Nicholas Ray

 Nicholas Ray



In a Lonely Place (1950)

Johnny Guitar (1954)

Rebel Without a Cause (1955)



RANKED:

3. Rebel Without a Cause (1955)


Although he would not live to see the premiere, 1955's "Rebel Without a Cause" would becomes the film synonymous with the iconic James Dean. Centering on a group of troubled teenagers, the film dissects the burning restlessness at the heart of 1950s youth culture. Through Dean's tortured protagonist, we find a boy desperately searching for love and acceptance. While it may lead to trouble and rebellion, this rebellion does not stem from anything in particular, as the title suggests. Post-war American provided the middle-class dream to many Americans and this comfort and safety bred restlessness and dissatisfaction. Love and acceptance are all that these kids are wanting, but for some reason, they can't seem to grab hold of it. "Rebel Without a Cause" was a timely film for 1950s America, and cemented itself into the echelons of Hollywood history and even Americana itself.



2. In a Lonely Place (1950)


Many consider the Nicholas Ray 1950 film "In a Lonely Place" to be one of the greatest film noirs of all time. The reason for this viewpoint is because the film has such a bleak outlook and ending. Humphrey Bogart plays a Hollywood screenwriter accused of murdering a young, innocent girl. One would think that our viewing audience would watch an innocent man try to exonerate himself from this horrible crime. He does attempt to, but the viewer (along with his girlfriend) wavers on whether or not he actually did it. After all, he is an aggressive, violent, and unlikeable character. In the end, whether or not he did do it because a moot point for us and his girlfriend. Regardless of the truth, he behavior condemns him nonetheless. On top of being an examination of post-war American sentiment, as well as a critique on the pitfalls and mores of Hollywood and celebrity, "In a Lonely Place" is full of characters unable to stop self-sabotaging, resigned to their tragic fates. In the end, nobody gets any satisfaction and nobody can seem to really grow or change. Talk about bleak.




1. Johnny Guitar (1954)


What's ironic about Nicholas Ray's 1954 western "Johnny Guitar" is that the titular character isn't the most compelling and central figure of the story. That distinction belongs to Joan Crawford's Vienna. While it's not that revelatory that Crawford would be the most intriguing presence in a film, it is somewhat out of the ordinary for a western's central conflict to revolve around two women. The women in question: Vienna, the entrepreneur behind a new saloon on the outskirts of a cattle town in Arizona, and Emma Small, a powerful local figure threatened by Vienna's ambitions. While the men of the story are locked in a battle of ego and bravado, the women's conflict reveals deeper themes of economic and political struggles that surged throughout the American Old West. Despite its pulpier appeal, "Johnny Guitar" serves a battleground for characters in constant conflict, driven by self-interest, vying to shape the future of American power.

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