Rebel without a cause or maybe not.

The film some might say that put James Dean on the map is Rebel Without a Cause.  In the scenes we have seen thus far, we see Jim Stark a "troubled youth" who can seem to do no wrong in his parents eyes.  Today's standards or even back then with a not so wealthy family, a parent would be irate if their child was drinking underage.  Jim's parents try to understand what's wrong with him.  He is given everything and yet acts like the world dealt him a bad hand.  Then you have Judy who talks about being treated horribly by her father but when you see them together you see no love and affection for her but definitely for the young son. 

This era has always been depicting daughters giving their fathers a kiss on the cheek and the father asking how their day was.  In the film however the father looks down upon this and even slaps Judy asking her to cut it out.  It is certainly a 50's that I have never seen until now.  Judy also tells Jim "Who really lives?" I think she meant by that, that no one really does anything not normal.  Dad goes to work, mother is a stay at home wife, kids go to school etc. etc. etc.  No one really breaks out of the mold that they live in, this "Ideal" lifestyle. 

The film Pleasantville comes to mind when she makes the comment. The film shows a fictional 50's show called Pleasantville where everything is perfect, from the town to the folks who live there.  In that film two unsuspecting characters from the modern day 90's are thrown in to this fictitious world and slowly start to unravel it out of perfection.     

Where we left off in Rebel Without a Cause was Jim was bullied in to a game of chicken with cars after a jab fight with knives went in his favor.  Unfortunately Jim seems to be the type where you don't go looking for trouble, trouble comes looking for you.  I will continue with my blog once we finish our last scenes.