Rebel Without a Cause

Approval Rate: 68%

68%Approval ratio

Reviews 21

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  • by

    wolfmantip

    Tue Aug 25 2009

    Very Good movie..Even though I always thought James Dean overacted,The film struck a chord when first released, And according to some,(mostly adults) not a very good one. Still and all it makes for a good night's veiwing.

  • by

    frankswildyear_s

    Mon Jan 19 2009

    I saw it again a few months ago. It's not a bad movie, but its not a great one by a long stretch. Personally I think Dean pales as an actor next to early Brando and Montgomery Clift. The story was interesting and I'd forgotten how strongly played the unspoken homosexual attraction between the James Dean and Sal Mineo characters was. But it boils down to pulp teen novel angst and a series of unfortunate events with a horribly trite Hollywood ending tacked on to the very last frames of the flick.

  • by

    victor83

    Mon Jan 19 2009

    Classic cinema at its best. James Dean was the star and showed true genius here. The supporting cast, including Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo was outstanding. While it is obviously dated (1955- I think) the themes translate well to modern times and todays youth. Well worth checking out if you've never seen it.

  • by

    cyclee

    Mon Jan 19 2009

    It's not that I don't see any worth of this movie. It told a story, and probably a fairly good one and very easy to relate to by some of the youngsters, but in the end I felt a huge emotional disconnect from the angry, bitter teenage characters that seem to think the world has done them wrong when they haven't really started their fair share of it by any account. The legendary James Dean as far as I could tell did not deserve his fame for the icon he was made to become.

  • by

    spike65

    Fri Jun 27 2008

    Teen hormones rage out of control. Lots of angst. Parental units are clueless. Actually pretty good story for the era. Hard to see what the big deal was at the time. Most parents wouldn't allow their kids to see it when it was first released.

  • by

    genghisthehun

    Fri Dec 14 2007

    Yeah I know, I am supposed to get the vapors about James Dean, but I pass. He starred in about four or five flicks and played the same role. He was a one note actor, and that should be obvious to all.

  • by

    tocwelsh

    Mon Jan 31 2005

    Typical James Dean boring stuff, not to mention the cigs.......

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    yankeedoodleda_ndy521

    Tue Oct 07 2003

    Being a teenager, I totally relate to James Dean in this movie. James Dean certainly knows what teenagers go through and how we are just beginning to realize the hypocrisy in our society. The dialogue may seem a little corny today, but the action is more than impressive.

  • by

    junker279

    Wed Aug 20 2003

    One of my favorite movies. Jim was so nice to plato, and I cried at the end when Plato got shot.

  • by

    jauntedjamilu

    Tue Dec 24 2002

    James Dean is a God!

  • by

    babyzero

    Thu Oct 03 2002

    This is my favorite James Dean film and I must say a great screenplay which showed people the true minds of teenagers in a time when that wasn't commonly done.

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    nataliefan16

    Tue Jul 09 2002

    The greatest teen movie I've ever seen!

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    errol4e1

    Fri Feb 22 2002

    This one is interesting and emotion-packed. The intensity is in the dialog, not so much in a lot of action. It is James Dean's best performance. It is also Natalie Wood's best performance, and I think Natalie Wood is great to begin with. The only real flaw (as some of us would see it) is that it doesn't promote much respect for authority, as the title obvioiusly indicates. But I don't think it so much promotes disrespect as it does just try to show some of the frustrations some young people apparently felt. In fact the counselor, played by Edward Platt, was a strong and positive authority figure that managed to stay one step ahead of Jim (James Dean). It is a unique movie for its time.

  • by

    gerard

    Sun Jul 08 2001

    James Dean was a bigger stiff when he was alive. WOW was he horrible !!! smoldering ?? brooding ??? How about boring !!! I'm sorry that he died so young , but his short career has been glorified and over rated by his tragic death. Had he lived his career would have been as glorious as Luke Perry's , who I feel shares in JD's (lack of) acting style. I give Rebel 2 stars mainly for the talents of Natalie Wood.

  • by

    castlebee

    Mon Apr 09 2001

    Rebel is my least favorite of the three James Dean movies. Still, it was fairly cutting edge for the times. I didn't see it until I was an adult and, with its reputation and all the build up over the years, I really expected something a tad more wild. The teenagers were actually much more troubled and neurotic than mean. The entire movie was actually less disturbing and violent than most prime time television shows today. Of course, as usual, Dean put in an excellent interpretation of his character – turning what could have been a very forgettable role into a piece of American cultural folklore.

  • by

    mrsexwax

    Mon Oct 23 2000

    James Dean reminds me of myself, when I was growing up. It was a fast paced movie with a youthful, rebellious attitude towards society and especially in regard for the law.

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    jacknili

    Fri Oct 20 2000

    Interesting because in the 50s from that perspective, it showed how kids did wrong, but from a modern perspective, we can see the family problems.

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    mfluty

    Thu Oct 19 2000

    A bit hokey for our time, but was very cutting edge for its time. I felt this film also helped towards influencing the youth of the 60's. Rebel was influenced by the Beat Generation as well.

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    ccrosswhite

    Tue Oct 17 2000

    James Dean was at the highest point in his career in this movie. This classic is a great representation of the 50's on the streets.

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    chica040

    Tue Oct 17 2000

    The title says it all. The characters have no motives or personality.

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    csmi1393du

    Sun Nov 21 1999

    I love this movie.