Rebel Without a Cause Response

Rebel Without A Cause (1955)

 1.      Take a look at these two quotes:

a.     “The drama and hepcat dialogue feel clunky now...” Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

b.    “Rebel without a Cause has as much to say today as it did in the 1950s.” Chris Wood, Senses of Cinema

Who’s right?  Is Rebel… a timeless film that effectively captures the alienation, awkwardness, and angst of youth culture in any generation?  Or, is it a dated relic, unable to speak to or for contemporary youth?  Which critic is closer to “right”? 

 I really enjoyed watching this movie, but I do have to agree with Peter Bradshaw. This movie is a very hard film to relate to as a teenager today. A lot of these characters were very new to me and took me by surprise. For example, Plato. He is a very different character and acts in a certain way that confused me a little in the beginning of the movie. I think it is hard to relate to because of the events that happen (the cliff scene with the cars, hiding out in an abandoned mansion, Plato getting shot by the Police). Not many teenagers endure events like these. Another thing that I noticed is that no one did anything after the car crashed off the cliff during the race. It was hard to believe that everyone would clear out and forget about it. It has many aspects that represent the bad parts of “family structure” in the 50’s. (ex. Jim’s family moving, Judy’s dad, Plato’s parents). It may have been a movie that young people related to (the kids’ problems) when the movie came out, It was a hard movie to relate to, but I did enjoy the film and have a lot of interest in it.