East of Eden
1955
***½
Director: Elia Kazan
Cast: James Dean, Julie Harris, Raymond Massey, Richard Davalos, Burl Ives, Jo Van Fleet, Albert Dekker, Lois Smith, Harold Gordon, Nick Dennis, Rose Plumer, Timothy Carey, Lonny Chapman
During the First World War, in California's Salinas Valley, a troubled young man is desperate for the love and approval of his strict father, who he believes favours his more obedient twin brother. Elia Kazan's family drama is based on the latter part of John Steinbeck's 1952 novel, which reinterprets the biblical story of Cain and Abel. This is the first of James Dean's three major screen performances, and his character is definitely bubbling with angst and frustration. The film around him is gripping but at times overly dramatic. The Technicolor images look fabulous, and Jo Van Fleet, who plays the boys' estranged mother, won an Academy Award.
