melodrama presentation - rebel without a cause
TRANSCRIPT
REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE
Christine Joung
Rebel Without A Cause
A person who is dissatisfied with society but does not have a specific aim to fight for.
Basic Information
Melodrama, teen film January, 1955 Nicholas Ray, Stewart Stern James Dean, Natalie Wood Suburban, middle-class teenagers Originally black & white
Plot
Jim Stark (James Dean) is a troublemaking teen.
Jim moves to a new town and tries to make friends.
However, being the new kid in town brings problems. (e.g. Buzz challenges Jim to race him.)
Through conflicts, Jim forms a bond with Plato and falls for local girl Judy.
Setting
Mid-50s Los Angeles (U.S. urban slum environment)
Social Context
1950s America – Unity of community, everyone being happy, utopian society
New Age of Film- Addresses social issues- Not completely happy ending
Jim = Rebel = New type of role Emergence of teenage audiences
Characteristics
Several different plots within a plot (life that each of the three characters go through)
Both beginning and ending Dawn, police- “Do you think the end of world will come at
nighttime?” “Uh-uh, at dawn.”
Color
Much emphasis on red- Jim’s red Jacket, Judy’s red lipstick and clothes,
Jim’s couch, Plato’s socks, the monkey doll etc. Red = Desire, passion, love, anger, rebellious Connection among three characters
Symbols and Allusions
Plato shooting puppies “Chicken” Father’s apron Playing house until interruption
Themes
Existentialism- Seeking identity and purpose of life- “Is this where you live?” “Who lives?”- “I don’t know what to do anymore, except
maybe die.” Family- Dysfunctional conflict between parents and
children- Problems that children face due to lack of
“father figure”- “If only you coulda been my dad.”
Themes (Common themes in 50s)
Women’s changing roles- Jim’s mother, grandmother > Jim’s father Post-war prosperity- Cars, TVs, large houses etc. The rise of suburbia
Aspects of Melodrama
Melodrama: sub-type of drama films, characterized by a plot designed to appeal strongly to the emotions
Family melodrama- Conflicts in family- Characters’ aspiration of happy family Male melodrama- Struggle of identity is the core - Masculine figure becomes emotional- “You did everything a man could.”
Aspects of Melodrama
Melodrama: moral tales that illustrate a battle between good and evil
Conflicts / Struggles
Seeming vs. Being- Judy acts differently according to the group- Jim’s parents tell him not to confess to the police- “I don’t know! I mean maybe he doesn’t mean it
but he acts like he does.” Lack of trust among all characters- Judy hesitates following Jim to the room - Plato loses trust for Jim when he leaves with Judy- Police shoots Plato even when Jim tells him he’s
safe
Conflicts / Struggles
Desire vs. Ability- Jim’s desire for Judy- Jim’s desire to see his father act like a man- Judy’s desire to receive her father’s love- Plato’s desire to be with Jim or his family- Buzz’s desire to prove his authority and power
Expectation vs. Reality
Jim, Judy and Plato
Middle-class, misunderstood, alienated teenagers Identity-seeking Confusion- “You're tearing me apart!...You say one thing, he
says another, and everybody changes back again.”
- "I'll tell you one thing, I don't ever want to be like him.”
Attain maturity through rebellion and tragic circumstances
Plato (Sal Mineo)
Powerless figure- Housemaid answers all his questions, tells him
what to do and stops him every time - Only feels safe by a presence of Jim or gun
Skeptical of paternal gestures and kindness- In the beginning, rejects Jim’s offer of jacket in
the end, accepts it
Plato (Sal Mineo)
Closeted gay- Milestone for gay rights- The first in a mainstream film to depict
homosexual desire
Psychopath- Shoots puppies
Resolution
Three characters’ search for ideal father figure- Jim Hears father say “I’ll stand up for you.”- Judy and Plato Finds Jim
Connections
The Outsiders
(1967, 1983)
The Catcher in the Rye
(1951)