Harley's review

Rebel without a Cause

Review by Harley Dugan

March 13, 2014

The great 50’s movie

            In the new era of outstanding racing movies with the continuous films of Fast and Furious and the new film coming out with Need for Speed most likely the linchpin of these movies started with the outstanding film of Rebel without a Cause. With the beautiful star James Dean and co-star Natalie Wood the director of the film Nicholas Ray portrays James Dean the new student as he misconstrues his place in the school with difficulty understanding the customs and several ways to gain popularity whether to impress Natalie Wood or the popular kids his way in life is very confusing and difficult. James Dean who stars as Jim Stark a young man who is troublesome in life and fights through the fighting of his parents and the difficulties of going to new schools and fresh places. In 1955 the year the movie was filmed and directed by Nicholas Ray portrays the struggling lives of Jim Stark (James Dean), Judy (Natalie Wood), and Plato (Sal Mineo) these three troubled teens who struggle with their personal lives and the life they have at school.

            All the teens throughout the movie have problems with their personal lives with the beginning of the film mostly taking place in a police station where all the teens explain their personal problems. Jim Stark a troublesome teen whether it is his personal life between his dad and mom continually fighting throughout the film or his life away from home in school trying to fit in to the school and following the popular kid’s steps into gaining honor from them to be accepted in school. Judy a vibrant teen is easily stirred with her father not treating her any more like a kid and tries to gain her father’s acceptance through stepping out of the house and leaving to attain his attention. Pluto the nickname for John Crawford is a shy and lonely teen with no place in life and feels alone without his parents always being absent.