"You've gotta do something. Don't you?"

    Man, I’m really enjoying the films we’re watching in this class! Rebel Without A Cause is yet another film that I have heard so much about and I know I should’ve seen before this point but I’ve just never gotten the chance. This one is up there for one of my favorites we’ve watched this semester. Every single film we’ve watched thus far has made me feel like I’m watching “important” cinema. It’s really exciting because I’ve never seen this many old films that really seem to be groundbreaking for their time and have thus become classics. Rebel Without A Cause, probably more so than any other film, clearly comments on American society including families, parent/child relationships and rebellious youths. 

     Before I get into the cultural significance of the film, I just want to say a couple things that I really really liked. First off, the movie looked really nice. I know that it resembled many older films but I found myself really liking all of the washed out colors. All of the browns, grays, dull greens and unsaturated blues really gave the film a vintage look and I loved how it contrasted with the Jim Stark’s bright red jacket.

       Speaking of Jim Stark, I really liked James Dean in this film. Dean is someone that of course everyone’s heard of and so many people loved. But I’ve always wrinkled my nose at the thought of him. I don’t think it has to do with jealousy. I really could care less that he received so much fame and all the ladies loved him and he is considered iconic and perfectly symbolizes coolness and rebelliousness. It has nothing to do with that. I think that sometimes when we hear so many positive things about someone or something, for whatever reason, we feel like we need to go against the grain and take the opposite stance. But, despite some overacting (“You’re tearing me apart!!!”), I thought Dean was very good in this. Watching this movie made me want to see his other films (which sadly is very few).

      The last thing that I want to mention is that I really loved the story. I love films that take place over the course of such a small amount such as one day or a couple of days. I don’t know what it is. I think I just like the idea of something so important or significant happening in such a short amount of time. It just seems powerful.            

      As I mentioned up top, this movie clearly comments on American families and the perception people had on rebellious youths during the 1950’s. The first thing that struck me as being odd was in the beginning when the cops were talking to Plato. They said that he was "shooting puppies." Shooting puppies!? I don't understand, I can't picture this. It seems really creepy. But then again Sal Mineo's character bugged me throughout the entire film. He was just so strange that I couldn't connect to his character. Like was he really that scared of lights that he had to hysterically run out in front of the cops with a gun in his hand?

        Much of the problems and arguments that occur between parents and their children throughout the film are due to their disconnect. The parents really don't seem to understand the kids and the kids really don't seem to understand. In the article, Cohen says, "Always however, adults attempted to exert much control- physical, spiritual, intellectual, moral, educational- as was their right and duty." This is made obvious n the film by the fact that the parents (especially the mother ) always want to move whenever Jim has problems. They use it as an excuse to start over but never actually talk to Jim before they make their decisions. Another part that I thought was interesting was when Jim leaves his home in the morning and his father's concern is made apparent. The father says to Jim as he walks away, "Listen, watch out about choosing your pals. Don't let them choose you." When I first heard this I felt like it was something that a parent would say to a little kid, not their son in his late teens. I guess it shows how scared parents actually were for their kids and the tight hold they tried to have on them.   

       I absolutely hated the mother. Every time she said "That's a fine way to behave" or "That's a fine thing" I wanted to punch her in the face. Now that I think about it I also hated the father. They just seemed entirely into themselves, not caring at all about their son and what he is going through. In the scene where Jim wants to go to the police and tell them about Buzz’s death, I couldn’t believe the parents’ reactions. First off, you know there’s something wrong with the mother when she enters the scene saying, “I was going to take a sleeping pill but I wouldn’t until I knew you were home.” And I couldn’t believe how big of a baby the father was in this scene. I mean, come one he’s the man of the house and all he does is sit behind Jim and put his hands over his head. Concerning the father character, I really don't think I've ever seen a father/son relationship portrayed in this way. It was such a unique take on it where the son was so dominant and the father was so weak. 

    One of my favorite parts of the film was when Buzz takes Jim aside before the "chickie run" and says that he likes him. When Jim asks him why they continue to do this, Buzz says, "Well you've gotta do something. Don't you?" This is such a great line. I feel like it perfectly expresses how the rebellious youths most of the time were just searching for something do and searching to find their place in the world. 

        Another thing that I thought was really cool in this movie was the mansion.  As I was reading the article I thought it was interesting when Cohen referenced Elaine May's comment about the importance of  the household in the 1950's. May says, "The most tangible symbol of that [postwar American] dream was the home- the locale of the good life, the evidence of democratic abundance." It was interesting that most of this film didn't take place in the home and whenever it did there was nothing but arguments and confrontations. The only place where we see all of the kids truly happy is when they first enter the empty mansion. I thought this was a clever take on the role of the "home" implying that without the parents even a rundown old mansion is better than their perfect little houses where everything is provided for them.  

     Overall there is way too much to say about this film. I really enjoyed the movie and much like the other ones we've watched this semester I've made a conscious effort to go back and view it multiple times afterwards. I find that this not only helps me catch things I didn't the first time around but I also find myself appreciating them more. Rebel Without A Cause, in particular, was a really fun movie to watch because I felt like I was learning about and witnessing a part of both film history as well as American history.