Rebel Without a Cause

1955  NR  DRAMA  1h 51min

CAST— James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, Jim Backus, Ann Doran, William Hopper, Rochelle Hudson, Corey Allen, Edward Platt, Dennis Hopper, Nick Adams

MUSIC— Leonard Rosenman  DIRECTOR— Nicholas Ray

     Another dose of high strung melodrama from the days of yesteryear. James Dean is the new kid in town, no friends to turn to when the going gets tough, a family with whom he never gets along with, etc. When he tries to join the local clique he’s violently rejected by the young ruffians (now laughable in their efforts to remain cool). The rejection becomes even stronger when he participates in a stunt that kills a popular tough. It becomes evident that the pressure to fit in is felt, not only by himself, but by new friends Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo, as well. Dean remains a victim of his own familial prison but becomes a beacon of hope to his friends (the constant turmoil is tearing him apart!). Considered a classic, but judge for yourself. Deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the United States Library of Congress National Film Registry.

OUR RATING— **