Even though he only made three major films before his death, James Dean is an iconic figure in film history. Warner Brothers has a reward for Dean fans with the release of The Complete James Dean Collection.
The box set includes Dean’s three staring roles – Rebel Without A Cause, East of Eden, and Giant – in two-disc special editions come loaded with special features that any fan of classic Hollywood movie or Dean fan will love. In addition to the special features, each of the three films has been digitally remastered for a sharper image and better sound.
Rebel Without a Cause is probably the role Dean is most remembered for and is considered one of his best performances. The story takes a close look at the troubles of being a teenager and Dean captured the troubled character through a wide range of emotions – such as his nervous nature and volatile temper.
Rebel Without A Cause was a perfect look at the decade
Dean plays Jim Stark - the new kid in town whose home life leaves him feeling isolated and lonely. When he falls for Judy, played by Natalie Wood, Stark’s world is turned further upside down as he clashes with Wood’s boyfriend and other “hoods.”
The movie, which saw Oscar actor nominations for Wood and Sal Mineo and a director nomination for Nicholas Ray, is responsible for many of the images later generations would have of the decade. The film is filled with fast hot rod cars, juvenile delinquents, and the Rock n Roll music that defined the time.
Ray played on every troubled aspect of the time period through camera shots of the bad teens standing in front of their white picket fenced homes, and the desperations of each of the teen characters. Ray’s filming is one reason that the film, which was released a month after Dean died, was somewhat controversial when it was released.
Although the film is almost 50 years old, its close look at the mind and problems of teenage life keep it relevant to today’s teenager, and Dean’s performance shows why he has become the icon he is today.
The Rebel Without A Cause second disc comes with a new 50th anniversary Documentary, the vintage documentary James Dean Remembered, additional scenes (although they are without sound), screen test, wardrobe test, and Warner Bros. Presents TV Segments – including Dean’s drive safely commercial TV spot.
The 50th anniversary documentary Rebel Without A Cause: Defiant Innocents give a good historic look at the film and the impact it had on Hollywood filmmaking.
The documentary discusses how controversial the movie was and how it was banned in some cities because of the teenage violence – such as the switchblade knife fights – and the other delinquent type behavior – such as the drag racing.
Rebel Without A Cause's violence had it banned in some cities
The vintage James Dean Remembered is an interesting look at Dean’s life as told through different Hollywood stars of the time, such as Wood and Sammie Davis Jr., and through film clips of his movies. Although it is dated, the documentary is interesting to watch thanks to the different interviews of other Hollywood icons.
The screen test, wardrobe test and Warner Bros. TV Segments are fun to watch thanks to the difference in making movies then and now, but they don’t add much more to the two-disc set. The additional scenes give a look at some moments of Rebel Without A Cause that many people haven’t seen, but without sound they don’t really add to the movie.<!--page-->
East of Eden is on DVD for the first time
Based on the John Steinbeck novel, East of Eden, release for the first time on DVD, was the first staring role for Dean and saw the actor begin to develop his brooding character that shaped his short career.The movie follows a “Cain and Abel” plot as Dean’s character Cal fights his brother Aron for the affection of their father – played by Raymond Massey. The film, which was directed by Elia Kazan, earned four Oscar nominations - including one for Dean.
Although the film has a different style of plot from Rebel Without A Cause, Dean still delivers a solid performance of a young man who is tortured emotionally and wanting to desperately gain acceptance from his family. He also has to struggle with the dark secrets of his father, a very religious man, after discovering that his mother was a brothel owner.
Dean’s performance in East of Eden is solid, but the character does tend to get somewhat annoying towards the end of the film. It doesn’t ruin the movie, and Kazan’s use of odd and slanted camera angles give the movie a different feel from Rebel Without A Cause.
The two-disc special edition features another 50th Anniversary documentary look at the movie, second vintage documentary about the life of James Dean, additional scenes and screen test, wardrobe, costumes and production design test, and footage from the New York premiere of the film.
The 50th anniversary documentary East of Eden: Art in Search of Life discusses how East of Eden was one of Steinbeck’s best novels thanks to its look at family and the relationships between fathers and sons.
Steinbeck’s son talks about how the book and the movie is a cautionary tale about the family and the relationships that are formed. His son also discusses how the setting matched the story due to the way the failings of the characters mirrored the failings of the area where they grew up and lived.
The vintage documentary Forever James Dean follows the actor’s life, through archival footage, and how he grew to be an icon after only making three films. Through interviews with friends and other actors, the documentary looks at the how Dean was a complex person on and off the screen. This persona gave teens something to identify with and continues to draw them to the actor even though he had such a short career.
East of Eden is a Cain and Abel tale
The footage from the 1955 New York premiere footage is fun to watch thanks to its dated look and all the pageantry that was associated with the premieres back then.
Like the Rebel Without A Cause disc, the look at the screen and design tests is interesting when compared to today’s movies, but they don’t add too much more to the DVD. The deleted scenes have sound this time, and give a better look at the Dean’s character. They also don’t add much to the overall film, but are interesting to watch.<!--page-->
The star powered Giant, which is my favorite of the three films, was Dean’s last movie and featured Hollywood legends like Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson.
Set in Texas, Giant’s plot follows Dean’s character Jett Rink, a ranch hand whose poor background is a contrast to the Hudson’s ranch owner Bick Benedict. The movie follows the two characters as the times and arrival of Hudson’s new liberal wife changes their world.
Giant has a cast of Hollywood legends
After being fired from the ranch, Dean’s character goes on to strike oil and become a millionaire playboy. He also doesn’t find happiness or acceptance with his new money, and the character illustrates Dean’s own turmoil in his personal life.
Although Dean is not the main star of Giant, he does an excellent job with his character and holds his own against the other screen legends. The film is mostly remembered for being Dean’s last movie, but did go on to receive Oscar nominations and won best director for George Stevens.
This two-disc comes loaded with special features including Memories of Giant, Return to Giant, the New York and Hollywood premiere telecast, Giant Stars are off to Texas, stills and documents, behind the scenes look at the movie, trailers and a Stevens filmography.
Memories of Giant and Return to Giant features interviews with the movie’s stars, including Rock Hudson, where they discuss working with Stevens, the casting, and Dean’s death.
Giant is best known as Dean's last film
Like East of Eden, the New York and Hollywood premiere footage gives us a look at the glitz and glamour of the movie premieres in the ‘50’s, and a fun look at Hollywood in its best days.
Overall, The Complete James Dean Collection is a must have for any fan of Dean or any fan of classic movies. The actor’s presence on screen and natural ability are what made him into an icon in Hollywood and are the reason he is still a favorite among film critics today. Each of the two-disc releases are brilliantly remastered and the set is truly worth the price. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to see three films that show Hollywood at its best.
The Complete James Dean Collection is available at Amazon and available at AmazonUK .
All three films are also available individually in the two-disc edition versions.
You can read more about the DVDs in our database .
Your Talkback on this Story