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Rebel Without A Cause1000 word essay: Significance of family in...

BY RICHARD TARR
Rebel Without A Cause (1955) is perhaps best known as the vehicle which helped establish its lead actor, James Dean, as a Hollywood icon and subsequently one of cinemas most recognisable figures. However the aspect of the film I wish to discuss is that of Jim Stark (Dean) and his relationship with his family, in particular his father, which I propose gives the rebel of the title, a cause.

Robert Linder penned the story of Rebel and as a renowned expert on adolescence (as well as a pioneer of hypnotherapy and a criminal psychologist), in his words, his interest was with "the conflict between protest and conformity that faced young people today" and "the problem of the individual's desire to preserve himself in the face of overwhelming demands for social conformity" (Sight and Sound, 1956). These themes were taken to heart by the movies' director, Nicholas Ray, whose original vision saw the film titled The Blind Run, due to his vision of a fast moving world which ...

Posted by: Janet Valerio

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