Clarification of America's Problems in The Film "Rebel Without a Cause"

The 1950s was a difficult era for Americans marked by the Cold war and possible nuclear attacks. The fear and ideologies were captured by Hollywood in the film Rebel Without a Cause directed by Nicholas Ray. America’s population was terrified by the Cold War with Russia. The Red Scare strengthened America’s fear of major Communist nations, such as Russia and China. Another major concern for Americans, in this era, was the rise in teenage delinquency. Americans placed this concern above that of nuclear testing or racial tensions and often placed the blame for delinquency on problems at home. There is also a clear and outright message to this film; it deals with teenage delinquency and its source in the unstable home.

The main characters, Jim Stark, Judy, and Plato, all end up having trouble with the law and are considered delinquents to that era’s standards. The movie focuses a lot of the blame for the bad behavior on bad parenting. Plato’s parents are gone, so this lack of support in the home led to psychopathic/obsessive tendencies. Trudy has an abusive father, which leads her to run away and break curfew; finally, Jim struggles to understand his role as a man because he views his father as inadequate in this aspect. This leads to him being drunk in public and participation in the chicken test against Buzz, as he struggles to understand manhood. Jim’s relationship with his parents is a source of his misbehavior; however, it is also an interesting look at gender roles in the 1950s.

The movie portrays Jim’s mother as the decision maker, while the father doesn’t stand up for himself. The dad, who one would assume is the patriarch of the family back in the day, is emasculated in many scenes. Once, Jim assumes his mother is dressed in an apron and calls up to her, but he finds his father instead. The father also often failed to voice an opinion and to argue against his wife’s opinion. Because of this, Jim struggles to understand his role as a male, and the movie mentions these issues as the source of delinquency.Rebel Without a Cause is a commentary on the extremism that manifested in the 1950s, portraying the role of parent’s in a child’s life and how it affects their behaviors. Americans in the 1950s believed in normalizing themselves to avoid the suspicion of others.

This movie captures these concerns, fears, and ideologies and creates a story that eventually leads to conformity and a safe domestic setting between Jim and Judy. The movie successfully aligns itself with American ideology in the 1950s, and ultimately, shows 3 ways not to treat your children.