History Film / RebelWithoutACause

There is a "''Rebel Without A Cause'' curse". The film's three main stars (Dean, Wood, and Mineo) all met tragic deaths at a young age, Dean before the film even opened.[[note]]They were 24, 43, and 37 years old, respectively, when they met their ends.[[/note]]

* AmbiguouslyGay: Famously with Plato towards Jim, whose interest looks like a PrecociousCrush. WordOfGod is that he told Sal Mineo to look at James Dean "the same way Natalie does" - and there was even a kiss between them scripted.

* ColorCodedForYourConvenience / ColorMotif: Red is a reoccuring color throughout the movie. Jim's iconic red jacket and Judy's red lipstick both represent their disconnection with society and lack of strong role models. There's even a subtle case with Buzz right before the game of chicken that [[spoiler:leads to his death]]. Before they do it, Jim asks Buzz something the lines of "Why are we doing this?" and Buzz, responding with something along the lines of "What else is there to do?" opens his jacket up while shrugging, and you can see the inside is red showing they are NotSoDifferent.

--> '''Creator/RogerEbert''': ''Like Hamlet's disgust at his mother's betrayal of his father, Jim's feelings mask a deeper malaise, a feeling that life is a pointless choice between being and not being. In France at the time, that was called [[UsefulNotes/{{Existentialism}} existentialism]], but in Jim's Los Angeles, rebels were not so articulate. The first time Jim talks with Judy (Natalie Wood), the girl next door, she's ready for him. "You live here, don't you?" he says. "Who lives?" she says.

-->'''Jim Stark''': No, at dawn.

* {{Existentialism}}: ''Rebel'' was one of the few mainstream American films to explore this concept. The Planetarium sequence entirely revolves around this. The universe is [[CosmicHorrorStory vast and empty, Earth is just a tiny part of this unfathomable vastness, and if and when the world ends, it will not be missed in the wider cosmos]], AdultsAreUseless and children more or less have to turn to each other to form their own community, first in self-destructive gang fights, and later a community of friends that still end up falling apart because of their own confusion and jealousy.
-->'''Jim Stark''': If only I had one day in my life where I didn't feel confused, where I felt like I belonged.

* GenreDeconstruction: The film deconstructs TeensAreMonsters films so prevalent in the 50's. The teens get into trouble seemingly out of boredom.

* UnbuiltTrope: This film was critical of the TeensAreMonsters trope right as it took form in TheFifties. It's also a good deal more serious than the teenage movies that followed, dealing with repressed homosexuality, gun violence, and for its tackling of existentialist themes.

Teen drama from TheFifties in which JamesDean, NatalieWood, and Sal Mineo deal with {{Angst}}. Notably averts the TeensAreMonsters mindset of the era. The film is directed by Creator/NicholasRay.

* UnbuiltTrope: This film was critical of the TeensAreMonsters trope right as it took form in TheFifties. It's also a good deal more serious than the teenage movies that followed.

Teen drama from TheFifties in which JamesDean, NatalieWood and Sal Mineo deal with {{Angst}}. Notably averts the TeensAreMonsters mindset of the era. The film is directed by Creator/NicholasRay.

There is a "''Rebel Without A Cause'' curse". The film's three main stars (Dean, Wood and Mineo) all met tragic deaths at a young age, Dean before the film even opened.[[note]]They were 24, 43 and 37 years old, respectively, when they met their ends.[[/note]]

* ColorCodedForYourConvenience / ColorMotif: Red is a reoccuring color throughout the movie. Jim's iconic red jacket and Judy's red lipstick both represent their disconnection with society and lack of strong role models. Theres even a subtle case with Buzz right before the game of chicken that [[spoiler:leads to his death.]] Before they do it, Jim asks Buzz something the lines of "Why are we doing this?" and Buzz, responding with something along the lines of "What else is there to do?" opens his jacket up while shrugging, and you can see the inside is red showing they are NotSoDifferent.

* {{Deconstruction}}: Possibly of teen delinquency films of TheFifties and also the generation gap between the "Greatest Generation" and the "Baby Boom" though neither of the terms existed at the time. Showing that children who live under the shadow of the atomic bomb and a formless universe and the lack of a great cause to fight war, no longer quite connect to their parents generation. (Though really Jim's generation should be the "Silent Generation," who experienced WWII in childhood.)
* {{Delinquents}}: The leads aren't this, but rather just misunderstood by their parents and struggling for their own identity. The gang meanwhile are a straighter example, although Buzz gets a line that says they do what they do mainly because they're bored.
* DysfunctionJunction: American families are dysfunctional, teenage gangs are dysfunctional, and the alternative idea of community of friends where Jim, Judy and Plato briefly engage for a few hours falls apart in confusion and mayhem because HumansAreFlawed. ''Rebel Without A Cause'' anticipated both TheSixties and the end of the sixties.

* {{Existentialism}}: ''Rebel'' was one of the few mainstream American films to explore this concept. The Planetarium sequence entirely revolves around this. The universe is [[CosmicHorrorStory vast and empty, Earth is just a tiny part of this unfathomable vastness, and if and when the world ends, it will not be missed in the wider cosmos]], AdultsAreUseless and children more or less have to turn to each other to form their own community, first in self destructive gang fights, and later a community of friends that still end up falling apart because of their own confusion and jealousy.

* HenpeckedHusband: Mr. Frank Stark, Jim's dad. His being unable to stand up to his wife as a significant character point for their kid. In one scene he even wears an apron. In the ''Fifties''.

* KickTheSonOfABitch: The kid that [[spoiler: Plato shoots]] in the mansion. Sure, he was [[spoiler: shot in the chest]]. He was also trying to help corner and possibly kill Plato and/or Jim.

* MenDontCry: Averted in the ending. Jim bursts into tears in his father's arms after [[spoiler: Plato is shot by the cops]].
* NiceGuy: In stark contrast to how to promotions made him out to be, Jim is a decent, gentle, sensitive and kindhearted boy who unhesitatingly befriends, and stands up for the meek Plato on his first day of school, takes care of people who have shown him kindness, and has enough of a conscience left that he practically leapt to take responsibility for the death of his drag-race opponent... Though still narcissistic enough to expect to cut to the front of the line at the precinct.
* NobodyCallsMeChicken: Calling Jim chicken is is guaranteed BerserkButton.

* PoliceAreUseless: Played with. Detective Ray Fremerick appears to be the OnlySaneMan at the start, and treats the delinquent teens with respect. Jim even goes to [[spoiler: try and report Buzz's death]] to him for this reason. The police who show up at the house later in the film however make things worse [[spoiler: by stunning Plato, causing him to run out. Not knowing that his gun is unloaded, they shoot at him]].
* PopTheTires: Buzz does it to Jim' car with a knife to provoke Jim. This eventually leads to a KnifeFight.

* StepfordSuburbia: The story is set in an idyllic American Dream suburbia filled with dysfunction and neuroses - and it was made ''during'' the Fifties.
* SuicideByCop: [[spoiler: Plato.]]

* TenderTears: Jim weeping [[spoiler: for the death of Plato.]]
* ThreesomeSubtext: Sort of the whole idea of Jim + Plato + Judy—they're sort of a weird blend of a threesome and a family unit.

-->'''Jim''': Then [[LampshadeHanging why are we]] doing this?

* ColorMotif: Red is a reoccuring color throughout the movie. Jim's iconic red jacket and Judy's red lipstick both represent their disconnection with society and lack of strong role models. Theres even a subtle case with Buzz right before the game of chicken that [[spoiler:leads to his death.]] Before they do it, Jim asks Buzz something the lines of "Why are we doing this?" and Buzz, responding with something along the lines of "What else is there to do?" opens his jacket up while shrugging, and you can see the inside is red showing they are NotSoDifferent.

* HenpeckedHusband: Mr. Frank Stark, Jim's dad.

* YouthIsWastedOnTheDumb

* CymbalBangingMonkey

* {{Delinquents}}
* DownerEnding
** BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Plato is dead, but Jim's dad vows to be a stronger dad from now on, and Jim's parents seem to be on the road to being better parents.]]

* MenDontCry: Averted in the ending.

* NobodyCallsMeChicken

--> '''Plato''': Tell me Jim, will the end of the world come at night time?
--> '''Jim Stark''': No, at dawn.

* {{Deconstruction}}: Possibly of teen delinquency films of TheFifties and also the generation gap between the "Greatest Generation" and the "Baby Boom" though neither of the terms existed at the time. Showing that children who live under the shadow of the atomic bomb and a formless universe and the lack of a great cause to fight war, no longer quite connect to their parents generation. (Though really Jim's generation should be the "Silent Generation", who experienced WWII in childhood.)

** BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Plato is dead but Jim's dad vows to be a stronger dad from now on and Jim's parents seem to be on the road to being better parents.]]
* DysfunctionJunction: American families are dysfunctional, teenage gangs are dysfunctional and the alternative idea of community of friends where Jim, Judy and Plato briefly engage for a few hours falls apart in confusion and mayhem because HumansAreFlawed. ''Rebel Without A Cause'' anticipated both TheSixties and the end of the sixties.

* {{Existentialism}}: ''Rebel'' was one of the few mainstream American films to explore this concept. The Planetarium sequence entirely revolves around this. The universe is [[CosmicHorrorStory vast and empty, Earth is just a tiny part of this unfathomable vastness and if and when the world ends, it will not be missed in the wider cosmos]], AdultsAreUseless and children more or less have to turn to each other to form their own community, first in self-destructive gang fights, and later a community of friends that still end up falling apart because of their own confusion and jealousy.
--> '''Jim Stark''': If only I had one day in my life where I didn't feel confused, where I felt like I belonged.

-->In all the immensity of our universe and the galaxies beyond, the earth will not be missed. Through the infinite reaches of space, the problems of man seem trivial and naive indeed, and man existing alone seems himself an episode of little consequence.

* KnifeFight: Between Buzz amd Jim. One of the earliest depictions, at least in a delinquent youth context.

* NiceGuy: In stark contrast to how to promotions made him out to be, Jim is a decent, gentle, sensitive and kindhearted boy who unhesitatingly befriends and stands up for the meek Plato on his first day of school, takes care of people who have shown him kindness, and has enough of a conscience left that he practically leapt to take responsibility for the death of his drag-race opponent... though still narcissistic enough to expect to cut to the front of the line at the precinct.

* ParentalAbandonment: Plato's father left when he was still an infant, and his mother is always going on out-of-town trips, leaving him in a [[{{Mammy}} black housekeeper]]'s care.
* ParentalIncest: Subverted with Judy and her father, in that the attempts to deny even the appearance of incest destroy the normal expressions of affection. He refuses to show affection for Judy, stating that she's "getting too old for that kind of stuff", and when she kisses him, he slaps her.

* SuicideByCop: [[spoiler:Plato]]
* TeensAreMonsters: But only because there are no adults to properly guide them. Or as the film shows, the teenagers have unrealistic expectations about their parents which they cannot really fulfill and the parents are forced to embody that unrealistic concept because of the generation gap. It's about people realizing that HumansAreFlawed.

* TrueCompanions: Jim, Judy and Plato, as seen in the above screen shot.

--> '''Buzz''': I like you.
--> '''Jim''': Then [[LampshadeHanging why are we]] doing this?
--> '''Buzz''': You've got to do ''[[ForTheLulz some]]''[[ForTheLulz thing]].

* InsignificantLittleBluePlanet: Jim's class goes takes a field trip to a planetarium, where they listen to a lecture about how Earth is small and unimportant in the grand scheme of things.

--> '''Buzz''': You've got to do [[ForTheLulz ''some''thing]].

* CoolPeopleRebelAgainstAuthority: Jim can be counted on to the opposite of anything an adult says. Now, if his putz of a father was strong enough to fend off his wife, his son might be capable of being a respectable member of adult society -- but not in this lifetime.

* {{Deconstruction}}: Possibly of teen delinquency films of TheFifties and also the generation gap between the "Greatest Generation" and the "Baby Boom" though neither of the terms existed at the time. Showing that children who live under the shadow of the atomic bomb and a formless universe and the lack of a great cause to fight war, no longer quite connect to their parents generation. (Though really Jim's generation should really be the "Silent Generation", who experienced WWII in childhood.)

* {{Deconstruction}}: Possibly of teen delinquency films of TheFifties and also the generation gap between the "Greatest Generation" and the "Silent Generation" though the former term didn't exist at the time. Showing that children who live under the shadow of the atomic bomb and a formless universe and the lack of a great cause to fight war, no longer quite connect to their parents generation.

* {{Deconstruction}}: Possibly of teen delinquency films of TheFifties and also the generation gap between the "Greatest Generation" and the "Silent Generation" though neither of the terms existed at the time. Showing that children who live under the shadow of the atomic bomb and a formless universe and the lack of a great cause to fight war, no longer quite connect to their parents generation.

* TheDanza: Jim is a nickname for James.
* {{Deconstruction}}: Possibly of teen delinquency films of TheFifties and also the generation gap between the "Greatest Generation" and the "Baby Boom" though neither of the terms existed at the time. Showing that children who live under the shadow of the atomic bomb and a formless universe and the lack of a great cause to fight war, no longer quite connect to their parents generation.

* ParentalIncest: Subverted with Judy and his father, in that the attempts to deny even the appearance of incest destroy the normal expressions of affection. He refuses to show affection for Judy, stating that she's "getting too old for that kind of stuff", and when she kisses him, he slaps her.

--> '''Jim''': Then [[LampshadeHanging why are we]] doing [[ChickenRun this]]?

* UnbuiltTrope: This film was critical of the TeensAreMonsters trope right as it took form in TheFifties.

* {{Deconstruction}}: Possibly of teen delinquency films of TheFifties.

* InNameOnly: Other than the title, the film nothing to do with the 1944 nonfiction book ''Rebel Without a Cause: The Hypnoanalysis of a Criminal Psychopath''.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Ray Fremick, whose first name is the last name of the film's director, Nicholas Ray. Coincidence? You decide.

* TeensAreMonsters: But only because there are no adults to properly guide them.

* ParentalIncest: It's hinted that Judy's father might have a suppressed attraction for her. He refuses to show affection for her, stating that she's "getting too old for that kind of stuff", and when she kisses him, he slaps her.

* PopTheTires: This happens to the main characters' car, and is done with a knife.

* KnifeFight: One of the earliest depictions, at least in a delinquent youth context.

* ChewingTheScenery: "You're tearing me ''apart!''"; "I got the bullets!" Everyone else occasionally chips in as well. Of note is Judy's reaction when [[MundaneMadeAwesome the phone rings]].