| Overall Grade: |
C+ |
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| Story: |
C- |
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| Acting: |
B- |
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| Direction: |
C+ |
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| Visuals: |
B- |
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They Got the "Without a Cause" Part Right
by M.E.H (movies profile)
Jul 15, 2007
18
of
32 people found this review helpful
"Rebel Without a Cause" has been feted by many critics as a movie not to be missed. This is mostly for the following two reasons: Its star (James Dean) is an icon in American film and because it's considered the movie that has best portrayed teen angst. While "Rebel Without a Cause" may be considered a classic, that doesn't necessarily make it a good movie, but it's not a horrible movie, either. I plan to explain here why I have given such an iconic movie a C+ grade.
"Rebel Without a Cause" has not aged well in the fifty-one years since its release, hence resulting in the plot seeming too incredible to take as seriously as is intended. The title in itself is somewhat of a misnomer when the actions of Jim Stark (James Dean) are taken into account. I say this because he spends the first half of the movie trying to fit in with a particular crowd because he likes Judy (Natalie Wood). His efforts aren't reciprocated as he would have hoped and instead he befriends John "Plato" Crawford (Sal Mineo). Then the crowd challenges him to a game of chicken that turns out badly, but not before a knife fight. Throughout the movie, we're treated to Plato, Jim, and Judy pouting about a lack of a father figure (be it literal or in a psychological sense.) I don't want to divulge the rest of the plot here for fear of ruining it for anyone who wants to see it, but the only remotely rebellious thing Jim does is get drunk in the beginning. And by the way, we don't need a billion metaphors to realize that Jim Stark has lost his innocence or that Sal Mineo's character is a closeted homosexual.
If the dated material doesn't make you laugh, the acting will. After seeing this movie, I still have yet to figure out what's so alluring about James Dean. His acting in "Rebel Without a Cause" is more like a diligent student testing out new methods in drama class than actually getting into character. Dean's range certainly leaves a lot to be desired, but he's no slouch at what little he can do. Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo both outshine James Dean as his girlfriend and his friend, respectively. The adults are mostly unsympathetic caricatures who do nothing except pester or mess up the lives of the sympathetically portrayed hoodlums and act as such, adding nothing more.
The director could have been a bit more subtle with the metaphors. Then again, he is the one who wrote the screenplay, which explains more than I could ever put into words. Director Nicholas Ray should have channeled the talent of James Dean into something that would come across as natural instead of forced. Some of the implications (such as Plato's homosexuality) are most likely unintentional, but maybe not. Besides those few things, the direction isn't the mainstay of the legacy left by "Rebel Without a Cause." My only other grievance has to do with several flubs in continuity and the occasionally visible equipment, but most readers may think it's a bit trivial to complain about this.
The visuals are actually not too shabby for a movie made in the 1950s. WarnerColor actually looks pretty nice when compared to some of the other movie colorizing processes made to compete with Technicolor (think of VistaVision). The special effects are cheesy by today's standards, but they're standard for the day.
"Rebel Without a Cause" isn't a perfect movie if you're looking for entertainment intertwined with a message. It's something that you should probably see just to see what James Dean's classic performance is like (even if it's only so-so.) The story is too logically impaired to pass muster. I would recommend seeing this with friends for the greatest amount of enjoyment. |
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