Jim lacks the experience necessary to deal with the problems facing him. The three act as a family and find a few moments of peace. The film, however, does not make any references to Lindner's book in any way. New and Upcoming Science Fiction and Fantasy. You might also like I mean maybe he doesnt mean it but he acts like he does. Dont you ever cut the scene, co-star Dennis Hopper later recalled, and noted that Dean wanted to preserve the realism of his injury for the camera. Share the best GIFs now >>> In their book Live Fast, Die Young: The Wild Ride Of Making Rebel Without A Cause, film critics Lawrence Frascella and Al Weisel note that an earlier version of the movies script even featured a scene in which Jim and Plato shared a kiss. (Stern 102). Jim: Youre not going to use me as an excuse again, Mom. The most noteworthy name to emerge from these early stages of the writing process, though, comes in the Warner Bros. script archive listing of who did the first draft: Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known today as Dr. Seuss. Franks interactions with his wife and mother have given Jim the impression that his father is weak and a chicken. This has developed into a problem in their relationship, as Jim cannot respect his father, and, in his effort not to turn out like him he finds himself constantly fist fighting. He's great in scenes of angst, but also in those with spontaneous banter and play. As the title states, their causes are impossible to define. I dont see how we can get out of that by pretending it didnt happen (Stern 72); Judy sobs to the juvenile officer: (Stern 5). Rebel Without a Cause is about a troubled teen, Jim Stark, who's family moves constantly because of his rebellious actions. As an example of how attention is focused on expectation in the objective story, Jim expects the same kind of amused reaction from the kids when he moos at the planetarium lecturers discussion of the Taurus bull that Buzz received when he imitated the Cancer crab; Judy anticipates the same kind of affection from her father as a teen that she had always received as a little girl; Jims family expects he will make friends if he can stay out of trouble; and so forth. You know what kind of drunken brawls those parties turn intoits no place for kids. Its just the age . After a field trip to Griffith Observatory, Buzz provokes and challenges Jim to a knife fight. Big Think. In 2006, members of the Film Society of Lincoln Center petitioned to have the scene printed and archived for historical preservation. Director Nicholas Ray noticed this trend, and became interested in the idea of a film about juvenile delinquents. Peary describes the conditions that led up to the overall troubles in Rebel Without a Cause: To achieve this vision, he consulted with experts, pushed for realism at every turn, and found a collaborator in a rising young actor named James Dean. Mr. and Mrs. Stark grill Jim to find out if anyone has any idea that he was involved in Buzzs death; Crunch and the gang have the idea that Jim has squealed to the police; Jim comes up with the idea of hiding out at the old mansion with Judy; Plato comes up with the idea of taking his mothers gun; Frank has no idea where his son has disappeared to; and so forth. One of the boys is wounded by Plato. People he really likeshe lets call him Jamie. (Stern 58). You better give me something fast. Then, in the 1950s, black and white films about rebellious teensincluding The Wild One (1953) and The Blackboard Jungle (1955)spiked in popularity. The acerbic comment Franks mother makes after Jim explodes in anger in the police station Well you know who he takes after (Stern 14) is an indication of the kind of childhood Frank must have had. Over the years, the film has achieved landmark status for the performance of Dean, fresh from his Oscar nominated role in East of Eden, in his most celebrated role. Mother: I still think you should go down. Father: I better clean this up before she sees it. . Warner Brothers tried to make the movie for years. An example can be found when he picks up his drunk son from the police station: Jim touches his fathers elbow, bringing him to his feet. Jim: Im getting that way too . He praised Dean's interpretation of a maladjusted teenager, noting his ability "to get inside the skin" of his character as "not often encountered". It's the kind of picture I end up recommending, but not exactly under the terminology of how I would find it to be essential or not, because I don't really. What does a rebel without a cause expression mean? As Plato progresses from pretending to have a relationship with the new kid, to truly becoming a friend of Jims, he comes up with the idea of Jim as his father: The fathers arms envelop him. Among the top contenders at the time were Debbie Reynolds, Carroll Baker, Lois Smith (one of the studios choices), and Jayne Mansfield, who Ray reportedly actively resisted casting. Marlon Brandos The Wild One (1953) popularized juvenile delinquency in films, and Rebel Without a Cause was one of the better movies that dealt with the topic. When Jim returns, he attempts to restrain Plato, but he flees, accusing Jim of leaving him behind. The parents nod warmly and smile at her. Frank is unskilled in helping his son understand what is to be a man, compelling Jim to ask Ray (father figure) how he is supposed to live through the experience; and so forth. For example, Jim comes home to find his father wearing a frilly apron while cleaning up a tray of dinner he has dropped en route to serving his wife: One of the best . Would you go with me? For example, the blood on Jims shirt is evidence enough to create the suspicion that he is in some kind of trouble, and his hints that more trouble lies ahead should be enough for Frank to take direct action to find out what kind of problem Jim is struggling with. Judy falls in love with Jim and is happy, something she never thought she could be; the Stark family is united with the indication that they will be a happy family: Some of its charm and sympathy endure to this day, but Rebel Without a Cause has aged in an undeniably awkward fashion, and the result is a film that simply doesn't hold up. You watch it now, and everyone knows about Jimmy['s bisexuality], so it's like he had the hots for Natalie [Wood] and me. Franks good intentions also include buying gifts for his son, and buying his sons way out of trouble. [16], Wanda Hale of the New York Daily News found fault with Rebel's depiction, in her view, of its adults as cardboard figures and of its middle-class teenagers as hoodlums, arguing that it lacked credibility and that "[a]s an honest purposeful drama of juvenile hardness and violence the film just doesn't measure up." Young people sought to model themselves after the rebellious teen character . The 1949 Mercury two-door sedan James Dean drove in the movie is part of the permanent collection at the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada. with updates on movies, TV shows, Rotten Tomatoes podcast and more. Warner Bros. went through several drafts of this early version of Rebel Without a Cause between from 1946 through 1949, and while the film never got off the ground during that period, the studio did at one point feel they were far enough along in the development process to consider a star for the project. James Dean was killed in a car accident at the age of 24 just a month before 'Rebel Without a Cause' was released, and that tragedy, along with his electric performance of teenage angst in the film, would seal his legend. Father: This is news to me! Jim is a sensitive, vulnerable, and rebellious youth. Dont. The police officers immediate reaction to seeing Plato raise his gun is to shoot him, resulting in the boys death; Judys father slaps her as she attempts to kiss him, further alienating father and daughter; Buzz drives off the cliff to his death when he is unable to immediately respond to a dangerous situation; and so forth. Jim: Dad? Synopsis. Jim discusses his history of violence with Ray, however, his family tries to hush it up. With that goal in mind, work on what would become Rebel Without a Cause began. Jim: No! Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American coming-of-age drama film about emotionally confused suburban, middle-class teenagers. Not surprisingly, the landmark Rebel Without a Cause was chosen as one of the all-time Top 100 American Films by the American Film Institute.Rebel Without a Cause In one of the most influential performances in movie history, James Dean plays Jim, the new kid in town whose loneliness, frustration and anger mirrored those of postwar teens -- and still reverberates more than 50 years later. The circumstances surrounding Buzzs death force him to deal with how things standlaws have been broken, a boy is dead, and he is neck deep in it: The movie featured James Dean in one of his final roles; he died one month before the release. I thought we could have a real old-fashioned stag partyjust the two of us, what do you say? They steal Plato's address book and go off after Jim; Plato retrieves his mother's gun and leaves to warn Jim and Judy, finding them at the mansion. 1h 51m. From Oscar-winning films like Call Me By Your NameorMoonlight to critically acclaimed TV shows like Love, Victor and Euphoria, theres an abundance of productions that feature young LGBTQ characters discovering and accepting their sexuality. He found the acting of James Dean, Natalie Wood, and Sal Mineo to be "extraordinarily good", and the direction by Nicholas Ray to be "outstanding". At the end, tearful Jim is lifted to his feet by his father, who holds him and assures him he will stand by him as he has never done before (Peary 285). As Jim Stark, Dean gave the quintessential performance of a restless teenager, hiding behind a mask of casual indifference while yearning for love, purpose, and recognition. He praised the realistic manner in which Ray depicted the police station scenes and the engaging manner, according to Moffitt, in which he captured the nihilism of the teenage subculture for his audience. Released on October 27, 1955, nearly a month after Dean's fatal car accident on September 30, Rebel Without a Cause was a groundbreaking film that portrayed the disillusionment of the post-war American teenager while attempting to shine a light on the less-than-stellar parenting of the era. The pursuit of realism continued to the supporting cast, which was chosen from somewhere between 300 and 500 young actors who came to the Warner Bros. backlot with their own cars in an attempt to earn a spot in the film. His parents, not wishing to stick their necks out, try to talk him out of it. The film was partially shot in black and white, but the studio then stopped production and reshot in colour. When production began, Warner Bros. considered it a B-movie project, and Ray used black-and-white film stock. Jim Stark is the new kid in town. Things you can do: For queer viewers, Rebel Without a Cause is seminal for Sal Mineo's portrayal of Plato whom he later referred to as the first gay teenager on film but the entire movie is bathed in a . Rebel Without a Cause: Directed by Nicholas Ray. a question of honor. In a groundbreaking move for the mid-1950s, Ray inserted several clues in Rebel Without A Cause that code Plato as gay. An example of how the conflict between desire and ability is explored in the objective story can be found in how the kids interact with each other and their parents. Rebel Without a Cause is a fascinating peek into the life of the American teenager. (Stern 53), What his father is or is not doing causes problems; Jims fighting causes problems; Jim asks his father what action to take in a difficult situation. Warner Bros. released the film on October 27, 1955, nearly a month after Dean's death in a car accident on September 30, 1955. Frank does not act on his intuition that his son needs his immediate help. Updates? However, Judy is the girlfriend of neighborhood tough, Buzz (Corey Allen). Frank: ListenI took a steak out of the freezer. as his parents argue, and a scene with Natalie Wood, who rebuffs him initially, mocking him by saying "I bet you're a real gentleman", and him responding "I love you too". Plato's father abandoned his family when he was a toddler, and his mother is often away from home, leaving Plato in the care of his housekeeper. That actor was Marlon Brando, who was then enjoying Broadway success as Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire. The title was adopted from psychiatrist Robert M. Lindner's 1944 book, Rebel Without a Cause: The Hypnoanalysis of a Criminal Psychopath. The Production: 4/5 Told mostly from a teenage point of view, Rebel Without a Cause tells the story of three emotionally confused teenagers in Los Angeles in the mid-1950s deemed as juvenile delinquents. Seemingly unimpressed by Jim at first, she declines and is instead picked up by her "friends", a gang of delinquents led by Buzz Gunderson. Then, on September 30, Dean tragically died in a car crash at the age of 24, less than a month before Rebel Without a Cause arrived in theaters. "[13], Bosley Crowther, writing in The New York Times, described Rebel Without a Cause as "violent, brutal and disturbing", and as an excessively graphic depiction of teen-agers and their "weird ways". In the opening scene, Jim is brought into the police station for public drunkenness. He criticized the film for overgeneralizing, calling this aspect a "convenient cliche", and summed up his review by describing the film as "a superficial treatment of a vital problem that has been staged brilliantly". A rebellious young man with a troubled past comes to a new town, finding friends and enemies. (Stern 73-74). In 1955, director Nicholas Ray had a vision of a film about juvenile delinquents unlike any other in the subgenre. Plato describes Jim to Judy: Jim expresses his need to come clean to the police. Dean played Jim, a troubled but sensitive teenager who, although rejecting his elders values, desperately wants to belong and have purpose in his life. (the father is mute, helpless . In the opening scene, three teenagers are held for questioning at the police station as a result of testing their respective parents or guardians boundaries. Jim wants Frank to start to act like a man so that he can respect him as a father; Jims family moves constantly, ostensibly to give their son a fresh start each time: Warner Brothers had bought the rights to Lindner's book, intending to use the title for a film. (Stern 83-84). But how can I give him anything when hesI mean I love him and I dont want to hurt himbut I dont know what to do anymore except maybe die (Stern 16); Frank does not give Jim sufficient support as delineated in the scene in which Jim wants to go to the police to report his involvement in Buzzs death: Definition of a rebel without a cause in the Idioms Dictionary. An example of how the objective story explores a certain way of thinking is when Buzz indicates to Jim that he likes him, just before the chickie race. I want him to teach me how and I bet he wont get mad if I goof. Jim has successfully passed the required test to graduate into the gang when he takes part in the chickie race. As an example of the future as the forewarning for the consequence of doing, the chances Buzz takes and his disregard for authority forewarn the likelihood that he will always engage in actions that garner negative attention. (the father is mute, helpless . By creating an account, you agree to the However, Hays Code censors soon put the kibosh on the kiss via a warning memo sent to a Rebel Without A Cause producers Warner Bros that stated, It is of course vital that there be no inference of a questionable or homosexual relationship between Plato and Jim.. Rebel Without A Cause is remembered as the movie that made James Dean an icon, but it also boasted some groundbreaking themes for its time - here's the classic film's gay subtext explained. Analysis: Rebel without a Cause was symptomatic of the fifties as a transitional era. Rebel Without A Cause is essentially a sociological case study in American masculinityits attractions, its limitations, its pathologies, its postures, and its obstacles. Apparently, it was common knowledge amongRebel Without A Cause'screw Plato was indeed gay. Frank lacks the necessary parenting skills Jim needs in order to deal with the confusion of growing up. The film taps into this sense of teenage isolation, and there is clearly a plea to be listened to, loved, and understood. However, Brando was not auditioning for Rebel Without a Cause, and there was no offer of any part made by the studio. Frank fails to provide Jim with the parental instincts his son requires. Because the film is sometimes violent, that meant Dean often engaged in real physical violence for the part, and sometimes didnt make it out unscathed. (Stern 52). Irving Shulman, So, from real fights among cast members to switchblades that really cut, here are 13 facts about the making of this landmark film. Rating: As production began, Deans passion for Method acting led Ray to give him an extremely large share of creative control over each scene, to the point that it was often Dean who would dictate that pace and tone of a scene to the other actors. Dean played Jim, a troubled but sensitive teenager who, although rejecting his elders' values, desperately wants to belong and have purpose in his life. All later UK releases were fully uncut and since 1986 the film has been PG rated. He has been in trouble elsewhere; that's why his family has had to move before. Shortly after Warner Bros. bought the rights to Lindners book, Jacques Le Mareschal produced a treatment, and over the next several years writers Peter Viertel, H.L. Irving Shulman, who received a credit for the adaptation on the film, stepped into replace Uris, adding the Southern California setting, the first scene at the planetarium, and the chickie run car sequence based on real incidents he and Ray had read about. Upon hearing this, Ray rushed to the hospital. Jim wants to do the right thing and report his involvement in Buzzs untimely end to the police, much to his parents dismay. For the Stark family to be a happy, functional family, Frank must overcome his weaknesses and become a real father to Jim; to be part of a peer group family, one must first become friends with the gang; and so forth. (Stern 46). He questions him in the police station: I want to understand you. However, the fact that Nicholas Ray managed to circumvent the restrictive Hays Code and produce a film thats widely recognized for its queer-coding is a feat that was both impressive and groundbreaking for the era in which Rebel Without A Cause was produced. In 1953, he got the chance to play a rebellious young man after all, starring in The Wild One. The police officer shoots him, thinking his gun is loaded. Then there was the switchblade fight between Jim and Buzz (Corey Allen), which was done with real blades, though certain precautions were taken (Dean can be seen in production stills placing padding under his shirt). 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