During his tragically brief career, James Dean starred in only three movies
before dying in a car crash at age 24: East of Eden, Rebel
Without A Cause, and Giant. Their total collective
running time is just over seven hours. Yet within that short time, Dean left
an immeasurable cinematic and cultural mark. The Complete James Dean
Collection includes those films as well as behind-the-scenes footage,
documentaries, and interviews that celebrate Dean's extraordinary legacy and
talents.
Despite significantly differing plots, Dean played the same type of character
in all of the films: the sensitive outsider desperately trying to gain acceptance.
His first major film role in East of Eden (1954) is as Cal,
the "bad son" who spends his life struggling to earn the approval
of his stern father. In the iconic Rebel Without a Cause (1955),
Dean plays a rebellious teenager who is simultaneously trying to shun and enter
his family and society. His final role in Giant (1956) is as
a cowboy-turned-oil-tycoon who wants to join Texan high society. In these movies,
Dean established his shy-but-tough-guy image, and audiences since have eagerly
empathized with his brooding rebel.
Remarkably, all of Dean's films are excellent. More remarkable is that he is
the best thing in each. Dean's raw and vulnerable presence is magnetic; it's
almost impossible to keep your eyes off him while he's on the screen. And even
when he's off camera, the other characters spend most of their time talking
about him, so he remains the center of attention.
Still, Dean owes much of his lasting legacy to his stellar (and underappreciated)
casts and crews. In East of Eden, Dean got off on the right
foot by starring in a John Steinbeck adaptation directed by Elia Kazan. Kazan,
who had just directed Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront, was used to dealing
with charismatic heavyweights in ensemble pictures. Kazan successfully focuses
Dean's energy and surrounds him with commanding actors who easily hold their
own against his live wire. Rebel Without a Cause allows Dean
to play the anti-leading man and broke new ground as a realistic portrayal of
teenagers rather than the vanilla movies from the 1940s. The soapy Giant
greatly benefits from direction by the brilliant George Stevens and
charming lead performances by Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor.
The films are excellent with few flaws. Rebel Without a Cause
veers into melodrama both in the plot and the acting, especially that from Natalie
Wood. Giant is more than three hours and requires a break to
alleviate viewer fatigue. But these imperfections are minor and easily overlooked.
The Complete James Dean Collection also includes quite a bit
of DVD special features that shed light on the films and Dean's public and private
persona. Each movie has commentary, but only Giant includes people who actually
worked on the film: George Stevens Jr. and screenwriter Ivan Moffat. Filmmakers
and film historians provide the commentary on East of Eden
and Rebel Without a Cause.
The strongest special features are the documentaries: two on Dean and four
on the films. The Dean documentaries provide insight on the actor and give proper
reverence to his death and subsequent legacy. James Dean Remembered is primarily
interviews with famous colleagues, while Forever James Dean focuses more on
his friends and personal history. Each documentary handles its subject differently,
but much of the same footage and interviews is recycled between them. Only one
is necessary, and I preferred Forever James Dean and its emphasis on the man
rather than the celebrity. As for the specific film documentaries, I found them
more compelling, because they examined all the aspects rather than just narrowing
in on Dean. Many of the supporting actors and the crew return to give their
two cents, and the results are vivid and comprehensive records of the stages
of filmmaking.
The one documentary without Dean is George Stevens: Filmmakers Who Knew Him.
Directors from Frank Capra to Warren Beatty discuss his considerable contributions
and provide a fascinating look at both Stevens and early filmmaking. It is a
must-watch for any cinephile.
The DVDs also include little tidbits such as screen tests, additional scenes,
deleted scenes, and wardrobe tests. It is valuable if only to see Dean work
and observe the ways he kept his performances fresh. The best of the bunch is
multiple takes on the same scene between Julie Harris and Dean in East
of Eden; the two actors play with their infliction and glances to give
surprisingly varied results.
East of Eden and Giant feature red-carpet
footage from the New York and Hollywood premieres; it is mostly second-tier
celebrities chatting but the East of Eden premiere provides
a few valuable moments with an uncomfortably witty Steinbeck and a glimpse of
the other tragic 1950s icon Marilyn Monroe. Rebel Without a Cause also
has a few public service announcements, including Dean's now-infamous plea for
road safety.
Each of the films is in terrific technical condition. East of Eden
and Rebel Without a Cause have digitally-restored
film and sound, and the restoration makes them theatrical quality. The colors
are especially vibrant, from the ocean views of Eden to the
red jacket in Rebel. Giant has a similarly
excellent presentation. All were filmed in Cinemascope in letterbox format and
still look impressive even on a home theater screen.
Dean lived a short life, but he left behind a powerful mark. The Complete
James Dean Collection faithfully honors both Dean's memory and the
considerable talents of the other cast and crew in the included films. It's
a must for any movie fan.
East of Eden:
Movie Score: A
Special Features Score: A
DVD Score: A
Rebel Without a Cause:
Movie Score: A-
Special Features Score: A
DVD Score: A
Giant:
Movie Score: B+
Special Features Score: A
DVD Score: A-
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