Family, love, and digging yourself up from beneath the dirt, (to name a few) are all underlying elements throughout this picture. This beautifully directed, James Dean (his first) lead feature, proves as a defining movie of it's decade. As Cal is ridiculed by his father and looked down upon by others, due to the fact that his brother has everything going for him, including a love interest, he sets out to make a name for himself and turn his life around. A long time ago, his family was abandoned by his mother and he sets out to collect money to help return the favours given by his father. In hopes to be accepted by his father, mother, and respected by the town and his own brother, Cal Trask is one complex character that I could just not get enough of. James Dean is terrific in this film and the screenplay is adapted brilliantly. Lessons about life, love, and happiness leap off the screen and I bought every message. Everything about this film screams greatness in filmmaking to me and it is definitely one of the best films I have ever seen. "East of Eden" is a breathtaking picture.

Based on a novel by John Steinbeck, and directed by Elia Kazan, this is the first film in the James Dean Trilogy. Set in Salinas, California in 1917, this is the story of Cal (Dean) a young wayward man who competes with his brother Aron (Dick Davalos) for the affections of their hardened father Adam (Raymond Massey). It's basically a Cain and Abel type of story, and agriculture plays an important role even. It's not a strict adaptation of that story, but it is the best reference point to use to describe things. Things are rather dramatic, though they dip into melodrama at times. And, in typical Kazan fashion, there's a lot of subtext, mostly since the imminent entrance of the U.S. into World War i and anti-German sentiment plays a fairly sizable role throughout. It took me a bit to get interested and involved, but once I tapped into this film's groove, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Like the other two film's Dean did I do think it's overrated to a degree, but it's still pretty solid even then. Of the three, this one's #2 for me behind Rebel Without a Cause. It's good, but personally I didn't think it was outstanding or anything. The acting is terrific though, and there's some great camerawork, but it just didn't completely seem like my thing. If it were, I'd probably have a somewhat higher opinion of it. Still though, it's getting a really solid recommendation from me.