Perhaps the exemplary youth picture, this portrait of a tortured young man trying to come to terms with his position as the new kid in town features top performances from Dean, Mineo and Wood as his girlfriend. A terrific use of colour and framing make Ray's film one of the best of the overheated 50s American melodramas.
Still arguably the best of all youth rebellion pictures, much imitated, and featuring Dean's greatest performance, thanks to the inspired expressionist direction of Ra... more >
Still arguably the best of all youth rebellion pictures, much imitated, and featuring Dean's greatest performance, thanks to the inspired expressionist direction of Ray. The use of colour, lighting, camera movement and widescreen compositions are all exemplary, carefully designed to reflect the emotional resonances of the central disaffected trio of Dean, Wood and Mineo. The famous Chicken Run, deserted mansion and planetarium sequences are unforgettable. < less