I absolutely loved this film, and I would say it is one of my top 5 favorites. I'd been wanting to see this movie for years, and when I heard it was going to be shown on the big screen at the movie theater I knew I had to go. I had high expectations for the film, and I was not disappointed in the least. It actually exceeded my expectations. It is understandable why this movie is considered iconic and a classic. The movie shows the struggles of teenagers in many ways and in an accurate way. Between Jim's issues with his parents not understanding him and not facing up to their own issues, Judy's father being cruel and trying to tell her ho she is why neglecting to show her any affection, and Plato basically not having any parents at all, especially after his mother went on vacation after cancelling his psychologist sessions because they were too expensive. I also loved how it showed how friendships can grow out of hardships and troubling experiences. This film is very important because it shows the emotions of teenagers in a way it had not been presented before. It shows the utter confusion, the frustration, and the anxiety teenagers face. It shows how teenagers struggle to find answers and figure things out for themselves as no one else truly understands. It displays how teenagers sometimes struggle to fit in in various ways, and how they struggle when trying to discover who they are and what they are supposed to do. It also shows how sometimes young people don't no where else to turn or what else to do, so they turn to rather self destructive methods. This is shown when Jim is drunk and wandering at the beginning, Spoiler: when Plato shoots the puppies out of frustration. This film opened up a new world in film and did something that hadn't been done before. It impacted teenagers of the time because it gave them something to relate to, it gave them characters portrayed by famous actors and actresses that they could relate to. It still provides something for teenagers to relate to. All teenagers can probably relate to one of the characters to some extent, I definitely could. I related to Jim, as he was upset, confused, and frustrated in trying to understand himself, the world, and what he is supposed to do, and how sometimes everything becomes too much and you just break down. While my relationship with my parents is considerably better than that of Jim and his parents, I still relate to the fact that though they try they don't always understand. It is also said that this movie helped inspire the later movements of the 1960's such as the civil rights movement because it showed teenagers that they were not alone in their struggles and their anger and that they could unite to fight for a cause. James Dean's performance was spectacular. He captured the emotions of a teenager perfectly in an honest and believable way. He was only 24 when the movie was filmed, so he was likely still struggling with some of these things as well. He really showed how many of us young people feel, and I honestly don't think he was acting at some points, as the breakdowns and .anger felt and looked very real. In fact, most of the lines in the movie were improvised, so it is possible that what he was saying at some points was also what he was feeling. In my opinion no one could have done it better. Aside from that, I just loved his character. The reason I loved Jim so much was because he seems so rough around the edges, yet when you get to know him is really sweet and caring. He will fight if he needs to, and gets in trouble sometimes, but that's only if necessary and it only scratches the surface of who he really is. He is so kind to Plato, even offering him his jacket before he even knows his name. He doesn't want any trouble, but it has a tendency to find him anyway. At one point, he had enough of his parents and he tells them that he always does something wrong, but for once in his life he wants to do something right. I felt a great deal of sympathy for Jim, it felt like no matter what he did it either wasn't "right" or wasn't good enough, but he was trying and he deserved to be happy, Ray, Nicholas, director. Nicholas Ray and Irving Shulman, Warner Bros. 1955.
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AuthorHello fellow film lovers! Just a little bit about me: I love movies from the Old Hollywood era, especially musicals. In general, my movie taste is a bit all over the place. I don't really stick to one genre, as I just watch whatever looks interesting! I look forward to broadening my horizons in terms of film and reviewing them to the best of my ability in an honest way. Reading another passion of mine, and I'm frequently told I have an old soul, so expect to see a lot of older films being reviewed. I hope you can find what you need here! Archives
May 2019
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