Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

95% of critics liked it
(41 reviews)
87% of users liked it
(54,813 ratings)

This landmark juvenile-delinquent drama scrupulously follows the classic theatrical disciplines, telling all within a 24-hour period. Teenager Jimmy Stark (James Dean) can't help but get into trouble, a problem that has forced his appearance-conscious parents (Jim Backus and Ann Doran) to move from… More This landmark juvenile-delinquent drama scrupulously follows the classic theatrical disciplines, telling all within a 24-hour period. Teenager Jimmy Stark (James Dean) can't help but get into trouble, a problem that has forced his appearance-conscious parents (Jim Backus and Ann Doran) to move from one town to another. The film's tormented central characters are all introduced during a single night-court session, presided over by well-meaning social worker Ray (Edward Platt). Jimmy, arrested on a drunk-and-disorderly charge, screams "You're tearing me apart!" as his blind-sided parents bicker with one another over how best to handle the situation. Judy (Natalie Wood) is basically a good kid but behaves wildly out of frustration over her inability to communicate with her deliberately distant father (William Hopper). (The incestuous subtext of this relationship is discreetly handled, but the audience knows what's going on in the minds of Judy and her dad at all times.) And Plato (Sal Mineo), who is so sensitive that he threatens to break apart like porcelain, has taken to killing puppies as a desperate bid for attention from his wealthy, always absent parents. The next morning, Jimmy tries to start clean at a new high school, only to run afoul of local gang leader Buzz (Corey Allen), who happens to be Judy's boyfriend. Anxious to fit in, Jimmy agrees to settle his differences with a nocturnal "Chickie Run": he and Buzz are to hop into separate stolen cars, then race toward the edge of a cliff; whoever jumps out of the car first is the "chickie." When asked if he's done this sort of thing before, Jimmy lies, "That's all I ever do." This wins him the undying devotion of fellow misfit Plato. At the appointed hour, the Chickie Run takes place, inaugurated by a wave of the arms from Judy. The cars roar toward the cliff; Jimmy is able to jump clear, but Buzz, trapped in the driver's set when his coat gets caught on the door handle, plummets to his death. In the convoluted logic of Buzz' gang, Jimmy is held responsible for the boy's death. For the rest of the evening, he is mercilessly tormented by Buzz' pals, even at his own doorstep. After unsuccessfully trying to sort things out with his weak-willed father, Jimmy runs off into the night. He links up with fellow "lost souls" Judy and Plato, hiding out in an abandoned palatial home and enacting the roles of father, mother, and son. For the first time, these three have found kindred spirits -- but the adults and kids who have made their lives miserable haven't given up yet, leading to tragedy. Out of the bleakness of the finale comes a ray of hope that, at last, Jimmy will be truly understood. Rebel Without a Cause began as a case history, written in 1944 by Dr. Robert Lindner. Originally intended as a vehicle for Marlon Brando, the property was shelved until Brando's The Wild One (1953) opened floodgates for films about crazy mixed-up teens. Director Nicholas Ray, then working on a similar project, was brought in to helm the film version. His star was James Dean, fresh from Warners' East of Eden. Ray's low budget dictated that the new film be lensed in black-and-white, but when East of Eden really took off at the box office, the existing footage was scrapped and reshot in color. This was great, so far as Ray was concerned, inasmuch as he had a predilection for symbolic color schemes. James Dean's hot red jacket, for example, indicated rebellion, while his very blue blue jeans created a near luminescent effect (Ray had previously used the same vivid color combination on Joan Crawford in Johnny Guitar). As part of an overall bid for authenticity, real-life gang member Frank Mazzola was hired as technical advisor for the fight scenes. To extract as natural a performance as possible from Dean, Ray redesigned the Stark family's living room set to resemble Ray's own home, where Dean did most of his rehearsing. Speaking of interior sets, the mansion where the three troubled teens hide out had previously been seen as the home of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. Of the reams of on-set trivia concerning Rebel, one of the more amusing tidbits involves Dean's quickie in-joke impression of cartoon character Mr. Magoo -- whose voice was, of course, supplied by Jim Backus, who played Jimmy's father. Viewing the rushes of this improvisation, a clueless Warner Bros. executive took Dean to task, saying in effect that if he must imitate an animated character, why not Warners' own Bugs Bunny? Released right after James Dean's untimely death, Rebel Without a Cause netted an enormous profit. The film almost seems like a eulogy when seen today, since so many of its cast members -- James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, Nick Adams -- died young. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 51 min.
Directed By: Nicholas Ray
Genres: Drama, Classics

In Theaters: Oct 27, 1955 Wide
On DVD: Jan 22, 2002
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

Critic Reviews

Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
An unmissable film, made with a delirious compassion.
Robert J. Landry, Variety
Here is a fairly exciting, suspenseful and provocative, if also occasionally far-fetched, melodrama of unhappy youth on another delinquency kick.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Like its hero, Rebel Without a Cause desperately wants to say something and doesn't know what it is. If it did know, it would lose its fascination.
Bosley Crowther, New York Times
There are some excruciating flashes of accuracy and truth in this film.
Peter Stack, San Francisco Chronicle
An indelible vision of a pretty 1950s America with a searing crack in it.
Charles Cassady, Common Sense Media
1950s James Dean teen-rage landmark still resonates.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
This full-color, widescreen masterpiece gives us remarkable images.
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Fine generational drama-tragedy which helped give James Dean movie immortality.
Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]
The drama and hepcat dialogue feel clunky now, but the movie's plea for dads to talk to their children -- what we now call emotional literacy -- is valid enough.
, Film4
For all its faults this is still the teen angst melodrama to end them all, and Dean's performance established him as an icon, a legend and a myth.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
In this powerful study of juvenile violence, Dean is riveting as a teenager groping for love from a society he finds alien and oppressive.
Phil Villarreal, Arizona Daily Star
If ever a film was haunted, it's "Rebel Without a Cause," which burns as a bright memorial for stars James Dean, Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo.
Leo Goldsmith, Reverse Shot
Under Ray's dissecting eye, the suburban home itself becomes a battleground where parent and child must scream over each other to be heard
Douglas Pratt, Movie City News
Directed with visual flair by Nicolas Ray, the 1955 feature offers little more than a basic melodrama, but Dean is in such command of his ability to communicate his character's inner turmoil that you are riveted by his presence
Angie Errigo, Empire Magazine
A fine script, dynamic direction, doomed romantic idealism and telling performances make this the most timeless of Ray's gripping, socially aware dramas.
Geoff Andrew, Time Out
Dean's finest film, hardly surprisingly in that Ray was one of the great '50s directors.
S. James Wegg, JWR
Rebel shifts with the times
Brad Laidman, Film Threat
People like to say that Dean was nothing but a Marlon Brando imitation, but Marlon never looked this young, this perfect.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
When first released, the studio and critics didn't know what to make of it, failing to realize that it would become the most influential youth picture in American history.
Dan Callahan, Slant Magazine
"I got the bullets!"

Read all 20 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Chris W

So, I finally saw this much beloved and highly regarded film and, you know what? It's overrated. Ans that's a bummer too, since I was really hoping this film truly stood the test of time like I was lead to believe. Don't get me wrong, this is a good film, just not a… More
So, I finally saw this much beloved and highly regarded film and, you know what? It's overrated. Ans that's a bummer too, since I was really hoping this film truly stood the test of time like I was lead to believe. Don't get me wrong, this is a good film, just not a great one. Jimmy Stark is the new kid in town, and he's having a hard time fitting in, getting along with his parents, and struggling to find his place in the world. He falls in with some other misfits, but the pains of adolescence don't go away easy, and certainly not without leaving a mark first. Maybe had I seen this at a young age I'd be more enthusiastic, but seeing it now ,I must say I can't really relate too much anymore. Also, some of this is really dated and on the nose. Maybe it was more relevatory in the 1950s, but seeing it now it almost seems like melodramatic kitsch, and that's not necessarily a good thing either. It's funny, because I'll still defend Catcher in the Rye, but I have a hard time siding with those who call this a stone cold classic. Sure, James Dean does give one of the best and most iconic performances ever, and Wood, Mineo,Backus, and others all put in some terrific work as well, but this feels so warmed over in light of all that's come out since (and been influenced by it). This shouldn't be the case if it truly was something timeless. But, despite these issues, it does look good, I wasn't bored, and at least understand why this is so important, even if I don't totally agree with that assessment. I mean, this film did pretty much define the cultural landscape of the American teenager, even if more polished works have come out in its wake. Yes, it needs to be seen, but don't expect to see something you haven't already seen before. You know what? I just realized something: I think I feel about this film the way that many feel about Citizen Kane. I don't know the significance of that statement, but I feel it needed to be said. Take it easy, everyone.
Reid V

A bit melodramatic at times, but overall an effective and visually sharp glimpse at the post war American mindset.
Tsubaki S

It's the right movie for it's time, far more worried about being dramatic than anything else. Dean's performance is clearly the high note of the film, the rest is not very memorable.
Jennifer X

Though James Dean is kind of sexy, something seems off about his portrayal, and the entire film. Why do they all seem so old? Why is the metaphor for outsider status and sexuality used so obviously? Rebel Without a Cause is much, much campier than critics give it credit for.
AJ V

If you ask me, Dean's character does have a cause, so I don't understand the title, but that doesn't really affect how cool this movie is. This is the first great teen film, and I highly recommend it.
Conner R

Easily one of the most iconic movies of all time, James dean showed the world how utterly cool you can be. It's a great story, a great vision and high class acting. I think it's every bit as good as its reputation suggests, if not a little better. What appears to be a simple… More
Easily one of the most iconic movies of all time, James dean showed the world how utterly cool you can be. It's a great story, a great vision and high class acting. I think it's every bit as good as its reputation suggests, if not a little better. What appears to be a simple forbidden love story becomes a lot more complex and revolutionary than it seems. Themes that had never been dealt with were appearing and showing a more true representation of society. It's beautifully shot and I think in a lot of ways it is the best representation of a teen drama, nothing else really comes that close.
Anthony L

Rebel without a cause is not the best film on the subject of 1950's post-war juvenile delinquency but it's certainly not the worst, it's just the most mainstream. It was an important movie of its time but its relevance has been lost somewhat. I love it visually, I love… More
Rebel without a cause is not the best film on the subject of 1950's post-war juvenile delinquency but it's certainly not the worst, it's just the most mainstream. It was an important movie of its time but its relevance has been lost somewhat. I love it visually, I love the 50's, I love James Dean and I'm a huge Jim Backus fan but the story is flawed and unfortunately a little dated. In many ways it has stood the test of time but for all the wrong reasons. I have to give it a love/hate rating of 3 out of five!
Fernando Rafael Q

Insightful film about teen angst and dysfunctional families, well ahead of its time. James Dean's performance elevates a decent film into classic status almost all by itself. The image of Dean in his red jacket is incredibly striking, even to this day. Sal Mineo is remarkable… More
Insightful film about teen angst and dysfunctional families, well ahead of its time. James Dean's performance elevates a decent film into classic status almost all by itself. The image of Dean in his red jacket is incredibly striking, even to this day. Sal Mineo is remarkable as troubled "Plato".
Jennifer D

First James Dean flick. Bit of a contrived plot, but the ending was rather good, not exactly what I expected from all that I heard about it over the years, but good regardless.
Ken S

Nicholas Ray is cinema!
Veronique K

"rebel without a cause" is the iconic and probably most cliched classic of james dean in his cooperation with director nicholas ray who has maneuvered himself in the genre of juvenile delinquency since the 40s with flicks like "they live by night", "knock on… More
"rebel without a cause" is the iconic and probably most cliched classic of james dean in his cooperation with director nicholas ray who has maneuvered himself in the genre of juvenile delinquency since the 40s with flicks like "they live by night", "knock on any door" and "on the dangerous ground", tackling astray adolescents under a sympathetic light with lines like "live fast, die yong, have a beautiful corpse." that notion happens to reflect dean's transient grasp of life. but viewing rebel in a comtemporary light, it might seem dated and laughably whining since nowaday youth tend to be too ferocious to give a damn on their sappy parents. rebel's value lies more upon the cult perspect of counterculture than the cinematic breakthru except james dean's eccentric egoist method of acting. basically rebel is about a troubled teenager named jim whose family movies around a lot just to dissolve his anti-social misfit tendency, but it fails becuz the boy's best wish is just to have his dad rise up against his domineering mother like a man with backbone. also he has a crush upon the neighbor gal(natalie wood) who is the girlfriend of a rascal, so to impress the gal, he joins the daring game of the juvenile mob since he cannot stand to be called as a "chicken". so mob-leader died of accident, so hoodlums are after jim everywhere while his one friend plato who seems to have in-closet crush on jim guns down several men within the bully crowd. rebel has three major fundamental scopes: firstly it revolutionalizes the facet of manhood by delineating young males of more fragile temperament as if it's saying you could demonstrate your vulnerability but still remain as a man. such as plato hangs alan ladd's picture in the closet, trying to imitate ladd's hairstyle to appear manlier even in vain. and its revolt against paternality is fiercely conspicuous, jim's annoyed with his dad wearing an apron to clean the leftover on the floor, scolding his dad, pushing him down to fistfight dad. but he's even more resentful to his mother who castrates his reverence for dad. frequently his only wish is just to see his father tells his mother to shut up! a misogynist to some degree, jim shows his great comtempt for this gender reversal by kicking thru his mother's portrait before he escapes home again. james dean's notion of manhood here is like you've gotta strut around to be a man of your own without your father as the role model, but his ambivalence would be his actual wish is primitively conventional, far from rebellious: he just wants his dad to be phallic so he could have a father image to look up to. secondly, the topic of juvenile deliquency is officially heated up as trendy by the success of rebel, and also the kids of 50s. the decade of economical surplus, had enough pocket money from their parents to attend movies, so this genre's become a money-sucker ever since rebel. it furthers the gap btween adulthood and puberty as dichotomy with hostility against each other with utterance like you grown-ups don't understand us. juveniles've become more hegemonic to draw the mass attention along with the popularity of beat literature and james dean. juveniles started to develop their own way of coolness to discriminate adults just like adults do juveniles. but ray's interpretation would be their rebellion is caused by the loss of faith and intimacy with their parents. to girl, father no longer kisses and allows the daughter to sit on his lap in puberty, so she's perplexed and emotionally deserted. for boy, he has troubles reconciling his identification of manhood since father's effeminated by mother. and the causes presented by ray are obviously dated, only existed in 50s. irrevocably corny. during this period of beat counterculture, france was having camus and sartre's existentialism to elucidate their emptiness while america was having a beat fever with teenagers expressing their existential void in an abitrary and also illiterate way by saying "who cares?!" meanwhile, it creates the new mode of high-school romane, girls cease their clark-gable-adoration(electra complex) by craving the sweet tenderness from the mushy "it" boys like james dean instead of the steel-willed fatherly masculinity in old phallic icons like bogie and gable. male icons since then have become more and more boyish. thirdly, rebel thoroughly alternates the outlook of male fashion as well. the red jacket, white t shirt and blue jeans had been the stylish fashion milestone copied by many with fanatic hommage to james dean who inspires the fad of leisure wear when men used to suits and fedora to be considered dignified, along with the vagabond fascination of jack kerouac's "on the road" to enocurage youth to be emancipated...meanwhile brando demonstrates how sexy he could be in proteriat sweaty t-shirt in "streetcar named desire", also with leather-jacket in "the wild one" consequently. the course of gentility in male costumes has began to be neutral then fade into the field for the antiquated ever since. additionally, rebel is also one of the first examples in popular movies to have homosexual character as one of the lead protagonists except hitchcock's "the rope" which doesn't sell well then. the role plato has a crush on dean, he orders a song on the radio to bare his fascination, but dean's reaction is to shut it off at once but make love to natalie wood. it's more of a reluctance than a homophobic repulsion since dean generously gives away his red jacket to keep plato warm in the end as solace for his covet for dean, and plato even remarks "could i keep it?" then he wears dean's red jacket and demises in the bullet shots. the macabre part would be the trio pretend to act like grown-ups to form a crippled lullaby in a desolate mansion, a twisted poetic compensation to the lack of norm in their life. it is rumored that the whole cast of rebel died young, mystically followed by dean's death (or suicide?)...but they neglect that dennis hopper(one of the hoodlums who bully plato) still lives and prospers as one of the main popular character actors. "rebel without a cause" is staled with banality since its formuli have been barrowed by great many movies with stronger dosage of gory violence, debauched promiscuity and spicy endings without redemption. so what's left to give you any shock effect of carthesis? not a bit.
Nicki M

I think I expected too much of this one, and also suspect I have seen it too late in life for the first time ,as it kept reminding me of other movies ,(obviously movies which have borrowed from this one!). It's the first one of James Dean's movies I have seen and I… More
I think I expected too much of this one, and also suspect I have seen it too late in life for the first time ,as it kept reminding me of other movies ,(obviously movies which have borrowed from this one!). It's the first one of James Dean's movies I have seen and I didn't find his acting all that convincing, particularly in the beginning although I had warmed to it slightly by the end of the film. Not a bad film, and obviously a very influencial one, but it didn't quite do it for me for some reason.
Lady D

It took a me a little while into the film to see it?s big appeal and it did get progressively better. Admittedly I wasn?t completely bowled over by it, but it certainly had a certain attraction and it?s one the teens must have loved at the time of it?s release. I did manage to… More
It took a me a little while into the film to see it?s big appeal and it did get progressively better. Admittedly I wasn?t completely bowled over by it, but it certainly had a certain attraction and it?s one the teens must have loved at the time of it?s release. I did manage to watch the whole film before I realized the leading lady was Natalie Wood, so I guess that proves, she didn?t really stand out too much to me.
Lenny M

"Rebellious"???? Every Baby Boomer says this movie was revolutionary because nobody in this set time period, 1950's, never behaved the way James Dean did. In my opinion, he was a dumbass and complaining for the dumbest reasons. The social scene with the high school… More
"Rebellious"???? Every Baby Boomer says this movie was revolutionary because nobody in this set time period, 1950's, never behaved the way James Dean did. In my opinion, he was a dumbass and complaining for the dumbest reasons. The social scene with the high school gang was a bunch of chicken shit, it just didn't do anything for me besides make me sleepy and scratch myself. I don't know, maybe it's cuz I'm a product of a completely different generation which makes the generation portrayed look like a bunch of balls baby balls. Is it just me, or is James Dean overrated? Is he only popular because he died so young with so little material? Because his acting isn't spectacular, he is kind of a boner if you know 50's terminology.
Alice S

Good in an "ahead-of-its-time" kind of way but honestly can't say I enjoyed everything about the pacing or performances.
Daniel J D

It had a lot going for it. James Dean had a lot going for him. I don't know that he was the next Marlon Brando (or that he would've been, had he lived longer), but he was probably the best thing the movie had going for it. It's like The Matrix and other breakthrough… More
It had a lot going for it. James Dean had a lot going for him. I don't know that he was the next Marlon Brando (or that he would've been, had he lived longer), but he was probably the best thing the movie had going for it. It's like The Matrix and other breakthrough movies that really are incredible when they come out, considering the competition, but that ultimately fail the test of time. Mind you, it's still one of the better films of its time, and it's still got some memorable dramatic and comedic moments, but yeah.
Pierluigi P

1950's innocence gone forever, the colors, the problems, the motives, the honor, the love and hate, and the sensitivities of Nicholas Ray and James Dean. an iconic stamp of america and of a difficult age.
Drew S

I don't understand the hype for this one. When I saw it, I thought it was fucking idiotic. James Dean may be an icon, sure, but so is Jessica Alba and I'll be damned if she can act her way out of a paper bag. Dean himself lays on the cheese like crazy, overacting up a storm.… More
I don't understand the hype for this one. When I saw it, I thought it was fucking idiotic. James Dean may be an icon, sure, but so is Jessica Alba and I'll be damned if she can act her way out of a paper bag. Dean himself lays on the cheese like crazy, overacting up a storm. Like The Warriors, this was made during a completely different zeitgeist, and as such it was probably a lot more effective fifty years ago. Also like The Warriors, however, it has aged extremely poorly, leaving a flimsy and artless film in its wake. I'm leaving this one for the middle-aged film fans to reminisce upon; Rebel Without a Cause has no more value in today's cinema.
Jason S

A dang fine movie that has a great cast and an impressive story. Eveyone should watch this one if they call themselves a movie fan. I wonder what James Dean would have been like had he not been killed in that car accident.
Tim S

You're tearing me apart!

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

Cast

            James Dean as Jim Stark

            Natalie Wood as Judy

            Corey Allen as Buzz Gunderson

            Sal Mineo as Plato

            Dennis Hopper as Goon

            Jim Backus as Jim's father

            William Hopper as Judy's Father

            Rochelle Hudson as Judy's Mother

            Virginia Brissac as Jim's Grandma

            Ann Doran as Jim's Mother

            Marietta Canty as Plato's Nurse

            Edward Platt as Ray

            Ian Wolfe as Lecturer

            Nick Adams as Moose

            Jack Grinnage as Chick

            Steffi Sidney as Mil

            Tom Bernard as Harry

            Dorothy Abbott as Nurse

            Jimmie Baird as Beau

            Paul Birch as Police Chief

            Paul Bryar as Desk Sergeant

            Robert Foulk as Gene

            Louis Lane as Woman Officer

            Nelson Leigh as Sergeant

            David McMahon as Crunch's Father

            House Peters Jr. as Officer

            Gus Schilling as Attendant

            Almira Sessions as Old Lady Teacher

            Dick Wessel as Guide

            Robert B. Williams as Moose's Father Ed

            Frank Mazzola as Crunch

            Nicholas Ray as Man in last shot

            Beverly Long as Helen

            Peter Miller as Hoodlum
See full cast