Jim Stark (James Dean) moves to Los Angeles with his family, another move for the Starks since it seems that if the teenager gets into trouble, his parents have to make everyone change their scenery. The first thing we know about the protagonist is that the police stop him from wandering drunk on the street. They take him to the juvenile division where Ray Fremick (Edward Platt) is in charge and to whom Jim does not hesitate to tell what is happening to him before his parents take him back home. Chance wants that same night at the police station, the boy runs into two of his high school classmates, a boy named John (Sal Mineo) with Plato as an alias, and a girl named Judy (Natalie Wood).
Jim's first day of school won't be easy, he'll cross the path of the popular/bullies with a guy named Buzz (Corey Allen) at the helm, who seems like more than just a friend of Judy's who the boy has already set his eyes on. eyes, and befriends Plato who needs someone in life, something Jim notices right away. A car race will unite Jim and Judy who together with Plato will try to live at least one night as they want but it will not be easy because both the thugs and the police are after them.
"Rebel Without a Cause" is a story of teenagers with parental problems. While the protagonist wants his father to be a strong father figure, this is the opposite, his new friend only has one person in the world, the family maid, and the girl wants her father to do the same to her. In the past, the one who does make his little brother. They are three young rebels eager to be listened to, something that in Jim's case is perfectly captured by police officer Ray Fremick.
Without a doubt, I think that this portrait of the loneliness and incomprehension of the three main characters is the best of the film, since time has not passed well for her or that everything happens that in a single day detracts from the credibility of the film. the story they tell us. It may well be the latter because in a little less than two hours we witness how they meet and what they experience together on that day, as well as their relationship, or lack thereof, with their parents.
The teenagers in "Rebel Without a Cause" have a lot to say but yes, I think my problem with this film is how unbelievable certain actions and dialogues are made that were quite forced on me as I watched the film.
It will be the iconic film by James Dean but of course, it does not seem to me as a whole a cinematographic work deserving of as much hype as it has always been given. For taste, of course. Sal Mineo and Natalie Wood were nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, respectively, as well as director Nicholas Ray for Best Screenplay Story Artist, despite not writing the script himself). I have to say that Natalie Wood seems to me a soda in her role, Sal Mineo did a great performance and James Dean, except for crying, did quite well by giving him the necessary intensity.
