Rebel Without a Cause:
Greek Tragedy in Modern Film
There are many films which include elements of Greek Tragedy. Certain western films, like High Noon, Warlock, and Shenandoah incorporate aspects of Tragedy; more recently, Woody Allen has given us Mighty Aphrodite and Husbands and Wives, which redefined Tragedy in terms of Judaism. My favorite for teaching, has always been Rebel Without a Cause.
Perhaps part of the tragic elements of this film are in the tragic irony of its production: the way it created the icon of James Dean, dead before the film's release; the incredible footage of Dean, filmed shortly before his death, advising teenagers to drive carefully--"Remember, the life you save may be mine." More important, perhaps, is the adherence to Aristotles' rules (with an occasional nod to Shakespearian Tragedy):
(Much of this material comes from an excellent article on Tragedy by Douglas Johnston and Brian Grandy. Quoted material is theirs.)
The purpose of Tragedy, as Johnston and Grandy put it is: "to ask questions about the nature of man, his position in the universe, his relation to the powers that govern his life." Jim Stark, the tragic hero of Rebel Without a Cause, is just such a person. He wants to be a man, but if not like his father, then who? He wants to fit in with the other kids, but from the start is an outcast, clearly symbolized by his reprimand for stepping on the school insignia.
|
The Unities: A Greek tragedy
should occur within a 24 hour time period, with all scenes taking place
in relatively the same place. Rebel
Without a Cause begins in the early morning and ends the following
morning. It takes place at several locations in one town.
Hubris: The act of Hubris is the act of questioning the Gods. In Greek Tragedy, the defiance and arrogance of heroes lead to misfortune. Jim Stark defies his father, teachers, the police, and gang members, in his attempt to balance his universe and find the Greek Ideal. Catharsis:
"By participating vicariously in the grief, pain and fear of the tragic
hero or heroine, the spectator, in Aristotle's words, experiences pity
and fear and is purged." There can be
no doubt as to the effect of this film on it's audience in 1955.
As Joe
|
|
(I'm staying with Johnston and Grandy on this, as they have worded it perfectly:) "In Greek tragedy the tragic situation, in which the characters find themselves, is always a situation in which man seems to be deprived of all outward help and is forced to rely entirely on himself. It is a situation of extraordinary tension, of utmost conflict. Studying the plots of a number of Greek tragedies, one can find variations of two basic tragic situations: 1.First there is the case of man's miscalculation of reality which brings about the fatal situation. 2.The second kind of tragic situation is that of man between two conflicting principles. The protagonist is suddenly put at the crossing point of two duties, both of which claim fulfilment. This is the most compelling tragic situation and is at the same time the one that has most often been chosen by the Greek dramatists." We can find both elements in the tragic situation of Rebel Without a Cause. Jim miscalculates several times, thinking they can run from their problems or that Ray will be at the police office when he needs him. His final miscalculation occurs when he is trying to protect Plato by disarming him. perhaps finally understanding the helplessness of his own father at the same time. The second situation is crucial to the story, driving Jim to erupt in frustration when he cannot reconcile the moral obligation of his honor and his legal responsibilites over the chickie run. |
Study Questions to show direct Clasical Tragedy References
Photographic Introduction to the Characters
A very informative
analysis of the film, by Tim Dirks
Some Tests and Projects I've been writing
This page hosted by 
Get
your own Free Home Page
