Waste of time

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

I went into this film last night with high hopes, leading only to disappointment. This is my first film I've seen with James Dean, and I think this was the first disappointment. I've always been confused about the significance of "method acting", because every time I see it, it's too obvious. I see exactly what they're doing, and it's really not convincing. It's more melodramatic and campy regardless, and it really showed with Dean in this picture. The over the top acting took me out of the picture, and I felt that I never really got back in. I felt like everyone was a stranger to me, and that we never got to know them.Also, the story had many points of interest, that went no where, or was wrapped up too quickly to be satisfying. For instance, I liked the dynamic of the beans market, and Cal trying to get this investment going, but, it sort of just... happened. Also there's a scene where the other brother is clearly against the war, and thinks it's immoral, but there's no real reason or explanation as to why. I guess it's just supposed to be accepted since he's a good kid? But then later he's upset, and decides to just join the military anyways, so he just gets upset, and is okay with killing now? This movie suffered from both sides of the story. I felt it was too short for the story that could have been better fleshed out, but too long for the one it told. It felt constantly dragged out, which could have been resolved with a longer runtime. Overall the story isn't as interesting as I'd hoped, and the acting from Dean was too obvious and campy. Perhaps it's worth watching if you like seeing James or if it's been on your list for a while, otherwise, there are better movies to waste time with.

Although some of his other books receive more acclaim and readership ("The Grapes of Wrath," "Of Mice and Men," "The Winter of Our Discontent"), John Steinbeck said that "East of Eden" was the novel that he lived to write. Indeed, the moralism of his writing reached broader and deeper in Eden than in any of his other works. The story here is set mainly in Steinbeck's beloved Salinas Valley and Monterey County.Warner Brothers did a commendable job in bringing the story to life on the silver screen. It condensed a 600-page novel into a two–hour film, yet kept all of the main elements of the drama. The title for the story comes from the Bible. Genesis 4:16 reads, "Cain then left the Lord's presence and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden." The plot of the story is a modern Cain and Abel tale, and it is repeated within succeeding generations. In the Bible, Cain brought "some of the fruits of the soil" to offer the Lord. Abel brought "the best of the firstlings," or "some of the firstlings and their fat portions." The latter were more pleasing to God. So, Cain did so-so, average, but Abel went out of his way to give the best to the Lord. God didn't love Cain any less -- he was just most pleased with Abel's offering. Yet Cain succumbed to pride, greed, envy, anger and lust. Most know the story of "East of Eden" or will find other reviews that discuss the plot. So, my remarks here are brief and cover some things not mentioned. Seeing this film again after many years, on a DVD, I had the advantage of extras that included some deleted scenes. I think one inclusion would have made the film perfect – the scene of Cal and Aron in their room after they had argued outside and Cal said that Aron was "the one he wanted" referring to his father's favoritism, as he saw it. Without that sequence, we see Cal suddenly perking up, pitching in and being Mr. good-guy helping his father. But, there's no real explanation or background to let us know why he would change. I don't know why they deleted that scene – it made the perfect fit and segue with Aron and Cal talking and Aron explaining in a way that Cal could understand. I don't think that would have made the movie too long in itself. James Dean had the largest role, as Cal, and was the male lead. And, yes, he was a new young and hot star of the time. All of the acting is excellent, including Dean's. But, I think the very best performances in this movie were by Julie Harris as Abra, Jo Van Fleet as Kate, and Raymond Massey as Adam. Richard Davalos, as Aron, wasn't far behind; and Van Fleet's performance was most deserving of the Oscar she won. James Dean made one more film after this – "Giant," which came out in October 1956. He wasn't alive to see it, because he was killed in a highway accident on Sept. 30, 1955. He had just finished filming for "Giant." That was just five months after "East of Eden" hit theaters. It's interesting to note that the site of Dean's accident was a few miles east of Paso Robles, California. That's at the southern end of the Salinas Valley of Steinbeck's "East of Eden."Those interested in Steinbeck should enjoy a visit to the National Steinbeck Center. It's a marvelous museum in downtown Salinas, CA.

Clearly, Dean was one of the defining actors of the youthful 1950's. Rebel without a Cause (1955) may have registered more strongly with the cool cats of the time. Nonetheless, in my little book, this is the film that represents the actor's enduring triumph. Here Cal's (Dean) yawning emotional needs are on raw display, the tics, grimaces, writhings. All are excruciatingly expressive. At times it's over the top, but few can doubt the sincerity. In fact, it appears to be the real Dean on screen, and not an actor. Then too, Dean was lucky. He got one of the best young actresses of that day or any day in Julie Harris. Her lack of glamor is a real plus. That way her rather plain looks don't get in the way of a growing emotional bond with a needy Cal (Dean). I count the beanfield and ferris wheel scenes as two of the best boy-girl on record. Catch how naturally they're drawn to each other, only to shrink away at the last moment. It's like they're fearful of some kind of forbidden attraction. Still, before emotions can straighten out, the confused Cal must straighten himself out. That means getting straight with his imperious father (Massey). Then too, Abra (Harris) needs to trust her emotions rather than lifeless convention with Aaron (Davalos). Now if Dad could just stop seeing his detested ex-wife in Cal, he might bend a little. After all, having principles is not enough. They should first be the right principles, and excluding a son because of one of them is not right. Thus, it's really Dad who needs to straighten out. Then Cal would have a chance.And who better to play the emotionally constricted patriarch than the commanding Ray Massey. His scenes with Dean represent not only a clash of personalities but also a clash of acting styles. I gather the two actors didn't much like each other, which is not surprising. Anyway, the supporting parts are also well done. I especially like the often overlooked Lois Smith as the fearful, fluttery servant girl. She's really Cal's emotional counterpart, even though in a small role. I've long sympathized with Dick Davalos in the thankless role of the prissy Aaron. That, plus being overshadowed by the most compelling young actor of the day, was surely a misfortune. As a side note, filming in the Salinas Valley was a real plus, lending a large canvas to the intense drama.Despite the sometimes sprawling screenplay, the movie remains an emotional powerhouse, thanks to Dean, Harris, and director Kazan. In fact, casting the untried Dean in the role of Cal remains one of moviedom's most memorable moments. While in terms of a meteoric body of work, the young actor checked out at about the right time.

East of Eden Movie ReviewEast of Eden, written by John Steinbeck and directed by Elia Kazan, provided a good general idea, but left out two of the most important factors of the book in the form of Lee and the Hebrew word, Timshel.East of Eden was written to show the ultimate conflict between good and evil. The movie did a wonderful job of keeping good and evil equal and opposite throughout the movie. Cal and Aron were the best examples of this. Early in the movie, Cal was portrayed as evil while Aron represented all that was good. Late in the movie, the role was switched as Aron became the bad child when he left his father, however Cal took on the role of good and was there for his father.A major gap in the movie was the absence of Lee, Adam's servant. Lee had gotten Adam over his depression, as well as always tried to convince Cal that there was good in everyone. Lee was seen as the median in the book between Adam and his son, Cal. The tension between the two was evident, but without Lee, the resolution of Cal to be with his father was much less significant.As previously stated, this entire novel was based around the idea of good opposing evil. The main point in the novel was that each person had the ability to make their own decisions and choose right from wrong. Lee was the first to reveal this idea to the Trask family. The fact that the most important philosophy in the novel was left out completely defeats the entire purpose for making a movie without it. This was the ultimate factor as to why this movie was a big disappointment and completely destroyed the novel's only purpose.Although this movie was relatively interesting, it turned away from the book too much to be enjoyable to anyone who has read the novel. Although you could follow the movie along pretty smoothly, without Lee and the main idea of Timshel, the movie lacked the clarity the book had and that was the ultimate downfall of the movie.