Every major James Dean movie ranked

Since James Dean's life was tragically cut short in a car accident when he was only 24 years old, he only made it to three films. Be that as it may, all three films have left an indelible mark on popular culture. With his narrow eyes and a cigarette dangling from pursed lips, combined with tight jeans and white shirts bursting from his lanky frame, Dean quickly created a brooding mystery that always seemed destined for Hollywood stardom.

Dean himself was Method actor bad boy in the vein of Marlon Brandothough less brutal and more melancholy and sensitive. Beneath his tough exterior, Dean also had an inner gravity that made his performances so painfully vulnerable. He was a handsome, tragic hero with a world-weary maturity who captivated not only audiences of the 1950s, but generations of moviegoers that followed. Let's rank the three movies that made him such a star.

As the title suggests, George Stevens's The Giant is a sprawling, three-hour-plus epic about a wealthy Texas rancher and his young wife, an East Coast aristocrat who struggles to assimilate into her new rural environment. The film buckles under its length and soap opera-style melodramatics as we follow the tension between cattle ranchers and oil barons over the decades.

While we may be impressed by the star power of Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor as Leslie and Jordan Benedict, the story of a billionaire vying for his land and yearning for more is a snoozer, especially considering today's classes. Meanwhile, Dean is barely in “Giant” as a poor rancher who finds his fortune in oil, but he creates a memorable character with youthful optimism who can't overcome his emotional demons.

What “Giant” does well and why /Film writer Danielle Ryan considers it one of the best movies set in Texasit depicts racial tension between the Mexican-American characters, especially when the Benedicts have a biracial grandchild.

“East of Eden” directed by Elia Kazan is based on John Steinbeck's novel and the biblical story of Cain and Abel. In 1910s California, Cal and Aaron are a pair of competitive brothers who uncover a secret about their mother that is tearing their family apart.

Dean's intensity comes off the screen here, feeling even stronger than in Rebel Without a Cause. In scenes with father Adam, Cal's entire being vibrates in desperation for an ounce of patriarchal love and respect. We can also see the wounded little boy who lives in Kala and is constantly looking for validation. That tension completely melts away from Dean's physicality during the scene with Abra, who is a pure love option for Cal.

Visually, “East of Eden” has a nostalgic softness and beauty, especially in the sunlit exterior of a flower-filled field and the dynamic nighttime carnival scenes. This lyrical drama details family dynamics and emotions as old as human history itself.

Rebel Without a Cause became an icon because it was one of the first films to take teenage conflict seriously. The film follows Jim, Judy and Plato, all teenagers who struggle with the emotional abandonment of their parents and feel lost. The film's three young actors, Dean, Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo, all deliver electric performances. They have a combination of innocent fragility and heavy heart that is fascinating to watch.

Dean specifically expresses the frustrations of becoming an adult and trying to understand the generation that came before you. He's at his best during the scene where Jim pleads with his father and mother: “You say one thing, he says another, and everyone changes again!” Dean's performance and the film as a whole capture the confusion of youth when you feel overwhelmed, the weight of the world feels too heavy and your future looks bleak.

Using Technicolor, director Nicholas Ray makes the cinematography as popular as the emotion, from the bright reds of Dean's jacket and the glow of hot rods to the Los Angeles cityscape seen from the top of the Griffith Observatory. “Rebel Without a Cause” may perfectly represent the era of the 1950s, but its depiction of teenage resistance and disillusionment still resonates today. It's an undeniably bold film that has a lot to say and demands to stand out. That Thanks to Rebel Without a Cause, Dean will forever be a symbol of rebellious youth. a beautiful, cruel irony remains.