Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
I don't think a movie has been done better than this about a teenager as an alienated victim of both his family and society in general.
It's depiction of rebellion hits the right notes without being over the top be it frustrations with a weak father, an over bearing mother and peer pressure from so called friends, not to mention teenage drinking, knife fights and deadly games of chicken in stolen cars.
Nicolas Rey directs this brilliantly letting his young cast excel and there are memorable performances from Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo.
There's one name i've yet to mention and that is of course James Dean who played Jim Stark, the rebellious youth lacking a cause. Dean is for want of a better word, phenomenal. His angry, heartfelt performance would make him a poster boy for young people everywhere, even to this day, and his portrayal of Stark would epitomize his tragically short career and life.
The film itself would get four stars but Dean claims the fifth all to himself.
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