Film Analysis: Rebel Without A Cause

When I think of the 1950’s, images of jukeboxes, Chevy Bel Airs, cafes, and leather jackets flow through my mind. This is because they are all cultural artifacts that can give us insight into the place or time that it originated in. An artifact that has, over time, depreciated in its popularity is the 1995 American drama film Rebel Without A Cause. Released on October 27th, 1955, this film may not be as relevant as it was in the past (you probably wont find it in a millennials’s film collection or Netflix cue), but it’s most certainly significant as it served as a milestone in the creation of new ideas about teenagers. The film captures teenage angst in a meaningful way, where adolescents wish to be understood and heard by adults. This agitation
Sandwiched in between the generations of new postwar families and their boom of babies was a generation of teenagers. Teens were often marginalized by the adults, who “didn't want to be bothered with the very different values of teenagers” (Powers 2). There were a few television shows aimed at young children, nothing for teenagers, and nothing on the radio speaking to teen life. Teenagers felt “left out, ignored, and disenfranchised”. Teens then started to hear music about their world, and became hungry for recognition for their generation. This hunger usually resulted in what the older generation referred feared was “juvenile delinquency”. In the 1950s, this didn’t mean dealing in street drugs or drive-by shootings, but rather chewing gum in class, souping up a hot rod and talking back to parents. Disapproval came from adults who did not like the increased teen presence in society and media, and Rebel Without A Cause contributed from this movement. It gave teens a “representative” in a way, someone they could relate to as they struggled to find their place in the world. It also mirrored the delinquent behaviors of America’s youth at the time, such as drunkenness, switchblade fights, deadly drag races, and archetypal screams to his parents: “You’re tearing me apart!”. Dean’s performance marked Jim as the the “first American teenager” (Dirks
A dutch tilt shot was used in this sequence, framing the three family members with Jim stuck in the middle of it all. This creative decision helped heighten the psychological (and later physical) distress and tension between them as they share their conflicting viewpoints on whether or not to report Buzz’s death from the “chickie run” to the authorities. This moment relates to the entire film’s theme as a whole, for this isn’t the only time Jim encounters death. With the tragic death of his friend Plato in the end of the film, his life really is “off-balance”. There are many strong elements of mise-en-scène used in the film, such as low-key lightning that casted dark shadows on the actors’ faces that correlate with the challenging circumstances burdening the characters’ lives. The costuming in the film, done by Moss Mabry, stands out strongly in this particular sequence. Jim’s signature red jacket epitomizes the sense of rebellion presented in the film. Mabry told the LA Times in 2006 that, “Even though the jacket looked simple, it wasn’t”. I agree with this statement, as the jacket he designed is certainly striking to the eye on screen, thanks in conjunction to the set design. The set design consists of a mainly neutral color scheme, causing Mr. and