A Rebel Without A Cause

Rebel Without A Cause is a 1950's drama film directed by Nicholas Ray, starring James Dean as the main character Jim Stark, Sal Mineo as John Crawford, and Natalie Wood as Judy. What I captured from this film is the typical teenager, who acts tuff and hard but really because they don't know any better. They're just confused. These three cross paths when Dean is put into juvy, when he is found on a Los Angeles sidewalk drunk. This is when he meets John who's brought in for shooting pups with his mother's gun, and finally Judy who has violated her curfew. Three misunderstood teenagers who seem to all be having issues at home. The abandoned feeling from their parents may be the reason why they all act recklessly a fool. When Jim is on his way to school he spots Judy which seems to be waiting on something. He offers her a ride but she sarcastically declines as moments followed her crew picked her up, and they were off. After returning from a classy trip the crew Jim got a glance of the same morning when Judy was picked up slash one of the tires of his car. He's then challenged to a knife fight when Buzz (the leader of the crew pulls out his switch blade). He declines because he doesn't have a knife with him. He's then taunted by Buzz when he's called a chicken. Jim isn't bothered until Buzz calls him it once more, they then start to fight. Buzz suggests a fair fight by inviting Jim to a "Chicken run", Jim agrees even though he doesn't have an idea what it is. Later on Jim is getting ready to attend this "Chicken run" when he asks his father for help. His father tells him instead to avoid conflict. He meets in the area of the Chicken run and Buzz shoes him the two stolen cars they'll be driving, he then admits to liking Jim. Buzz explains the rules of the game: They will both drive their cars to the edge of the cliff, and whoever jumps out the car first is considered the chicken. As they both drive towards the cliff Jim gives in first, and tumbles out his car. Buzz's jacket gets caught in the handle and he doesn't get to jump out when the two cars drive off the cliff. When he gets home he tells his parents who have already seen it on tv, and thinks of turning himself in, his mother then tells him they must move again. Jim gets upset when his dad doesn't stand up to his mother with him and starts to strangle is dad until his mom pulls him off. Jim spots Judy on the corner in the same spot he spotted her the first time. He admits to liking her from the moment he saw her, and reassures her that she can trust him. When the rest of buzz's gang find John they ask for Jims location assuming that he ratted them out. They find his notebook with Jim's address in it, and they flee. John goes to get his mother's gun and runs after them. He runs to Jims house asking for Jim, meanwhile Jim's father just dealt with Buzz's crew asking the same thing. John finds them at the mansion and the three of them acts like they've known eachother forever. After John dozes off Jim and Judy scope out the rest of the mansion. John is awakens to an unpleasant visit to the rest of Buzz's gang at the mansion. He tries to hold them off before they can get to Jim, this is when he shoots one of them. Jim is then shot when he reappears to the scene. Police are on their way and John flees the mansion not knowing this. When the police arrive Jim tries to negotiate with one of the policemen. He takes the bullets out of the gun John is holding. He then persuades John to slowly come out the house. But when he does the policemen notice the gun is still in Johns possession, they turn their lights on. John acting on is instinct runs and is then shot down. Jim screams to them that he had the bullets, trying to notify them that the gun John had was empty. Seeing this Jim's father is lead to believe that his son was shot and runs over to him. John, John's father, and Judy are together. Jim's father promises to being a better father and taking on his father responsibilities. John introduces Judy to his dad as his friend.