"Rebellion without a Cause" is one of the representative works of "youth culture" in the 1950s. The youth of the 1950s are different from the youth who explored, radical, and counter-culture in the 1960s. They are the "lost generation" in a state of perplexity. The first film to reflect this "lost generation" was "Wild Child" in 1953. Hippies first appeared in the film and impacted the values of the American middle class. Marlon Brando wore a black leather jacket and rode a motorcycle fast, expressing resistance to society. In 1955, two films reflecting the "lost generation" came out: one is "Blackboard Jungle" and the other is "Rebellion without a Cause". In "Blackboard Jungle," the description of a student piercing the teacher with a knife arouses adult anxiety. The film was originally to be screened at the Venice Film Festival, but the U.S. Embassy in Italy protested and the film was withdrawn from the festival. "Rebellion Without a Cause" did not cause such a fierce reaction, but the impact was even more profound.
In "Rebellion Without a Cause", director Nicholas Rey captures the characteristics of the "lost generation" of young people in the 1950s, as well as the characteristics of ordinary young people, and portrays three people who are disappointed with their families. teenager. They have a generation gap with the previous generation, are incompatible with society, and have no way out. They feel depressed, waiting for the time to erupt. Everything in the film happened in one day. The protagonist Jim, like all teenagers, aspires to be a "real man." He drinks, fights, participates in death games, and makes girlfriends-all to show his "masculinity". But the most masculine person in the family, his father was a man who walked around the pot and was afraid of his wife. Jim's sense of depression comes from such a problem that does not seem to be a problem, so his rebellion has become a rebellion without a cause. Prato and Judy share similar disappointments with their families. This day of the film is the day when this disappointment finally reaches a breaking point. But the director does not blame these rebellious teenagers, but blames their parents. It is their parents who caused their psychological barriers.
"The Coward Runs away" is a very important scene in the whole film. The rebellion of the "lost generation" in the 1950s did not purposely target the law or parents, but rather unclearly aimed at the general rules of life. Their dissatisfaction needs to be vented, and driving fast is a form of venting. Racing, like hippies, jeans, and T-shirts, all constituted part of the youth culture at that time. In the 1950s, Hollywood films that reflected youth racing, such as "Steaming Car", "Car Girl", "Flying Car Bucket", "Flying Car Gang" and so on. In "Rebel Without Cause", the "coward running away" race is also a kind of car race. From this game, we can see how irrational the restless teenagers are in pursuit of "masculinity"! The scenes after the "Coward Runaway" game reflected adults' incomprehension and even misunderstanding of teenagers. Jim's parents objected to him going to the police station to surrender, indicating the difference in values between the two generations. For Jim, "one person doing things, one person" is a man's performance, but adults do not have such sincerity. They are much more utilitarian. Finally, the police fired preemptively at Prato, who was holding an empty gun, showing how deep the misunderstanding was.
"Rebellion without a Cause" is Rey's most personal style of work. The director's approach is warm and delicate, and the humor is touching. Rey uses color as a metaphor in the film: Jim's red jacket and black car symbolize rebellion; Prato's two socks in two colors symbolize perplexity. The huge space in the villa expresses the children's sense of alienation from society, where it is their own world isolated from the outside world. The three of them formed a new family in their own way, caring, loving, and trusting each other. This kind of true feeling is not available in the adult world.
"Rebellion Without a Cause" caused a sensation due to the tragic death of its male protagonist James Dean. One month before the film’s release, Dean was killed in a car accident while speeding on a California highway. In the film, his opponent died in a "coward running away" car race; but in life, he and his opponent exchanged positions. The cause of the accident is also a kind of racing idea-he wants to overtake the car in front.
The 24-year-old James Dean has lost the warmth of his family since he was a child. He is withdrawn and self-willed. He loves to drive fast. With his indifferent appearance and gloomy expression, he integrates with the depressed youth he has portrayed and adds to the film. Authenticity. And his own tragic death has striking similarities with the characters in the film, which has a great impact on the film. The jeans and T-shirts Dean wore in the film became the "standard clothes" for rebel youths in the 1950s. After his death, the fans' worship of him reached the level of mythology. The place where he crashed was cast with the following characters "James Dean, February 8, 1931-September 30, 1955, 5:59". Hollywood made two documentaries about him. A feature film called "September 30, 1955" was also released in 1977, which described a teenager who felt the world was shattered because of his death. Until now, every year on September 30th, fans gather to commemorate the place where he crashed. A young actor who has only starred in three films can get such love from the audience, which is unique in film history.
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