Celticrugby
Apr 30 2010, 02:33 PM
http://www.soccer24-7.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=43535&stc=1&d=1272559234.jpg
Directed By: Nicolas Ray
Starring: James Dean (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Dean), Natalie Wood (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalie_Wood), Sal Mineo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sal_Mineo)
Plot: A rebellious young man with a troubled past comes to a new town, finding friends and enemies.
Possible Questions / Topics of Discussion
What did you think of the film?
What made you go and want to see the film?
How many times have you seen it?
Out of 10 what would you rank this?
Could this have been better with a different director or actors?
Who for you, was the best Actor in this film, and why?
Who was the worst?
Did you think the premise of the film was good?
Were you affected by the film in any way?
What’s the thing or factor you didn’t like the most about the film?
What’s your favorite quote?
What's your favorite scene or scenes?
Do you think have you seen any other James Dean films? (Giant and East of Eden) .
If so, do you think he deserves his credit as an actor? or is he one of those who got popular because he died young after a few films where he arguably put in a good performance?
The knife fight scene was real, the actors wore chainmail vests under their actual clothes. Why doesn't this badassery exist in films today? Did it surprise you that in 1955 they would go for that type of realism? Dean also actually beat the **** out of the desk in the police department hurting his hands.
The events of the film really transpire over two days, or at least a day and two nights. Did you think this was going to be the case going into the film? or did you expect it to be drawn out?
Because of the time frame, did it make the fact he became a "rebel" so quickly a bit unrealistic?
What do you think about the fact the three main actors in this film all ended up dying young, much like the topics in the film discuss?
Upon watching the film did you think Sal was gay? or simply ****ed up?
If you said "No" does this change your mind:
In his article "Dangerous Talents," published in Vanity Fair Magazine in March 2005, Sam Kashner (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2685471/) writes that director Nicholas Ray (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0712947/), screenwriter Stewart Stern (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0827856/), costar James Dean (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000015/), and Sal Mineo (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000543/) himself all intended for Mineo's character Plato to be subtly but definitely understood as gay. Kashner says that although the Production Code was still very much in force and forbade any mention of homosexuality, Ray, Dean, Mineo, and Stern all worked together to insert restrained references to Plato's homosexuality and attraction to Jim, including the pinup photo of Alan Ladd (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000042/) on Plato's locker door, Plato's adoring looks at Jim, his loaded talk with Jim in the old mansion, and even the name "Plato," which is a reference to the Classical Greek philosopher. For that mansion scene, Dean suggested to Mineo that Plato should "look at me the way I look at Natalie."
Does this change the way you look at Sal? Is this torment (being a closet homosexual in the 1950s) worse than his situation with his parents leaving him? Or is it all part of his angst?
Does the film feel rushed? Natalie Wood's character loses Buzz, who presumably is her boyfriend, and then falls in love with James Dean that same night...?
Is it real? or is it becuase of the extraordinary circumstances she realizes what she really wants?
In the film, Plato hides in the Griffith Observatory (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffith_Observatory) which is soon besieged by the police. Jim and Judy follow him inside, and Jim convinces Plato to lend him the gun, from which he silently removes the ammunition magazine (though he neglects the round in the chamber). When Plato steps out of the observatory, he becomes unstable again at the sight of the police and charges forward, brandishing his weapon. He is shot fatally by a police officer acting in defense of himself and the bystanders, despite Jim's yelling to police that he removed the bullets. Plato was wearing Jim's jacket at the time, and as a result, Jim's parents (brought to the scene by police) think at first that Jim was shot. Mr. Stark then runs to comfort Jim, who is distraught by Plato's death. Mr. Stark promises to be a stronger father, one that his son can depend on. Thus reconciled, Jim introduces Judy to his parents.
What do you think happens from here? Are Jim's problems solved? Will he "fit in"? Will his relationship with Judy last? Will her problems be solved?
What ending would be more dramatic, the actual ending, or the cut ending in which Plato gets shot and falls off the top of the observatory?
Who is the "real" rebel? Sal or Jim?
Please feel free to add any other questions for the group as well.
People who rated the film:
Celticrugby - 7.1
Switchblade - 7
24-7 rating so far: 7.05 (2 votes)
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Celticrugby
Directed By: Nicolas Ray
Starring: James Dean (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Dean), Natalie Wood (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalie_Wood), Sal Mineo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sal_Mineo)
Plot: A rebellious young man with a troubled past comes to a new town, finding friends and enemies.
Possible Questions / Topics of Discussion
What did you think of the film?
What made you go and want to see the film?
How many times have you seen it?
Out of 10 what would you rank this?
Could this have been better with a different director or actors?
Who for you, was the best Actor in this film, and why?
Who was the worst?
Did you think the premise of the film was good?
Were you affected by the film in any way?
What’s the thing or factor you didn’t like the most about the film?
What’s your favorite quote?
What's your favorite scene or scenes?
Do you think have you seen any other James Dean films? (Giant and East of Eden) .
If so, do you think he deserves his credit as an actor? or is he one of those who got popular because he died young after a few films where he arguably put in a good performance?
The knife fight scene was real, the actors wore chainmail vests under their actual clothes. Why doesn't this badassery exist in films today? Did it surprise you that in 1955 they would go for that type of realism? Dean also actually beat the **** out of the desk in the police department hurting his hands.
The events of the film really transpire over two days, or at least a day and two nights. Did you think this was going to be the case going into the film? or did you expect it to be drawn out?
Because of the time frame, did it make the fact he became a "rebel" so quickly a bit unrealistic?
What do you think about the fact the three main actors in this film all ended up dying young, much like the topics in the film discuss?
Upon watching the film did you think Sal was gay? or simply ****ed up?
If you said "No" does this change your mind:
In his article "Dangerous Talents," published in Vanity Fair Magazine in March 2005, Sam Kashner (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2685471/) writes that director Nicholas Ray (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0712947/), screenwriter Stewart Stern (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0827856/), costar James Dean (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000015/), and Sal Mineo (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000543/) himself all intended for Mineo's character Plato to be subtly but definitely understood as gay. Kashner says that although the Production Code was still very much in force and forbade any mention of homosexuality, Ray, Dean, Mineo, and Stern all worked together to insert restrained references to Plato's homosexuality and attraction to Jim, including the pinup photo of Alan Ladd (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000042/) on Plato's locker door, Plato's adoring looks at Jim, his loaded talk with Jim in the old mansion, and even the name "Plato," which is a reference to the Classical Greek philosopher. For that mansion scene, Dean suggested to Mineo that Plato should "look at me the way I look at Natalie."
Does this change the way you look at Sal? Is this torment (being a closet homosexual in the 1950s) worse than his situation with his parents leaving him? Or is it all part of his angst?
Does the film feel rushed? Natalie Wood's character loses Buzz, who presumably is her boyfriend, and then falls in love with James Dean that same night...?
Is it real? or is it becuase of the extraordinary circumstances she realizes what she really wants?
In the film, Plato hides in the Griffith Observatory (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffith_Observatory) which is soon besieged by the police. Jim and Judy follow him inside, and Jim convinces Plato to lend him the gun, from which he silently removes the ammunition magazine (though he neglects the round in the chamber). When Plato steps out of the observatory, he becomes unstable again at the sight of the police and charges forward, brandishing his weapon. He is shot fatally by a police officer acting in defense of himself and the bystanders, despite Jim's yelling to police that he removed the bullets. Plato was wearing Jim's jacket at the time, and as a result, Jim's parents (brought to the scene by police) think at first that Jim was shot. Mr. Stark then runs to comfort Jim, who is distraught by Plato's death. Mr. Stark promises to be a stronger father, one that his son can depend on. Thus reconciled, Jim introduces Judy to his parents.
What do you think happens from here? Are Jim's problems solved? Will he "fit in"? Will his relationship with Judy last? Will her problems be solved?
What ending would be more dramatic, the actual ending, or the cut ending in which Plato gets shot and falls off the top of the observatory?
Who is the "real" rebel? Sal or Jim?
Please feel free to add any other questions for the group as well.
People who rated the film:
Celticrugby - 7.1
Switchblade - 7
24-7 rating so far: 7.05 (2 votes)
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Celticrugby