Nicholas Ray’s Rebel Without A Cause is classified as one of the most iconic movies of the 1950’s, and has remained relevant even decades later. James Dean portrays Jim Stark, a troublesome teenager, who is the new kid in town after his family moves to Los Angeles. The movie begins with Jim being questioned at the police station, after being found wandering the streets intoxicated. After his parents arrive at the station, Jim grows infuriated by their constant bickering, and reveals to the officer that all his parents do is fight. The same night, the audience is introduced to the characters Judy and Plato who are also teenagers being repressed at the police station. Similar to Jim Stark, both characters struggle with troubling home lives. On Jim’s first day of school, he becomes at odds with the school’s gang of miscreants, and in a battle of honor with the group’s leader Buzz. As these teenagers clash, Jim finds himself buried in more trouble than ever before.

Rebel Without A Cause portrays teenage angst and rebellion, while addressing aspects of generational differences between kids and their parents. The concept of family conflict is revealed to be a recurring theme throughout the movie, and is used for a possible explanation of the teenage delinquency. This film can be found relatable and relevant to the teenage audience, even decades after its release. Jim Stark struggles with fitting into his new school, unfriendly peers, and family strife, which are things the majority of adolescents from all generations can connect with. According to Medium.com, when Rebel Without A Cause first came out teenage audiences at that time were excited to see an authentic portrayal of themselves, and identify with the similar feelings and struggles portrayed on screen. From a modern perspective, the same can be said. Many teenagers deal with the common issues of being a teen, and realizing that adolescence is coming to an end, and Rebel Without A Cause shows the relatability of these shared problems on screen. 

Similar to the color analysis for Vertigo, there were several noticeable symbols used throughout the film, the first being Jim Stark’s iconic red jacket. The vibrant red jacket can be seen as a symbol for youthful passion and vigor, as well as a connection that grows between the characters Jim and Judy. This connection is also represented through Judy’s compact that she had lost at the station, until Jim was able to return it to her. 

Along with these aspects of the film are the interesting events surrounding the main cast: James Dean (Jim Stark), Natalie Wood (Judy), and Sal Mineo (Plato). All three of these actors met an untimely death at a young age. Before Rebel Without A Cause, James Dean had starred in East of Eden, and was a very popular celebrity, especially at that time. A month before Rebel Without A Cause was to be released, he was killed in a fatal car accident. In 1976, Sal Mineo was stabbed to death in an alley, after leaving rehearsal for a play. Less than a decade later in 1981, Natalie Wood died from a mysterious drowning, while in the middle of filming for a new movie. These deaths have sparked conspiracies of a possible curse of the movie, however, it can more realistically be seen as just a mere coincidence. 

As Halloween quickly approaches, the next movie that I will write about is Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.