i recently watched 'rebel without a Cause' and to be honest felt like it was a huge fuss over nothing i don't see how he became an icon after this someone please tell me why he bacame an icon? what makes him so appealing? and why has his legacy lasted so long?
shareBecause he was a bad a$$.
Teen movies were not 'highlighted' back then and no one really understood teens. I guess Rebel without a cause was a cinematic breakthrough.
He did other movies like East of eden and Giant, which he was also excellent in.
He will forever be labeled the "troubled loner" ...which he was.
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Rebel Without a Cause was one of the first movies to portray teens as...teens.
James Dean represented to many young teenagers in the 50s what they always wanted to be. And once the movie came out, teens dressed differently and acted differently.
His legacy lasted so long because in the 3 movies he did, his performances were amazing.
Also, he died so young and was just beginning career - he was on top of his game, Had he lived, many predict he would have went on to even more amazing roles.
He's appealing as he represented the every-man and seemed both rebellious and also innocent and shy.
In nowdys, we learn about his life behind the character, what it took for him to get into a character and how each character consumed him in some way.
There is a certain amount of this film that made him an icon. But it was the body of work he had that was amazing, and the fact he passed so young that nakes him a legacy.
He changed the way teenagers were portrayed in films - until then, teens were shown as very "Yes sir, no sir" types of characters. But Rebel showed teens saying "No" and questioning what their parents told them.
Love and Other Drugs
The Romantics
Somewhere
Black Swan
Never Let Go
127 Hours
Because he was probably the coolest guy to ever live
"All I need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and I'm fine." -Jeff Spicoli
The above people have said it all.
Theres also something about his hair, red jacket, blue jeans and white shirt that sticks with you long after you've seen the movie. 50s teen badass. It was all about being cool, and doing whatever it took to be cool.
When you think about it, a lot of teen movies after probably one way or another were inspired from this! Could not be more true.
Well, he thought Marlon Brando was the coolest. My vote goes to Paul Newman.
shareIn addition to what's already been said:
People tend to get wrapped up in what he could have been. His emerging talent was suddenly cut short before the world got the chance to see too much of it.
There's a sense of mystery about him too. He wasn't too famous while alive, and he was a very complex man by most accounts; a walking contradiction. He died very young before his life was torn apart by gossip collumnists, so naturally people are interested in finding out about the man behind the mask of cool; especially when they start to find out more. He had a very interesting personal life.
That, and there are many who just jump on the bandwagon.
I agree with the other poster...Paul Newman is cooler than James Dean. Dean was cool, but Newman was cooler. Newman didn't have to have an idol like Brando, he was his own man.
I think 95% of Dean's popularity came from his early death. Had he lived longer, would people still be kicking up a fuss about him? Maybe, maybe not. We'll never know, but it's almost a certainty that he wouldn't be the "icon" he is today.
His acting was good, but it wasn't amazing. A lot of his praise is just hype. I like him, but I don't worship him like some people do. He basically played the same role three separate times and people want to act like he's the acting God. Maybe had he lived long enough to play more diverse roles I could've felt more comfortable in giving him more praise...but he didn't. Maybe he could've done a good job outside his typecast, or maybe he wouldn't have. The jury's out.
His acting was pretty goddamned good.
sharehe became an icon because he had something special about him, and everytime i see him he has something that makes people feel sorry for him, and feel for him and his characters.
i think people fell in love with HIM and not his characters, or movies. the reason he has lasted is because he died so young and when he was one of the top names in hollywood at the time.
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I think the main reason is he died. Look at Heath Ledger. Not that Heath Ledger is a bad actor. I'm referring to his death-induced popularity.
Apparently James Dean's acting ability was highly regarded by other actors. Dennis Hopper described him as the best actor he ever worked with.
Dean was also a bit of a rebel off the screen too. Sort of like Russell Crowe I suppose.