Rebel Without a Cause

Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

Directed by Nicholas Ray

We are first introduced to Jim Stark, a high school student who has just moved into a new town, at his weakest moment. He has been dragged into the police station, drunk and bereft of companionship as a result of his fractious parents, who insist on moving to a new location instead of confronting any troubles that Jim (James Dean) may be experiencing. During a heated argument in the police station, Jim interrupts his parents, screaming in frustration, "You're tearing me apart!"

This undercurrent of unrest, of characters desperately trying to escape - and, on occasion, violently reacting to - the high expectations of authority figures, pervades Rebel Without a Cause. Judy (Natalie Wood), who is abused by her rich father, obviously likes Jim, but she hangs out with a tough crowd at high school that requires her to conform and, like them, look down on this newcomer. An outsider, who is nick-named "Plato" (Sal Mineo), gravitates towards this new - and physically tougher - teen who has the potential to change the tide and defeat the bullies.

Rebel Without a Cause represents an interesting dichotomy. Being a film from the 1950's, most of the conversations, especially those between Jim and Judy, are laughably sappy, complete with needlessly swelling, heart-rending strings that emphasize the heightened emotions of the moment. The film, however, much like its characters, also contains an undercurrent of subversiveness. Much of this subversiveness centers around Dean's strong sexual presence - and in his ability to appeal to both women and men. Plato is obviously gay and infatuated with Jim, though this is never explicitly stated. "Why don't you stay over at my place?" He begs Jim at one point. "No one's home tonight... and we can have breakfast together."

Jim does not really rebel against the system; when a competition with the gang goes wrong, his first impulse is to tell his parents and the police. The film's rebel is actually the mentally-disturbed Plato, who has been abandoned by his parents and even, he believes at one point, by Jim. And when the film's climax involving Plato reconciling with society occurs, the film's predictable cinematography and sound editing take a creative - and extremely effective - turn that conveys the impact of this teen's revolt. The film, much like its characters, succeeds best when it is not confined by Hollywood standards, when it takes thematic and technical risks that effectively illustrate the concessions that the powerless must make to those in positions of authority.

Rating: 8

First Viewed: 5/15/08
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