While the film is certainly fantastic, probably its greatest claim to fame is that it was James Dean's first film. It is rare, today, that we see a novice young actor (remember Dean was only 22 when this movie was made) secure a leading role in a high profile drama - as this was - and then nail it so well that critics everywhere fell under his spell. Prior to this film, Dean had only made a handful of commericials, television appearances, and one or two worthwhile theatrical roles.

In an era when "screenplay" meant acting for the screen and playing it for the last row, Dean, Clift, and (personally, regrettably) Brando, were the only actors out there playing for reality.

Dean's Cal is a tortured youth, who has never won his strict father's (the formidable Raymond Massey) acceptance and desperately seeks to do so. His brother, Aaron (played by Dick Davalos), is obviously favored by the father and this further salts the wounds that Cal carries. Julie Harris plays Aaron's fiance as a fawning and often obsequious girl, which can be a bit more than off putting at times.

Joan Van Fleet portrays Cal and Aaron's "dead" mother. Rather than suffer the embarrassment of admitting his failures as a husband, father, and man, the boys' father tells them and everyone else that their mother long ago died. In truth she has been running a bordello in the next town.

Through a series of machinations, Cal meets his mother, and asks for her assistance in winning over his father. The plot fails miserably for Cal, setting off a chain of events from which no one can return.

Dean's performance - the only one to be seen while he was alive - registered off the Richter scale with the youth of the 1950's. Never before had they seen someone their age portray someone their age in such a believable manner. He became an instant star.

As is typical, Hollywood has attempted to remake this film several times, and did so failingly. While the acting often can seem over the top, no one has ever been able to capture the lightning in a bottle that Kazan did with his amazing cast in this truly classic film.


DEEP & HAUNTING.   August 26, 2002
17 out of 18 found this review helpful

I first watched this movie on television when I was about 16, because I wondered what all the fuss was about James Dean. I soon found out: he was so unbelievably natural in his acting technique that the audience is captivated by his brilliance. This was Dean's film debut and he burst like a thunderclap in the public's ears, not to mention staid Hollywood, which came to both fear and admire the handsome, rebellious youth. In this haunting John Steinbeck tale, Dean is the neurotic half of twin sons belonging to Bible - reading lettuce farmer Raymond Massey, whose vast acreage stretches through the rich Salinas Valley in California. Aron (Davalos, in another powerful debut) is the well-adjusted upstanding son whose normal relationship with his girlfriend and his diligent pursuit of continuing his father's legacy is admired by the patriarch. Cal is very different from his brother and the troublesome youth mistakenly believes his father doesn't love him. A haunting scene has Dean introduce Davalos to their supposedly dead mother. The boys were brain-washed by their father into believing their mother Kate was some sort of angel: the truthful realisation that she's a financially successful Madam who operates a whorehouse in Monterey causes Davalos to become deeply traumatised. Many people will feel empathy for BOTH brothers during this powerful scene: it shows us that Cal is, if anything, REAL while his brother is somewhat sheltered and idealistic in comparison. The performances are all splendidly colourful and absorbing: Dean is unforgettable as Cal - for whom the audience feels empathy - Julie Harris is fine as Abra (she succumbs to Cal's raw sexuality) and Jo Van Fleet is excellent as the tough yet essentially tender-hearted tubercular Kate who likes her boy Cal because he "has sense" as she believes she does. Raymond Massey is fine as the puritanical father, Adam. Burl Ives is memorable as Sam: he quotes the Biblical passage which includes the picture's title. Some critical snobs say that the film was over-directed by Kazan but it made Dean an over-night sensation who acted with a unique naturalistic style and died a legend at the tender age of 24.


Thank you   February 4, 2004
Robert Morris (Dallas, Texas)
38 out of 45 found this review helpful


Note: The review that follows was written more than two years ago. Fortunately, this superb film is now available in a DVD format. Thank you to those resposible for an overdue but nonethrless most appreciated provision. That said, as for the review itsdelf, I still have the same opinions it expresses.

It has been (hard to believe) 52 years since this film first appeared, in the same year during which Rebel Without a Cause was also released. Both feature James Dean. I have often wondered to what extent his unique and abundant talents as an actor would have developed, had he not perished in a car accident immediately after the filming of Giant had been completed. Of course, we will never know. His was a compelling presence in each of only three films and especially so in East of Eden in the role of Cal Trask.

The basic story is derived from the Biblical account of Cain and Abel. Adam Trask (Raymond Massey) has two sons, both of whom he presumably loves. However, he favors Aron (Dick Davalos) because he (unlike Cal) never says or does anything to irritate him. Aron is "the good son," complete with a girlfriend Abra (Julie Harris) whom his father obviously adores. Of course, Cal feels resentment toward both his father and brother. He desperately wants his father's love. (Later in the film, he even tries to buy it with profits he earns from investments enriched by World War One.) Under Elia Kazan's brilliant direction, tensions build relentlessly to what seems certain to be a tragic conclusion. Feeling rejected by his father, Cal seeks out his mother who left her husband and sons years ago. Kate Trask (Jo Van Fleet) now owns and manages a brothel in another town nearby and has become wealthy. Cal climbs aboard a freight train so that he can visit her frequently. Over time, they develop mutual respect and affection. Finally the climatic moment occurs and then....

The acting throughout the cast (with one exception) is outstanding. Van Fleet received an Academy Award for best actress in a supporting role and Dean was also nominated for the award as best actor in a leading role. Burl Ives and Albert Dekker are noteworthy in their supporting roles. However, Julie Harris (age 30 at that time) seems to me miscast as the teenage Abra. As for Massey, he does the best he can with the role of Adam Trask, recycling elements of his earlier portrayal of John Brown in Sante Fe Trail. Most of Steinbeck's fiction is set in the Monterey area, as is East of Eden. Kazan and his cinematographer, Ted D. McCord, took full advantage of that uncommonly lovely area when shooting various exteriors.

I welcome the DVD version of East of Eden.


James Dean in his first feature film!   September 21, 2005
Ivy Lin (NY NY)
12 out of 12 found this review helpful

I'll start first by mentioning the wonderful extras on the second disc of this two-disc edition of "East of Eden." For one, there's several outtakes of the same scene -- Cal (James Dean) and Abra (Julie Harris) preparing for Cal's father's (Raymond Massey) birthday party. Each scene differs just a little in nuance and expression. You can see Dean's famous penchant for improvising lines and also stealing scenes. There's also two outtakes of a deleted scene between Cal and his brother Aron (Richard Davalos). I wonder why this scene was deleted because it IMO adds a lot to the story -- for one it humanizes Aron and deepens the relationship between the brothers. There's also a screen test that is the same scene between the brothers. The outtakes are much more sensitive and nuanced than the rather rough screen test. John Steinbeck's children narrate a documentary about Steinbeck's novel "East of Eden" and its relationship with the film. The children explain many of the plot points that are not quite explained in the film, while Julie Harris and others reminisce about the filming. To top it off there's a documentary about James Dean. A college roommate reminisces about Jimmy, as do Julie Harris and a cameraman, and there's some footage of his early acting stints in commercials and TV. His friends vigorously refute the rumor that Dean was gay. Although it's extremely complimentary, it's not a hagiography, but a much better documentary than most. There's also wardrobe tests (which are fun to watch) and footage of the NYC premiere of the movie.
As for the film, I think it holds up remarkably well despite some heavyhanded Biblical symbolism. It's not very faithful to Steinbeck's novel, but works very well as a family drama. The story is simple: Cal, the "bad boy" (James Dean) and Aron, the "good son" (Davalos) vie for their father's (Raymond Massey) affection, as well as for Aron's girlfriend, Abra (Julie Harris). The movie is very well-cast, with wonderful performances from James Dean, Julie Harris, Raymond Massey (the father), Jo van Fleet (Cal and Aron's mother). I particularly like Julie Harris's Abra. At 30, she was too old to play the teenaged Abra, but she's so radiant you forget about the obvious age difference between her and the brothers. Harris also is wonderful at suggesting the passion beneath her wholesome exterior -- for instance, the way she flirts with Cal by rubbing a dandelion on his nose, even though she's supposed to be Aron's girl. Davalos as the good-boy Aron is also excellent -- we watch his character slowly meltdown, scene after scene, as he realizes that Abra has fallen in love with Cal.
In the documentaries we find out that James Dean and Raymond Massey did not get along offscreen, and this tension between the actors is palpable onscreen. Dean loved to improvise lines (this can be seen in the outtakes and deleted scenes), whereas Massey was rather rigid about sticking to the script. Elia Kazan worked to provoke the natural antagonism between the two actors. In the famous scene where Massey rejects Dean's birthday present, the script called for Dean to walk out of the room. Instead, Dean has a tearful meltdown. Massey acts shocked and uncomfortable. This was the take Kazan used.
The story has the patented Kazan sensitivity, and used techniques that are commonplace today: long takes that accumulate tension, a naturalistic style of dialogue and action that relies on body language and minute changes in facial expression. For instance, in the famous Ferris Wheel scene Abra talks about how much she loves Aron, but you notice her leaning closer and closer towards Cal, until finally they kiss. In other ways, Kazan's methods seem dated today. He is fond of using bombastic, unsubtle music during "dramatic" moments. His background in Broadway made him a weak on the cutting room floor -- compare his films to the snappy, elegant editting of Frank Capra or Francois Truffaut and you'll see that Kazan's takes often go on a touch too long.
And of course this was James Dean's first feature. I disagree with those who downgrade his acting as poor-man's "Method." I agree that James Dean wasn't a "Method" actor the way Marlon Brando was. There is always something more stylized and choreographed about Dean's acting. This makes his acting seem a little more overwrought today. Yet, there's his undeniable charisma and quiet sensitivity. Compare his performance to the matinee idols of today, like the excruciating Ben Affleck, and you'll be a lot more grateful for Dean's sensitivity and style.
I know this review rambles, but there's just so much to write about. This film is noteworthy not only for the storyline and direction and acting, but to witness the beginning of a legend. Highly recommended.


James Dean in His Most Sensuous and Powerful Role   June 23, 2001
Antoinette Klein (Hoover, Alabama USA)
34 out of 41 found this review helpful

I knew James Dean was a tremendous actor when I saw him in "Rebel Without A Cause" and "Giant," but the depth of his abilities is most obviously showcased in the classic "East of Eden." This film is a modern retelling of the Biblical tale of Cain and Abel. Two brothers, one good and one bad, vie for the love of their father. Dean portrays Cal Trask, the rebellious loner sternly rejected by the father who adores Cal's twin, the clean-cut model son Aron. The age-old story of sibling rivalry achieves new dimension through the brilliant direction of Elia Kazan who intended the "evil" brother to the more appealing one. Dean's anithero is indeed appealing, in scene after scene of his amazing big screen debut. Whether sabatoging his father's newly-purchased ice house or in his heart-wrenching pleas for love, his emotional performance as the black sheep of the family makes it clear why James Dean will forever be America's legendary rebellious teen. The rest of the cast is exceptional: Raymond Massey as the father, Julie Harris as the ideal girl who loves both brothers, Richard Davolos as the good brother, Burl Ives as the family friend, and Jo Van Fleet in her brief but Academy-award-winning performance as the mother.

Based on the book by John Steinbeck, the title comes from the Book of Genesis where we are told that after killing his brother, Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.