoot him. Jim then proceeds to call out, too late that there was no ammunition in his gun. The aftermath consists of Jim bawling, half because of the trauma that the event might of caused. The real sense of sadness and loss is caused by the fact that one little shot of gunfire wiped out all the wishful thinking and friendships that Jim, Judy and Plato had developed. A source says that the scene that shows Plato getting shot and dying is one of the most devastating shots in film history. It also says that, the sense of loss is underlined when the last close-up of the movie is of the only person who ever loved Plato- His nurse/caretaker. Mostly the movie can be described as a story of teenage suburban, middle class teenagers and their relations and troubles with people around them. It is a classic because of the performances by the actors and the way in shows a new insight that wasn’t exactly shown before in movies trying to portray similar. Also because it’s themes are mostly still relevant and can apply to life today. It’s funny to see how the themes of this movie can still apply to life today although it was made in the 1950’s. The performances of all the main actors; James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo where amazing. Some say that this was James Dean’s greatest movie to date although he died before the release. The story was realistic and touching. All in all it was a great film. 10 out of ten, a riveting classic movie along with unbelievable, compelling performances.


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