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The classic teen rebellion film, Rebel Without a Cause is made all the more iconic by the stories of death that immediatley followed the film's release- almost mirroring the themes of the film itself. I'd seen parts of this film before, so I had some idea of what to expect. However, James Dean's acting took me by surprise- I found him to be a far more physical actor then i'd imagined. His wild arm movements and visible tension definitely added to his portrayal of a frustrated and mixed-up teenager, and, let's face it, his appearance helps too (one of the notes I had written down for this film read simply: phwoaaar.) Dean aside, I also loved Natalie Wood in this film, especially due to the layers within her character- she runs with the bad kids, but deep down she want's her father's approval. A running theme I noticed within the film was each character's issues with their father- Dean wanted his to be more of a man, Wood wanted hers to show affection, and Plato's father was simply absent.
The costuming of the film, which launched the white t-shirt and jeans look, first popularised by Marlon Brando, was fantastic, and had some great colour themes running throughout. Jimmy's red jacket, first donned as a sign of rebellion against his father, and later passed on to Plato as a symbol of manhood, could almost be compared to Holden Caufield's red hunting cap, in terms of significance towards character development. The costumes utilise the colour red frequently, as a symbol of rebellion, as well as a symbol for death. I particularly enjoyed watching Judy's costumes change as the film progressed. When we first see her, she is clad in red, and later, black and green. However, as she begins to fall for Dean, we see her shift into soft pastels- indicative of her shedding of her past associations with the bad kids.
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