This new collection of twelve essays examines the complicated historical moment in which the film was first made and reveals the frequently personal responses evoked among contemporary viewers and critics alike.
Rebel Without a Cause: Approaches to a Maverick Masterwork (SUNY Press, Oct. 2005), edited by J. David Slocum, associate dean of NYU’s Graduate School of Arts and Science, examines the historical moment in which James Dean’s “Rebel Without a Cause” was made and first appeared as well as its continued resonance. Its 12 essays track how the film continues to speak to viewers about a complex range of contemporary experiences of adolescence, family, marginalization, rebellion, and mass society. The volume offers an account from director Nicholas Ray on the origins of the film.