Rebel Without a Cause [M]

Constantly moving from place to place, unable to make friends, and unable to look to his parents for guidance, Jim Stark lives in an unhappy and trying world of juvenile delinquency. After moving to a new town and straight away, making some enemies, Jim discovers an alternate family in Plato and Judy; two other misfits whose home lives are as unsatisfying as his. But when an act of honour turns nasty, Jim’s newfound family is violently torn apart. 

There is something remarkably sexy and appealing about juvenile delinquent movies. Grease and Cry Baby were just two of my favourites and now, Rebel Without a Cause. Filled with action, romance, and knockout performances, this movie was a wonderful story of defiance and self-realisation. A brilliant film! 

Constantly moving from place to place, unable to make friends, and unable to look to his parents for guidance, Jim Stark lives in an unhappy and trying world of uncertainty and juvenile delinquency. With his parents living a life equally as unhappy as his, Jim is not certain of anything and tries really hard just to be accepted and make friends, most of the time not being true to himself. Upon moving to a new town, he instantly makes a few enemies, but he also finds an alternative family in Plato and Judy: two other misfits whose home lives are just as unsatisfying as his. But when an act of honour turns deadly, Jim’s newfound family is violently ripped apart as insecurities begin to overpower reasoning. 

I think what was most brilliant about this movie is that it was incredibly true to its title. As the central character is a rebel without a cause, the movie is a film with no cause. There is no real message or meaning, just a simple story that progresses forward solely by actions and events of the characters. In other words, everything just seems to happen completely naturally, and that’s great because it brings a great sense of realism to the film and its characters. 

James Dean stars as Jim Stark and he was just beautiful. He delivered a very stirring performance that was both tentative and really powerful. He was impulsive, sincere, frustrated, and uncertain. He was absolutely mesmerising from start to finish. 

Starring Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, Jim Backus, Ann Doran, Corey Allen, William Hopper, Rochelle Hudson, Dennis Hopper, Edward Platt, Steffi Sidney, Marietta Canty, Virginia Brissac, Beverly Long, and Ian Wolfe, Rebel Without a Cause was a powerful and emotionally stirring movie filled with action, romance, violence, juvenile delinquents, leather jackets, great hair, and drama. It really was a wonderful film. I absolutely loved it!