East of Eden, 1955.
Directed by Elia Kazan.
Starring James Dean, Julie Harris, Raymond Massey, Richard Davalos, Burl Ives, and Jo Van Fleet.
SYNOPSIS:
Of the three major films James Dean made during his short life, East of Eden was the only one released while he was still alive. Warner Bros. has remastered the movie for 4K Ultra HD, with a code for a digital copy thrown in too. Unfortunately, the 2013 Blu-ray wasn’t included, which means the bonus features only consist of a commentary track.
James Dean displayed a knack for playing troubled characters, as evidenced by his most famous role in Rebel Without a Cause and the part he plays in East of Eden: disaffected Caleb (Cal) Trask, who chafes against his father’s religious teachings as well as the lack of information about his long-ago-disappeared mother. (His character in Giant certainly fits that mold too.)
I’m sure I’m not alone in wondering where his career would have taken him had it not been tragically cut short. It’s not hard to imagine that he would have brought his world weariness to a wider range of roles, quickly becoming a leading man who would have scored many more Oscar nominations.
Based on the final part of John Steinbeck’s sprawling 1952 novel of the same name, East of Eden introduces us to Cal as he wanders a neighborhood in Monterey, California. He’s interested in a house where a woman named Kate (Jo Van Fleet) operates a brothel. We soon learn that Kate is Cal’s missing mother, a fact that he hides from his father, Adam (Raymond Massey), and his brother, Aron (Richard Davalos), who’s in a relationship with Abra Bacon (Julie Harris).
Cal causes a lot of trouble for his father, who forgives him but continually reiterates his frustration with the boy’s behavior. Aron does his best to try to see the good in Cal, which eventually convinces Abra to view Cal the same way. However, the brothers eventually clash when Cal and Abra begin to fall for each other, and Cal’s desire to expose the truth of their mother to him doesn’t help the situation.
The story is also loosely based on the Biblical story of Cain and Abel, probably the most famous pair of brothers who fought with each other. (And, yes, they’re the sons of Adam and Eve.) Unsurprisingly, there’s a strong theme of morality running through the film, especially in Adam, who insists on maintaining allegiance to his personal code even when Cal tries to give him money to make up for what he lost in a disastrous business venture.
In addition, the tale is set during 1917, a time when World War I was raging in Europe but the United States had not yet entered the conflict. Many of the characters espouse varying viewpoints on whether the country should get involved, and when it does, suspicious attitudes begin to destroy relationships. Even Adam can’t keep the war from damaging his own family.
In the end, East of Eden is a film about redemption and whether anyone can be worthy of it, despite what they’ve done in the past. As far as themes go, that’s a timeless one that still resonates today for many people.
Warner Bros. remastered the movie for this release on 4K Ultra HD, and it shines here. There are a few blips in the video quality, but, overall, it’s as strong as you would expect it to be from a major studio. A code for a digital copy is included too.
Unfortunately, when it comes to bonus features, Warner Bros. inexplicably dropped the ball here, leaving out the legacy Blu-ray that was packed with extras, including an hour-long documentary about James Dean. Most of the films released on 4K Ultra HD as part of their 100th anniversary celebration have included an older Blu-ray too, so I’m not sure why they didn’t do the same with this edition.
The sole extra is a commentary track with film critic Richard Schickel. It’s a solid discussion about East of Eden that covers plenty of information about the film, as well as its main star, James Dean. It’s not quite as scholarly as the “film school on a disc” approaches that other critics have taken, but it’s certainly worth a listen.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Brad Cook
Originally published July 31, 2023. Updated April 22, 2024.
