Higher English

Task One: Prior Knowledge

Before studying a text it’s worth thinking a little about what we already know (or can find out) about the text.

Note down what you already know and find out about the following things:

1. The film: Rebel Without A Cause. Think particularly about the title of the film and the expectations you have as an audience about what you think you’re going to see.

2. The Work of the director, Nicholas Ray.3. The work of the lead, James Dean.4. The society and concerns of 1950’s America.

Task Two: Summarising

The next step is to watch the film, making our notes on the main events and creating a summary. This is going to help you in contextualising quotations in your critical essay and also in making sure that you are able to demonstrate an understanding of what happens in the text as a whole.

With your partner identify the main events of the plot and write these in your jotter as bullet points. Remember every point should be brief, but that your list should be as full as possible so you can use it as an effective study aid.

Join with another set of partners and within this newly formed group discuss and decide upon the most important points. Try to limit this list.

If you have any statements you now feel are less important then put a cross next to them.

Number your points in chronological order.

Turn your statements into a paragraph summarising the story.

Task Three: Visualisation

Choose the kind of visualiser that best suits your type of study. Create one to explore the important things we learn about each of the following. Pay particular attention to what you learn about characters involved in key scenes.

Jim Stark (James Dean) Frank Stark (Frank Backus, Jim’s father) Judy (Natalie Wood) John ‘Plato’ Crawford (Sal Mineo)

The Key ScenesOpening sequence Breakfast Let’s make a list

You want to kill your father Playing House The ending

Task Four: Scene Analysis

In analysing scenes there are a number of things that are worth bearing in mind.

1. Use of Camera (Framing, Movement and Angle).2. Use of Sound (Diegetic and Non-Diegetic).3. Use of important props and aspects of set.

4. Lighting.5. Use of dialogue.

You are going to analyse the meaning and importance of three scenes, but don’t feel limited to this if you want to look at others in more detail.

Task Five: Inference

I recommend taking a double page in your jotter to complete the inference table.

Evidence (quotation) Context Techniques Analysis Evaluation

Jim Stark: If he had guts to knock Mom cold once, then maybe she'd be happy and then she'd stop picking on him. Because they make mush out of him! Just mush!

Jim Stark: You're tearing me apart!

Jim Stark: If I had one day when I didn't

have to be all confused and I didn't have

to feel that I was ashamed of everything.

If I felt that I belonged someplace. You

know?

Jim Stark: Dad, stand up for me.

[Mr. Stark still sits quietly, he grabs his

father and yanks him up]

Jim Stark: Stand up!

Judy: I love somebody. All the time I've

been... I've been looking for someone to

love me. And now I love somebody. And

it's so easy. Why is it easy now?

Jim Stark: I don't know; it is for me, too.

Judy: I love you, Jim. I really mean it.

Jim Stark: Well, I'm glad.

Jim Stark: [sitting down, hugging his

father's legs helplessly] Help me!

Frank Stark: Look, Jim. You can depend on

me. Trust me. Whatever comes, we'll,

we'll fix it together. I swear it. Now Jim,

stand up. I'll stand up with you. I'll try and

be as strong as you want me to be. Come

on.

Jim Stark: Mom. Dad. This is Judy. She's

my friend.

Mrs. Carol Stark: He's...

[Frank speaks, overlapping so their words

become unintelligible]

Judy: I go with the kids.

Jim Stark: I woke up this morning, you know... and the sun was shining, and it was nice, and all that type of stuff. And the first thing, I saw you, and, uh, I said, "Boy, this is gonna be one terrific day, so you better live it up, because tomorrow you'll be nothing." You see? And I almost was.

Buzz Gunderson: You know something? I

like you.

Jim Stark: Why do we do this?

Buzz Gunderson: You've gotta do

something. Don't you?

Jim Stark: Is this where you live?

Judy: Who lives?

Jim Stark: Nobody talks to children.

Judy: No, they just tell them.

Plato: Nobody can help me.

The scientist: The universe will be little

moved by our demise. We will disappear,

destroyed as we began in a burst of gas

and fire. In all the immensity of the galaxy

and beyond the earth will not be missed.

The problems of man seem trivial and

naive indeed, and man, existing alone,

seems himself a thing of little

consequence.

Plato: What does he know about man

alone?

Jim Stark: I'll bet you'd go to a hanging.

Plato: I guess it's just my morbid

personality.

Plato: If only you coulda been my dad. We

could have breakfast in the morning.

Jim Stark: Now, would you like to rent or

are you more in the mood to buy, dear?

Judy: You decide, darling. Remember, our

budget.

Plato: Oh, don't give it a second thought,

it's, uh, only 3 million dollars a month.

Jim Stark: What?

Judy: Oh, we can afford it. I'll scrimp and

I'll save and I'll work my fingers to the

bone. You see, we're newlyweds... oh,

there's just one more thing... what

about...

Plato: Children?

Judy: Yes.

Plato: Right this way, mind you, though,

we don't encourage them. They're such a

bother.

Judy: Oh I quite agree, I just can't stand it

when they cry. What do you do with them

when they cry?

Jim Stark: [Magoo voice] Drown 'em like

puppies, ha!

Jim, father-like: "He needs me."

Judy, mother-like: "He needs you, but so

do I, Jim."

Task 6: Main Ideas

There are a number of themes explored through the film:

Changing gender roles. The lack of place for teenagers in society. Coming of age.

For each of these themes you need to consider:

1. What happens in the film that relates to that theme?2. What does the author appear to be trying to say about the issue by showing these things?3. What do you think about what the author puts across?

https://gemmarmur.wordpress.com/2007/10/22/rebel-without-a-cause-rays-clever-use-of-mise-en-scene/Rebel Without A Cause, Ray’s clever use of mise en scene!!

October 22, 2007

During the Hollywood era, studios had more control over the artistic direction of a film than any other period in America’s filmmaking history. As a result, mise en scène played an important role for the director as for some, it was the only way they could convey there authorship, “The concept of mise en scène was developed by those theorists interested in issues of authorship, or the role of the participants, and particularly by directors in constructing the meaning of film.” Mise en scène can be seen as a collective term for those aspects of filming that help to construct the meanings of the narrative, outside of the dialogue, “Mise en scène fills out the meaning of otherwise neutral spaces in the interests of the audience’s wider dramatic involvement” Devices such as the sets and props, camera movements, costume and make-up, acting and a film’s lighting can be styled by the director and interpreted by the audience to evoke several layers of narrative meaning. Rebel Without a Cause filmed in 1955 is cleverly shot by Ray and is an example of a family melodrama where it’s meaning is heightened by aspects of mise en scène. In this film, mise en scène is as crucial to meaning as narrative form.

The first filmic device that I shall highlight is that of setting and props. Sets and props that are chosen for film are chosen for a reason. However, it is not just the set and the props themselves that play an intrinsic role to interpreting meaning, it is also important to note how they are filmed. Therefore, I will also discuss camera shots and movements. The importance of props are conveyed immediately in this film. The opening shot focuses on a drunk Jim Stark, (played by James Dean) as he crawls along an open street. He comes upon a small toy monkey lying in the street and proceeds to play with it. This action is child-like and echoes what James Dean’s character represents, that of misguided youth and lost innocence. Dean then lays the monkey down and wraps it in newspaper, placing a smaller teddy bear beside it, as if he is putting it to sleep. Again, several layers of meaning are evoked here. As the film continues, we are made aware of Jim’s problems stemming from his parents and their altered power relations. Putting the monkey to sleep is motherly, and the anguish on Deans face parallels the anguish he feels towards his own parents. Straight away one can see the effect of props on narrative meaning here. Even though James Dean does not explain his actions through dialogue, we, as observers interpret his silent actions with these particular props ourselves.

Sets too, are important in this film. A lot of the sets used by Ray have many barriers, such as staircases and doors in them. Doors themselves become an inherent prop in the film, due to their role as dividing the generational gap that is felt by all of the characters. In the police station at the beginning of the film, Jim’s father draws attention to this fact and says to Jim “Do you always have to slam the door in my face?”. Later, in the scene, Jim stands behind a door and looks through a peephole at his squabbling parents and grandmother. Therefore, one can say it is not only the audience and director who translate aspects of mise en scène, but in this film, the characters are also aware of the settings affect, “…characters are as aware as the audience of the thematic significance of spatial arenas, and of the crucial importance of transitional places such as doors and staircases.”

As stated above, it is not just the sets and the props acting individually as crucial elements to meaning, but also how they are shot. One scene in the film, not only highlights the affect of mise en scène in conveying meaning, but particularly emphasizes the story-telling ability of camera movement. “The camera’s shifting gaze lets us examine different perspectives within the frame, allowing us not only to explore space, but also to understand its meanings through identifications of and with characters.” When Jim returns to the house from the bluff, the confrontation with his parents is set in the front hallway of their house. The confrontation begins with a swirling shot of Jim’s mother, as viewed by him as he lies upside down on the couch. One can see here that a word of dialogue has not been spoken by the actors and yet a sense of unease is already being conveyed through camera movement. As the heated discussion with his parents continues, the actors position themselves on the stairs. Jim stands on the stairs in between his parents. The resulting camera shots convey layers of meaning about the power relations in the Stark household. Jim’s father is positioned at the bottom of the staircase, in between Jim and the door. This position in the frame equates his position in the hierarchy of the household, where he is torn between his wife and the expectations of his son, therefore fuelling his son’s rebellion. Jim’s mother is positioned above the men, showing that she believes she has the power in the household. However, Jim’s confrontational stance in between his parents is set up by the camera to challenge this. The camera then tilts. This not only places Jim at the same height as his parents, (and therefore of equal importance) but also conveys a feeling of unease, confusion and tension. “…it [the shot] can also be tilted to one side. Such a shot is read as an indication of instability, either that of the characters or of the situation that the shot is recording.” It is evident in this pivotal scene that mise en scène is inherent in expressing meaning, along with narrative form.

Another substantial facet of mise en scène that has a most dramatic affect on translating narrative meaning is that of acting. One can argue that acting has an innate association with narrative form alone, and that it “…sought to fulfil the requirements of the plot with a minimum of psychological embellishment…” However, James Dean epitomises a school of acting that brought attention to different layers of meaning than just the words he had to speak. James Dean was a Method actor. From that first scene, as he crawls along the ground, to his anguished face and writhing hands as he screams “You’re tearing me apart!”, it is clear to see that his concentration on physicality or body movement and the psychological profile of his character belongs to the teachings of Method acting. You are aware of this different style of acting from the beginning of the film. Dean doesn’t have to speak a word and yet, as a participant, you are all too aware of the energy he is using to portray Jim Stark, “Method acting is in one sense highly visible: we are often intensely aware of the effort involved in the creation of a Method performance.” Just as this film portrays a group of post-war teenagers struggling with issues of self-analysis, Method acting also became more popular in this post-war period, a coincidence not lost on Dean, “…its [Method acting] ascendancy in the post war decade had much to do with appropriateness of its performance style to both the dramas and the cultural concerns of the time.” At this time society had entered into a limbo, people were not sure what to do with themselves, just like the teenagers in the film. Therefore, just by using the Method style of acting, Dean brings numerous meanings to the forefront that surpass that of the narrative form.

Lighting, too, has a role to play in this film. In most of the scenes in this film, (as with most Hollywood films) the sources of light can be seen within the frame, “Lighting effects usually appear to be ‘motivated’, in that they come from sources such as table lamps that are in shot.” However, light is not merely used to show the audience what is going on, but can also highlight (or hide) specific characteristics, areas, and also, as a result, meanings outside of the

narrative form. Jim and Judy’s love story is an example of a plot which is heightened by lighting techniques. Individually, Dean is almost always lit from below, creating shadows on his face and above him, emphasising the confusion that he feels. In contrast, Natalie Wood is lit from above, in order to capture her beauty and teary eyes as she struggles with the relationship with her father. Therefore, if one looks at lighting they are opposites, until they are both lit by candles in the mansion. As they are lying down, just before they kiss, Wood’s face is half covered by Dean’s face and the resulting affect is that of them completing one full face, implying they are now united. Other examples of lighting in the film, can be found in the scene at the bluff. Before the cars race, Judy wishes both Buzz and Jim good luck. As she kisses Buzz, the shot switches to Jim’s reaction, he is sitting in almost complete darkness inside his car. One can see that he is jealous and that the darkness echoes the turmoil in his mind. Then Judy stands in front of them to start the race. This scene is set at night, so Ray cleverly sources the lighting to the cars of the gathering teens, who line up at the sides of the bluff, creating a make-shift runway. As Judy stands in the centre waiting to give the signal to the love rivals, she is fully lit by the headlamps of the cars. This highlights not only Judy as the referee, but also as the prize that will be ‘won’ by the winner, or in this case survivor. Therefore, again one can derive meaning from lighting outside of the words spoken or the actions portrayed. The way that some scenes are lit, alone, can be translated into the story of the film.

Finally, costume and make-up too, plays a small role but is still as crucial to meaning as narrative form. Take for example, the friendship between Jim and Plato (Sam Mineo). When Jim first meets Plato in the police station he offers him his jacket. Plato does not accept the offer, but the next morning in school he wears a skinny black tie and jacket, mimicking the same outfit Jim had on the night before. This shows Plato’s immediate obsession with Jim, his admiration and his allegiance with Jim as a friend. Plato wants to be just like Jim, and when he is offered Jim’s (now famous) red jacket at the end of the film, he accepts. It cloaks him in the rebellion portrayed by Dean and makes him feel more comfortable when faced with going outside to the police. He now has a piece of the person he adores. One can see the connection here between the relationship of Jim and Plato and costume. Plato’s seemingly immediate fixation on Jim is paralleled by his duplicating the outfits worn by the object of his affections.

Ray was able to stamp this film with his own artistic authority through his clever use of filmic devices such as sets, props, camera movement, lighting and costume, together with Dean’s Method acting. “The quality of a director’s work could be read through his/her style, his/her control over the mise en scène.” The story, or narrative form, acts as a basis upon which other levels of meaning are established, “The story is the part of the movie that holds its component parts together, sequences them, and provides an explanation or justification for that sequencing.” If it was not for mise en scène and the affect that it has upon the audience viewing this film, then this film would just have been a typical ‘family melodrama’, instead it is now an eternal classic, which is easily recognisable, either by the face of the tragic James Dean, the line “You’re tearing me apart!” or that famous red jacket.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Primary sources

Maltby, Richard, ed., Hollywood Cinema (Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2003).

Nelmes, Jill, ed., An Introduction to Film Studies (London and New York: Routledge, 2003).

Secondary sources

Benedetti, Jean, Stanislavski: An Introduction (London: Methuen Drama, 1989.)

Mise-en-Scène in Rebel Without a Cause (1955)October 18, 2013 · by Samantha Bell · in Analysis ·https://frombehindthefourthwall.wordpress.com/2013/10/18/mise-en-scene-in-rebel-without-a-cause-1955/

In his well-loved and esteemed film, Rebel Without A Cause (1955) starring famed James Dean, director Nicholas Ray uses his extensive knowledge and intellect to manipulate and use the elements of mise-en-scène as well as sound to execute and explain both the plot and the larger narrative meanings of the film to the audience. All of the elements’ placements and their effects are evidently premeditated in an impressive display of intelligent filming and wonderful artistry.

The setting of this scene, the Griffith Park Observatory, though beautiful on its own in landscape and architecture, is fundamental to the scene; to the concluding scenes of the film; and also to the film’s overarching meaning, as it touches upon the key issues of social conformity – not ‘fitting in’ – and further to the expansive universe we inhabit – that we are quite small in the ‘grand scheme of things’. It does this because of its literal focus on outer space in the Planetarium, and how physically, it looks to the audience that they are gazing into the endless night sky, though they are actually within a room. The outside of the Observatory accomplishes a similar result, as it’s situated upon a hill with all around open and the sky is plentiful within each shot, thus emphasising the feeling of insignificance we are already party to. And, further perpetuating this feeling is the Planetarium with no

projection on the domed screen, after the lecture, as it looks like a dawn approached sky, with the lights illuminating the outer edges of the dome like the sun would the tree line. The Planetarium accentuates one of Jim’s significant concerns and realisations – that “man existing alone seems himself an episode of little consequence.” Our triviality is important to Jim as well as Plato, as neither have ever fit in socially and have always been removed from the other kids, who we assume have not acknowledged them, which once again underlines the boys’ marking as pariahs. Another moment within the Planetarium that underlines Jim and Plato’s outsider status and insignificance to the other kids, as is it is these two who are most affected by the lecture and the explosion as the lecturer ominously explains that “we will disappear into the blackness of the space from which we came…”

The lighting is very simplistic and unobtrusive in this scene, looking as if it is mostly natural light throughout the entire sequence, perhaps stressing the film’s connection to outer space, though its role is not obvious. The sound however plays a much bigger role, as the separate dialogues are drawn attention to during the lecture, through cutting between them, so that we change our focus from the kids’ conversations to the poignant words of the professor accordingly. The professor’s words especially are of high importance to the greater meaning of the film, also giving a depth to Jim, when recognized. He draws our attention to the worries of Jim, and to a piece of information that has a very deep importance to the film’s intended meaning. He says, after the screen shows a whirling, coloured, smoky explosion that signifies the destroying of Earth, “through the infinite reaches of space the problems of man seem trivial and naive indeed. And man existing alone seems himself and episode of little consequence.”  At the end of this fragment of the sequence, the camera is trained on Jim’s face, which shows his disdain towards this knowledge, and perhaps the realisation of what he may have already known – that our problems and we – people – are very minute indeed.

Jim’s overlying inconsequentiality, to most others, is further pointed out to us by his tardy arrival to the Planetarium excursion. Him running late and coming alone shows how he is always a step behind others socially, and that he is a lone rider, saying “I don’t want to make friends” to Plato. Him saying this is not just a defiant denial of his rejection from the “wheels”, but also the truth, as he’s not looking for friends, he’s looking for family. His fatherly love is shown at the end of the excursion when he waits for Plato, getting him to come out from hiding. He says to Plato “it’s all over, the world ended”, to which Plato replies, “What does he know about ‘man alone’” and stands up awkwardly close to Jim’s face, with an expression of awe. Plato’s words, by extension, refer to their social estrangement. Plato standing up unusually close to Jim emphasises Plato being in awe of his ‘fatherliness’, and could also alert us to the undertone of homosexual attraction to Jim. This undertone could also be seen when he is at the mansion with Jim and Judy, and when he runs to warn Jim of the “wheels” chasing of him. Also interesting is the seating of the characters inside the Planetarium, with Judy and Buzz seated at the front, and Jim and Plato seated behind them. This could indicate the social hierarchy, though usually the ‘cool’ kids sit at the back of theatres, so it could be a play – uncovering the truth of who is really the ‘coolest’ or most significant to the world.

In this film, Ray has posed many questions and put forth many concerns about existence and the importance of family, to both the characters and the viewers. Manipulating the elements of setting, costume and make-up, lighting, staging and performance, and sound, he creates poignant moments and scenes that relate not only to the plot itself, but also to the films greater intentions. Teaching us of the importance of family and good parenting, Ray uses this film and a cast of great actors to send his message.

BibliographyRay, N. (Director). (1955). Rebel Without A Cause [Motion Picture].

Rebel Without a Cause:

The symbolism of the red jacket.

https://eng3122.wordpress.com/group-2-main/identity/rebel-without-a-cause/

Victoria Johnson, Museum of Film History

As in life, teenager Jim Stark’s wardrobe is as definitive in defining his personality as his words are. Stark’s fashion transforms throughout the film to express his emotions. The audience first encounters Jim Stark at the local police station, where he was brought in for drunk and disorderly behavior, as he sits waiting for his parents to retrieve him. In this scene, Stark is wearing suit bottoms and an undershirt with a loosened tie, implying that he left his house in a full suit. This implication, in turn, signifies the influence his parents have had on him in the time frame before viewers have become voyeurs. He loosens the tie and cries about how upset he is with his inept parents, physically shedding their influence while simultaneously attempting to mentally shed it.

At this point, it is important to address how crucial the relationship between the setting of the scene and the costuming is. The costuming alone does not suffice; it is relative until the setting of the particular shot provides context. In this first scene, Jim is shown sitting in the corner of the interrogation room. Similarly, Judy sits in a corner of the detective’s office, also wearing red. The placing of the actors is linked to the costumes they wear, and the color red specifically, which is immediately established as the primary color of the film. Red represents different things for different characters. In Jim’s case, it will come to represent rebellion; in Judy’s case, anger; in Plato’s case, peace. Although each character wears the emblematic red at some point, it is displayed by the three in three different phases in the film: Judy wears it in the beginning, Jim in the middle, and Plato at the end. This progression adds a dimension of unity to the characters, something they lack when the film begins.

In the next scene, Stark loses the tie altogether, as he leaves for his first day at a new school. Losing his tie is the next logical step for Stark, who wishes to present to his peers the vision he has of his own personality. This is also the first scene in which he says (under his breath) he loves Judy, and in which he meets the Kids. This confession coincides with his fashion evolution, which is in an ambiguous, in-the-middle phase. Stark has not yet decided who to

be or whose side to be on. Hence, he has not decided if he should wear a respectable suit or ditch it for some jeans. This battle of style is not concentrated solely on fashion, either. It is also a battle of tradition versus eccentricity. Where does Stark fit in? Should he strive to join the Kids, or should he oppose them? This stage of his fashion provides the audience with an ambiguous answer to these questions, because Jim himself is still undecided.

After a knife fight with the main Kid, Jim arrives for his confrontational car race wearing the striking red jacket for the first time. Taken in this context, the red jacket represents who Jim wants to be; to be accepted by and into the popular circle. Jim is using this jacket to give himself a cool aura. However, Jim’s ambition encounters a setback when the race ends in the death of a Kid, and he subsequently returns home. Ironically, this tragedy—and perhaps the jacket itself–gives Jim the confidence to finally confront his useless parents. Here, the jacket’s collar is turned up on one side and down on the other. The contradictory poses emphasize Jim’s dual identities up to this point in the film. Turned up, the collar represents defiance; turned down, it signifies vulnerability.

The setting of this scene plays as important a role in developing Jim’s identity as his jacket does. This screen shot (insert) provides the best photographic supplement to Jim’s identity issues—the internal struggle he faces as a result of a cowardly father, shown sitting on the couch, the closest one of the three to the floor; an overbearing mother, standing above Jim and his father on the stairs; in between, at the foot of the stairs, stands Jim. This portrait of family structure is repeated in this capture of Jim with Judy and Plato in a scene where they play house. With his jacket more fully zipped than it has been before, Jim becomes the father, Judy the mother and Plato the son.

The progression of Jim’s self-confidence manifests itself in the film’s pivotal scene, in which Jim and Judy attempt to rescue Plato from himself at the planetarium. As seen in this video clip, as soon as Jim sees Plato shivering, he offers him the jacket in an attempt to get Plato to give up his gun. Subsequently, Plato asks if he can keep it, voicing the audience’s thoughts of the symbol of ‘cool’ the jacket is. This simple gesture has two layers of symbolism. Firstly, Jim is offering Plato the object that gave Jim the acceptance he is now showing his troubled friend. Secondly, and perhaps most significantly, Jim sheds the jacket that led him to self-discovery. He doesn’t need it anymore; maybe he never did.

The influence Jim embodies through his image is not lost on the audience. This role, apart from giving audiences a character who echoes their own lives, also gave popular culture its seminal icon in James Dean the actor. According to Stephen Tropiano, author of Rebels and Chicks: A History of the Hollywood Teen Movie, Ray’s film was not only one of the first films to portray “troubled” American teens, but it was also the film that solidified Dean’s status. It is because of the film’s image of Jim Stark that Dean, “the young man in the blood-red jacket, white T-shirt, and blue jeans” will endure in our minds. In other words, it is not only James Dean’s face that we remember, but his persona, his image—the one created by his costuming to track his progression from teen to adult (Tropiano 53).

In the film’s final scene, Jim, his parents, Judy, and Plato’s caregiver stand over Plato’s lifeless body, still wearing Jim’s iconic red jacket. This is the first scene in which Jim introduces his parents to friends of his, and the audience is left wondering whether this may, in fact, be the first time in his life he has done so. As such, this would be the moment in which Jim’s angst-ridden adolescent years have finally come to an end metaphorically, if not literally. Jim’s father articulates this observation as he comforts his son by calling him a man for the first time, saying “You did everything a man could.” Therefore, Jim’s jacket acts not only as his shield, but also as his gateway into adulthood.