Rebel Without a Cause

Every time we watch a movie we see actors doing their job. Some are good, some great, and sometimes by the sheer power of their performance a star is born. Rebel Without a Cause is the film that made James Dean a star. James Dean plays Jim Stark, a boy who lives in a suburban cage and can't seem to ever do the right thing. His family is constantly moving from place to place in an attempt to protect him. The film begins as they are getting comfortable in a new home and Jim meets the girl next door, Judy played by Natalie Wood (West Side Story). What follows is a superbly written and expertly performed tale of teenage isolation and rebellion in a world wrapped in plastic. The strength of the film is in its tight script. There are moments of such gripping honesty and rage that fly by with perfect subtlety in lieu of becoming a cheap melodrama. This isn't to say there aren't moments of melodrama, but when they come they're even more effective because of the moments of sublime subtext preceding them. The script is played out by a host of pitch perfect and skilled performers, but it is weighted and carried by James Dean and Natalie Wood. Dean here expresses an ability to act that became legend and the inspiration for many of todays contemporary actors, he reminds us why people remember him all these years after his death and after a resume of only three films. Natalie Wood is quite the compliment to Dean's sensitive bad boy as she plays a girl who has learned a long time ago that life isn't all sock hops and malt shops. What is even more fascinating about this film are two key elements in the subtext that couldn't be outwardly explored at the time. The first is in the character of Plato. Plato is a neglected boy who has clear psychological problems (the film starts right after he has shot dogs for no reason) and is the school nerd to boot. When Jim gives Plato a fair chance at a real friendship it becomes fairly clear that Plato is interested in more than friendship with Jim. There is one moment where the two are tightly framed almost as if they might kiss, but Jim isn't interested and the moment ends. The attempted exploration of homosexuality within the film feels pretty remarkable, even if it is a bit short sighted. The other aspect that fascinates me is the relationship between Judy and her father. In kissing her father when he gets home he gets upset, and after a second kiss he smacks her in the face and tells her to sit down and that a girl shouldnt do that. The whole scene implies the father has a growing sexual attraction to his daughter in a way that he doesn't want to be tempted. These two pieces of the story help to aid in the exploration of suburban dysfunction that wouldn't be as heavily explored for a good while. Rebel Without a Cause is an iconic film that stands up to its reputation.