Rebel Without a Cause

My sisters and I found ourselves laughing more watching this movie than any comedy we've ever seen. The melodrmaamtic line deliveries, the overacting, and the outdated story made it difficult to take this so-called classic seriously.

Featuring a legacy-defining performance from James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause is the quintessential treatise on teen angst and 1950s counterculture.

I was curious to watch this film as I had never seen anything with James Dean in it before. His red jacket photos from this film are iconic so I was looking forward to seeing it. Sadly, the movie felt messy, extremely rushed, and unrealistic/over the top as far as what real people would act like. It’s like every character has some personality disorder. SPOILERS BELOW!!! Plato is revealed at the very beginning to kill puppies. How on Earth am I supposed to feel any kind of connection or remorse for him? The other teens in the gang and Natalie Wood’s role as Judy, were all boring, spoiled, needy, and lacking any character development. James Dean definitely over-acted at times but I could see why people thought he was good in this. He has a very James Franco (troubled ladies man) vibe going on. The cringiest part of the movie was Judy wanting to kiss her dad on the lips and be his “little girl” even though she’s not a little girl anymore. Her dad calls her a tramp at the beginning of the movie. Her character is written like a girl who can’t live one minute without a boy. She and the other main characters have hardcore daddy issues. Also, looking into the movie trivia about Woods, the director, and the actor playing her dad…it is disturbing to say the least. Natalie had an affair with both men who were middle-aged while she was only 16!! I know this is old Hollywood but it’s still gross. I REALLY DONT WANT TO WATCH THIS AGAIN.

It is a movie that suffers from terrible pacing problems

This is just one of those classics that didn't do it for me.

Clássico da metade do século passado que envelheceu muito bem e praticamente o último filme de Dean, que faleceria no fatídico acidente de carro no mesmo ano, com meros 24 anos. Ainda conta com Natalie Wood em sua plenitude, além do Sal Mineo (ambos indicados ao Oscar de atriz/ator coadjuvante em 1956). Roteiro impactante pra época, mas que certamente serve aos dias atuais, abordando conflitos emocionais e angustiantes das fases problemáticas dos adolescentes. A juventude em busca de identidade em meio a uma sociedade que não a compreende. Inclusive é citado nos periódicos da eternidade, que James Dean se tornou um ícone da juventude rebelde e incompreendida. Obrigatório a todas as idades.

Well, it is s timeless classic. But it suffers immensily under the permanent „soup“ of overly dramatic and too loud music.

The obvious must be stated. The actors do not look like High School students, way too old. The acting is earnest. The parents are cartoonish figures which at times have an element of truth in their performances. The film lacks authenticity. Cops shooting warning shots or refusing to shoot back at Sal Mineo when he shoots at them, absurd. The teens make decisions which are so idiotic no one can believe such. Good performances but little credibility.

Unusual, mysterious, highly abrasive, and emotionally/morally confused, 'Rebel Without a Cause' captures the teenage mindset so perfectly and never lets go of its transcendent themes.

This was such a great film with exceptional acting and script. It's definitely worth the watch.