Review of Rebel Without a Cause

Rebel Without a Cause on Reel 13

Every once and a while, a movie comes around that defines a generation. EASY RIDER, ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN and THE BREAKFAST CLUB are all Examples. I would argue, however, that no film better defines the generation it came from than REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE, which aired last night on Reel 13. As a matter of fact, the cultural impact of the film as well as the legend of its star, James Dean, almost seem to overshadow what I was reminded of last night – what an artfully and skillfully crafted film it is.

The first thing that struck me about REBEL upon rewatching it was the extraordinary richness of the color. Director Nicholas Ray was shooting in "Warner Color" (at the time, each studio was working with various labs to patent their own color process), but it's more than just the film stock or processing. Much of the beauty of the color has to do with the choices Ray makes in terms of the wardrobe or the objects – the red of Natalie Wood's overcoat in her first appearance, the colors in the observatory presentation, the yellow of an apron donned by Dean's screen father, Jim Backus (a.k.a. Mr. Magoo), the mustard color of Sal Mineo's wardrobe or the famous bright red coat Dean wears through much of the film. They all combine to create a beautiful palette worthy of paintings in the Louvre.

The second thing that I noticed was consistently inspired framing and angles – and a lot of camera motion, which was not as prevalent in the period as it is today. Ray knows exactly when to be wide and just when a close up is called for. It seems as if he shot a lot more coverage than most directors of the period and used it to perfection. The scene where Wood and Dean are alone in the mansion is notable in the sense of how tightly the two of them are framed together in such a big house – as if they are the only two people in the world. Another example is during the first showdown at the observatory when the cool kids sit on Dean's car while he looks on from overhead. A few times, Ray cuts to an extreme low angle shot with the cool kids in the foreground with Dean and Sal Mineo very small and high in the way background. An unusual shot to be sure, but effective and telling. Other unorthodox ideas Ray sets forth in the film include the occasional Dutch angle (shots off the standard axis) that he uses in moments of extreme crisis (the scene with Dean's parents on the stairs and at the climax of the film). Ray has only recently been recognized as one of the era's premiere auteurs and his ahead-of-his-time work in Rebel only cements that theory.

The third thing I noticed was the incredible subversiveness of the film, particularly in regards to the potential promiscuity of Natalie Wood's character (Judy) and the sexuality of Sal Mineo's character (Plato). Neither of these subjects were dealt with head-on as they were taboo at the time, but Ray certainly plants the seeds with subtleties and a clever usage of the mise-en-scene. In the beginning, the police detective subtly hints at why Judy was picked up and her relationship with her father seems awfully unusual – even for the time period. As to Plato, Sal Mineo's effemininity is one thing, but details like the picture of a male actor in his locker and the way he gazes at Dean throughout the film are strong clues as to the truth of Plato's problems – he is not just a boy whose parents abandoned him – he is a young gay teen in a society and era that rejects homosexuality. What's particularly interesting about how careful and hidden these subtexts are is that the film works hard to spell out the surface problems each of the characters have. At one point, Dean, who is still a high school student, theorizes that Plato was trying to make he and Judy his surrogate family (quite an analysis for a 17 year-old). These "surface" issues that the characters have are almost too easy and laid out for us that I wonder if the extent to which they offer analysis was in part to mask or draw attention away from the more subversive aspects to the film.

If Ray is the brains behind the artistry of REBEL, James Dean is the heart and soul. As many of you know, he was a disciple of the Actors Studio in New York and their style of method acting, which was slowly permeating its way into the movies in the mid-50's (STREETCAR was the first major film that prominently featured this performance style). Out of his three films, EAST OF EDEN features the most method actors, GIANT is about half and half and as a result is a weird hybrid film in terms of performance and REBEL puts Dean all alone on his method island – which in a way, fits the narrative. It almost seems as if he's acting in a whole different movie. Wood is no match for him and is actually not very believable, particularly in her more emotional scenes. Similarly, Mineo's old-school theatrical performance style seems particularly archaic when pitted with Dean. Actually, only consummate character actor Edward Platt (who always seems to be playing lawyers, cops or doctors) seems to be anywhere close to Dean's level as the police psychologist Ray Fremick. With that said, Jim Backus (best known to most as Thurston Howell III on GILLIGAN'S ISLAND) is extremely sweet in his role as Dean's father. While he is by no means a naturalistic actor like Dean, his portrayal of weakness (read: spinelessness) is at times both bold and quite beautiful. Actors generally don't like to play characters that are weak, but Backus manages to do it with layers and dignity.

(For more information on this or any other Reel 13 film, check out their website at www.reel13.org)

Posted on 11/19/08 by: eplromeo8 03:41 PM