Icon Leather Jacket

Hollywood Icon: James Dean

No actor other than James Dean better reflected what could be described as "searing vulnerability". There are many actors whose on-screen persona we sympathize with, or wish we could know on a personal level, but Dean appealed to the tenderest parts of our humanity. There's hardly a scene in East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause, or Giant in which we don't want to leap into the screen and offer the guy a great big hug.Dean's desperate yearning was often reflected in his gait, which was consistent in all three movies. His shoulders hunched, his hands close to his side or in the pockets of his trousers or coat, he sulked along with that wonderful pensive melancholy, and there was always the sense that he was thinking some deep thing that it would pain him to express. Consummate actor that he was, however, this vulnerability was always in concord with the characters he played, each one of whom is brilliantly drawn.The first of his great movies was East of Eden (1955), in which he starred as Cal, the wayward brother of a small family circa 1913 who tries to earn his father's devotion. This paralleled Dean's personal relationship with his father who was never present in his son's life. In one extraordinary scene, Dean conveys to us the depth of his desperation. Cal has given his father Adam (played by the veteran Raymond Massey) several thousand dollars in cash, a gift he's sure the old man will appreciate. Instead, Adam rejects it coldly, on moral grounds - it was derived from war profiteering. Dean breaks down, limply holding out the money and trying to force it into his dad's hands. Elia Kazan, the director who brought out Marlon Brando's greatness, knew how to guide his actors, and that scene stands as a triumph of method acting.This was followed by Rebel Without A Cause (1955), which he filmed at roughly the same time as Eden. Again, Dean plays a wayward teen, trying to find his place in the world. Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo join him as the youngsters who form an intense bond that threatens to end with deadly consequences. Again, we see the poignancy of Dean's work, as his "Jim Stark" tries desperately to communicate with friends and family who are unable to understand him. "You're tearing me apart!" is the immortal line Jim moans to his family in the police station after getting picked up for being drunk and disorderly. We believe him. This movie, directed by Nicholas Ray, featured Dean in his iconic red leather jacket.Dean's final film, in which he had a supporting role but was nonetheless nominated for best Actor on the strength of his performance, was Giant, starring alongside Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor. Dean portrays Jett Rink, a poor ranch-hand who strikes it rich in oil and attempts to outshine his former employer (Hudson). We rarely see Dean's face in close-up throughout the movie, and when we do it is always hidden by something - the shadow from his hat, a pair of sunglasses, etc. It's a performance of mannerisms, of subtle but thrilling choices of movements that define Rink and the person he becomes. An unforgettable moment early in the movie has Leslie Benedict (Elizabeth Taylor) visiting Jett at his ranch. He didn't expect her; he looks rugged and unprepared. As he searches for some tea to prepare for her, director George Stevens (who won the Oscar) gives us a shadowy close-up on Dean. Jett's excitement at having Leslie in his home practically leaps off the screen. We can almost feel his heart beating.This was Dean's magic. He's been compared with Heath Ledger, because both these gifted young actors died far too young, but this comparison is false. Ledger kept us out, always hiding his emotions, really guarding them from us. His Joker always keeps us guessing, and his Ennis del Mar (from Brokeback Mountain) was an enigma. Dean gave us everything. We know exactly what he's thinking and why, and we inevitably look down on the other characters in his movies who, for whatever reason, don't. What Dean gave us can hardly be measured, or replaced, and the tragedy of his loss cannot be overstated. He had aspirations towards becoming a director and, judging from a scene he directed in Rebel Without a Cause (the one on the staircase), would have made a great one. In the end, we must simply be grateful for the enduring masterworks this Hollywood icon did leave us. They were three movies, and they are three of the best.