Had it not been for my interest in the protagonists of this movie (Natalie Wood, James Dean, and Sal Mineo), and their collective charisma, I wouldn't have lasted more than twenty minutes into it. I found it poorly written and misdirected. ***SPOILER ALERT*** for instance, when Judy lost her boyfriend in an accident, she bounces back much too quickly to be realistic. ***END SPOILER ALERT*** Sal Mineo certainly proved his acting mettle by managing to come across as being more than a mere caricature. Unfortunately, James Dean and Natalie Wood were not as lucky, instead falling victim to the director's melodramatic vision. And what's with the title? If ever there was a movie with an ill-fitting title, this is it. I was disappointed, but I suppose that if I had to do it over again, I would still watch it; after all it is considered an American classic. I gave it a six out of ten, though.
Review of Rebel Without a Cause
