Rebel Without A Cause Review

Rebel without a Cause-

A review by Carol Villanueva

March 13, 2014

I know what you’re thinking, “Why watch a movie made in the 50’s?” That was my first thought when my teacher first announced we were watching it. The cover of the movie shows Jim Stark, played by the gorgeous James Dean. Jim Stark is the one of the main characters in this teen centered, drama filled movie.

Jim Stark moves to a new city, and is seen in the first opening act as drunk and sleeping in the middle of the road. He’s taken to the police station and encounters the other two main characters of the movie:  Judy played by Natalie Wood, and Plato, played by Sal Mineo.  All of these teens are in the police station for different reasons. Judy ran away from home and Plato shot puppies. I think what really ties the whole movie together is the amount of symbolism that you encounter while watching this movie. To me, Judy is symbolized by the mirror she looks into while she’s crying at the station, showing how much her looks mean to her. Plato is symbolized by the gun he used to shoot the puppies, explaining how dangerous he can be. Jim is symbolized by a couple of things; his red jacket that he seems to wear while he gets into trouble, and a toy monkey he takes care of showing off how much of a considerate person he is.
                Jim messes up on his first few days of school, stepping on the insignia of the school, asking for directions, and just encountering a school gang. He gets himself into a lot of trouble even when he tries not to.  The director of this movie, Nicholas Ray, really tries to capture the feel and emotion f every scene. For example, when Jim was at the police station getting questioned, in the background, you can see the other two teenagers; Judy and Plato.  In another scene, when all three teens are hanging out at the abandoned mansion, there’s a shot that shows them all leaning on each other. This shows how much they depended on each other in my opinion.

                This movie is just one of the best movies from its time. I think it doesn’t matter whether you’re a child or an adult or a teenager, like me. There are elements in this movie that appeal to everyone. Rebel without a Cause sends a message of friendship and family problems. This is definitely a must watch for everyone who hasn’t seen it. Don’t let the time period fool you.