The bad boy from a good family.
Rating: 8/10
Running Time: 111 minutes
US Certificate: Not Rated UK Certificate: PG
Jim Stark (James Dean), a kid from a stable family background with little really to complain about other than the fact that his dad insists on wearing an apron, is the rebel without a cause or chav, as his modern-day equivalents are known. The only thing is, it soon becomes apparent over the course of this legendary piece of 50s cinema that hes not actually all that rebellious. In fact, for the most part, Jim seems to be a fairly decent sort of bloke. Slight Attention-Seeker Without a Cause would probably have been a much more accurate title.
Anyway, the story all starts when Jims folks move to a new town in a bid to give him a fresh start. His mum fixes him a packed lunch and he heads off for his first day at school complete with facial shadow, a slightly-receding hairline, and WEARING A SUIT!!! (Did I mention the fact that hes CLEARLY in his mid-20s??).
No sooner is he out the door than the local gang of neer-do-wells have taken a bit of a disliking to him. Theyre a rowdy lot, getting up to all sorts of pesky behaviour such as letting down car tyres, cutting off each others shirt-buttons with knives, and dishing out inaccurate directions to strangers. The crazy kids!! But its one particular after-school activity the chicken run which is to prove the catalyst for the real trouble. Jim gets invited along, theres an horrendous accident, and before you can say clunk click every trip hes on the run from the angry gang members, with a puppy-shooting hanger-on (Sal Mineo) and girlie (Natalie Wood) in tow.
Rebel Without a Cause is, of course, the sort of flick you have to try to put into context. Sure, much of the dialogue is laughable (at one point the gang ringleader calls Jim a poop-head. To his face!!! He must have a deathwish!!) and a lot of the supposedly-threatening behaviour is incredibly tame by todays standards. But, despite its several faults and its undoubtedly misleading title, this is an engrossing film featuring vivid colours and a deservedly-acclaimed performance from lead-man Dean (who, both tragically and ironically, was killed in a car crash a month before its original release). Now back in cinemas to mark its 50th anniversary, its audience and impact may be considerably smaller, but its quality remains the same.
It's Got: A chicken run, which involves two blokes driving stolen cars towards a cliff, and the first one to jump for safety being named a chicken (oh no, anything but that!). I wonder if anyone ever considered the fact that you could win quite easily by just driving REALLY slowly?
It Needs: To explain why Jim isnt wearing his iconic red jacket on the poster.
Summary
Its dated, sure but theres still plenty of cause for all movie-lovers to check this one out.