Warner Bros studios is currently celebrating their 100th Anniversary and what better time to dip into the vault and release some of their more iconic films on 4K. One of them is the 1955 classic Rebel Without A Cause starring James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, Jim Backus, Ann Doran, Corey Allen, and William Hopper from director Nicholas Ray.
 

Rebel Without A Cause follows three high school students who should lead idyllic lives in their stable, but comfortable suburban families explode with a violence and sexuality that their parents cannot understand. This film--which ripped the façade from the post-war American dream to expose the rage of the country's youth--resonates with an energy that has made it a modern classic and a powerful coming-of-age story.

 

Of course everyone knows the classic lines from the film and James Dean’s cool persona, but it was yet another classic film I had never just sat down and watched. I honestly don’t know why since I tend to love troubled youth coming of age tales. I have finally solved this wrong as well and sat down to watch the film on its new 4K release and really dug it.

 

I have to admit that I think I had a different thought of what this film was about for some reason. It is a great film, but felt that there are numerous elements that just felt unfleshed out and weird decisions in the characters behaviors. One minute people hate each other and the next they don’t then they do again. It was a strange dynamic, but I can still see where it was going and still manages to deliver.

 

Most of the cast are really good here with Dean doing most of the heavy lifting, but to my surprise the big twist and emotion was really with Sal Mineo who brings an awkward and sometimes disturbed persona to life.