James Dean Story
Amazon.com
Shortly after James Dean died in a car crash, Robert Altman and George W. George (son of Rube Goldberg) set out to document the young star’s brief life. The results are mixed. The narration (written by Stewart Stern, who wrote Rebel Without a Cause and befriended Dean) tries to get beyond the public image of Dean as the cool rebel to show the lonely young man underneath. It’s a bit overwrought, but that’s understandable, given the strong emotions Dean elicited from those who knew and loved him. But Martin Gabel is all wrong as narrator; his stentorian delivery turns the hot-blooded musings of youth into ponderous, pompous pronouncements totally lacking in humor. The most interesting element is the people of Fairm… More >>
ummmm i guess i want to like this more than i do ( i think this self insight is quite remarkable, im considering a full pshycological evaluation, but this storey can wait) The disk contains the first tv appearence of Jimmy and the documentary made just after his death, both show their age a bit and do go on …. but ignore me as despite this i still wet my underwear when Jimmy popped up on screen as john the baptist ( slightly miscast you say, well shut up cous we all got to start somewhere) If you like biblical epics ( i know i cant function without them)and you like our favorate rebel you will like this if only for nostalgia. The doco is actually very informative and has really interesting interviews ( including a secret recording of Jimmy with his family) but the narrator is so bloody sombre, Jimmy had a great life and it should be celebrated not cried over, and what was all the muck about a dead seagull, buy this just to try and work that little pseudo-symbolic treasure out. but yet again for nostalgia this is a great buy.
having re-read my review it seems quite negative but honest I quite like this DVD and do recommend it, although if you dont like James Dean then you probably wont be interested, but then if your not a fan then why look at this review at all you stupid person you, go away, leave me be, i am lonely and lusty, but with this DVD i am continually entertained, buy it now
bye
Rating: 4 / 5
Interesting look at James Dean,Although it is basically still pictures with a narrator, along with interviews of those who knew him. I am not a huge Fan of Dean, I liked the movie Rebel without A Cause. I don’t like the word “rebel” for obvious political reasons though. Sadly,An troubled man who met a horrible end.one who had so much Potential.
Rating: 3 / 5
“The James Dean Story” is a fascinating documentary,an early,low-key masterpiece by Robert Altman. It’s completely in B&W,made not long after Dean’s untimely death in a car accident. Altman uses stills,interviews with Dean’s friends/family,and clips from his movies powerfully. Dean died in the ’50s,preceding the other well-known American icons, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley. He made only 3 films,yet he retains immortality as an all-American rebel.
James Dean grew up in rural Indiana. He loved farming,caring for animals,painting,playing basketball (he looked geeky,yet hot in glasses) He was a serious actor. He cared about giving his characters depth–something rarely seen among young actors these days. With his self-destructive streak,he sabotaged himself with the Actors’ Studio,a Broadway play. He was a young man in search of himself. He was intensely lonely and artistic. He was a sensitive,sympathetic man. Beneath all his blustery rebelliousness was a boy who lost his mother,longing for a family.
In East of Eden (Two-Disc Special Edition),he starred as the unloved older brother in a retelling of the Cain and Abel story. In Rebel Without a Cause (Two-Disc Special Edition),he was a teenaged boy who helps a young girl (Natalie Wood,who also died prematurely) and a fatherless boy (Sal Mineo). In Giant (Two-Disc Special Edition),opposite Rock Hudson and Liz Taylor,he starred as a Texas oil tycoon. Dean showed much promise.
“The James Dean Story” is a classic documentary,and it’s also heartbreaking. Dean was buried in his hometown of Fairmount,Indiana,instead of some place like Forest Lawn or Graceland. He returned to his roots. Dean was a meteor in the sky of celebrity. He shone brightly,and all too brief.
Rating: 5 / 5
This is a fascinating look at Jimmy’s life. No actors. Just the real people from Fairmount, Indiana and beyond talking about ‘The Man, The Mystery, The Legend’
Rating: 5 / 5
Perhaps the most astounding portion of “The James Dean Story” is the audio and still footage of the hidden recording of the Dean family talent at auctioneering. I watch this dvd every year on Sept. 30, close to the hour of Dean’s death. So much of the film captures Jimmy Dean as a very sensitive young man whose bold heart knew very few limits. Although he was very myopic, he was a basketball and track “star” (he averaged 15 points a game in a three game semi-final in an era when 15 points in a game was a lot, and set a pole vault record for that region which was only broken years later). I found it interesting that Marcus Winslow Sr. commented that Jimmy “must have broken 15 pairs of glasses” playing sports. Although he was short in stature he had the heart of a lion. I was also pleased with the summation, or the conclusion, where the narrator, Martin Gable reminds us of the positive images of youth Jimmy left us. So many other documentaries, including the ones with Bill Bast, or Peter Lawford, are so much hearsay, and are speculative at best.
Rating: 5 / 5