James Dean stars in a movie that shocked the United States with a performance that still electrifies the screen twenty-five years after his untimely death prior to the film’s release. In this archetypal drama of teenage angst and rebellion, three high school students who should lead idyllic lives in their stable, comfortable suburban families explode with a violence and sexuality that their parents cannot understand. This film–which ripped the façade from the post-war American dream to expose the rage of the country’s youth–resonates with an energy that has made it a modern classic and a powerful coming-of-age story.
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Video Quality
Rebel Without A Cause makes its long-awaited 4K UHD Blu-Ray debut with a really striking 2160p HDR10 transfer which allows the film to look like the best version of itself. The exact source of this one is unclear, but more than likely it is derived from the 4K restoration used for the Blu-Ray from a decade ago with perhaps some additional touches and implementation of HDR. Whatever the case may be, the new 4K UHD disc offers welcome improvements over that strong previous Blu-Ray in areas such as color saturation, clarity and image stability.
The movie has a terrific amount of natural film grain which can appear a bit noisy in fleeting instances, but by and large it resolves very tight and specific. This is one of the more notable upgrades from the Blu-Ray, which suffered from more consistent moments where grain would get a bit blocky rather than detailed. The fine grain allows this movie to present more worthwhile texture and detail within the environments. The ripples of certain articles of clothing appear more pronounced and tactile here. The image does not suffer when it comes to depth. The improvements in contrast and overall clarity are a wonder, especially when you compare certain night time sequences.
The UHD disc retains the authentic WarnerColor timing with very nuanced colors throughout that accurately represent Ernest Hallar’s cinematography and Nicholas Ray’s creative vision. The HDR allows the hues to feel more alive than the previous release. Skin tones look natural and the clarity of the transfer gives you a great amount of facial detail. Highlights are a bit brighter and offer a greater stability without veering into blooming. Black levels are nice and deep which allows the picture to maintain an excellent amount of depth and detail in darker environments. This transfer is a knockout effort for longtime fans of the feature and serves as a worthy upgrade.
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with both a new Dolby Atmos track and the original theatrical DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track which bring rich life to the soundscape. Both tracks handle this material well with purists hanging on to the original intent and audiophiles getting a little something from the spread of the Atmos track. The track does not feature much bombastic activity, but it comes alive when it makes sense. The height channels are only very lightly engaged, but the ways in which they are used feels natural to the story.
The score from Leonard Rosenman sounds thematically effective with excellent fidelity on a technical level. The track is almost entirely free of damage, and it juggles all of the competing sounds quite confidently so that dialogue does not get trounced upon. Environmental sounds such as automobile engines and chatter in the police station delineate well. Warner Bros. should be commended for giving both tracks as an option.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: “The Making of Rebel Without a Cause” author Douglas L. Rathgeb provide a terrific commentary track which sustains well over the runtime as he discusses the process of adapting the source material, the performances in the film, the troubles faced during the production, the shooting locations, the hindrance of the censors, the film’s reception and awards run, the legacy of the feature and more.
- Behind The Scenes
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- James Dean Remembered: A nearly 77-minute special from 1974 hosted by Peter Lawford featuring interviews with Sammy Davis, Jr., Steve Allen, Natalie Wood, Leonard Rosenman and Sal Mineo. This is a great reflection on the incredible talent lost at a tragically young age.
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- Rebel Without A Cause – Defiant Innocents: A 37-minute featurette which explores the film in decent depth in terms of the themes, the production process, the film’s legacy and more. This includes interviews with screenwriter Stewart Stern, Dean biographer William Bast, Faye Nuell (Natalie Wood’s stunt double), Beverly Long (Helen), Frank Mazzola (Crunch), Corey Allen (Buzz), Jack Grinnage (Moose), Steffi Sidney (Mil) and Dennis Hopper.
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- Dennis Hopper – Memories From The Warner Lot: An 11-minute piece with Dennis Hopper in which he reflects on his time spent working with Warner Bros. as a youth, especially as it pertains to Rebel Without A Cause and Giant.
- Screen Tests: A seven-minute look at filmed auditions from Sal Mineo, James Dean and Natalie Wood.
- Wardrobe Tests: A five-minute collection of footage showing off potential clothing choices.i
- Black & White Deleted Scenes Without Sound: Five unused scenes totaling 11 minutes are provided here.
- Color Deleted Scenes Without Sound: Eleven unused scenes totaling 14 minutes are provided here.
- Behind The Cameras: Three promos totaling 22 minutes are provided here which find the participants very checked out for the most part.
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Rebel Without A Cause begins with a spotlight on it as one of the handful of films James Dean was able to complete before his tragic death. Yet, there is more to this film than the appearance of any one actor. This at-times challenging material is adapted from a novel in a way that maintains its impact despite the production code, and director Nicholas Ray crafts a feature that radiates cool and intrigue. This film is a classic for a reason, and it is a feature that holds up incredibly well even today. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray sporting a terrific A/V presentation and some wonderful special features. If you are a fan of this iconic drama, you will be thrilled to own it in the best presentation possible. Highly Recommended
Rebel Without A Cause is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.