East of Eden (1955)

 Elia Kazan's "East of Eden"

James Dean had his film debut in 1955 with Elia Kazan's "East of Eden," and then died in a tragic car accident within the same year. Despite having only three credits to his name, he remains one of the most celebrated actors of his generation. "East of Eden" broadcasted his immense talent as a performer and is still considered on the greatest American films of the 1950s.

The film is adapted from 1952 John Steinbeck novel of the same name. It centers on two motherless sons raised by their farm-owning father. Retelling the story of Cain and Abel, the film follows Cal, a troubled young man trying to find his place in the world while vying for the affections of his deeply religious father against his favored brother. 

The directional choices by Kazan are stellar. His brushstrokes of a 1917 American West illustrates its pulpy protentional and beauty, making it an "Eden" with which the batch of troubled characters are set against. It is an Eden that almost feels spoiled and too good for the characters which inhabit it, as they attempt to wrestle with identity and a place in the world. Kazan's atmosphere is stark and provides a lush ambiance as backdrop incongruent with restlessness and anguish at the heart of the story.

He identifies this restlessness through his central protagonist, Cal, as played brilliantly by James Dean. Dean's physical mannerisms, like his contorted and awkward poses, indicates the shyness and and tension of his character. His internal strife becomes physical through Dean. His emotions are worn on his sleeve and through his motions, actions, and way of speaking. It is truly a transformative performances that carries the same philosophies that Marlon Brando paved the way for in the early part of the decade. 

The only negative feature of the film for me is its lack of thematic clarity. Its story, of course, comes from a source material. One can't blame the film's for this shortcoming, but the 'Cain and Able' retelling simply doesn't suffice for any grander thematic points. While it is notable to ponder identity, domestic love, and finding your place in the world, the film doesn't offer any clarity and cohesion to these notions and simply attempts a more personal journey through its central character. While the entire film is made magical through Kazan and Dean, its thematic point doesn't provide any sort of satisfaction.

"East of Eden" still manages to showcase the directional talents of Kazan, who gets to broaden his abilities with color filmmaking. And, it being the feature film debut of James Dean, whose talents and transformative performance established him as one of the greatest living actors. "East of Eden" will always be remembered as the film that started one the greatest and shortest careers in Hollywood.