Ever since the fans of James Dean watched Rebel Without A Cause, they are wondering what the ending meant and want it explained. According to the writer of the movie Lawrence Frascella, the film’s title came from a largely unrelated non-fiction book about juvenile sociopathy. However, the story came from director Nicholas Ray. He created a 17-page outline in one night! Jim, Judy, and Plato are three sympathetic yet flawed adolescent characters. We see that the movie shifts from one night to the next, almost theatrically. The protagonists become more aware of their situation.
Although the three are lawbreakers who dabble in violence, the film is told entirely from their perspective. We know that the great actor died before the film even was released. We are here talking about James Dean. Humphrey Bogart once said of James Dean that he died at the proper time. This meant that if he had lived longer, he would never have been able to live up to the fame that surrounded him. We don’t know whether what Humphrey said was true or not, however, one cannot stop thinking about James’ tragic death during the climax of the movie. Let us now have the ending of Rebel Without A Cause explained in the article.
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Rebel Without A Cause: What Is The Story About?
The famous late actor James Dean starred in this movie. It is one of the best and most famous movies of him in his short yet beautiful career. The storyline follows after an unfortunate brush with the law one morning. Dawson High’s careworn new student, Jim Stark, is the star of the movie. He braces himself for yet another fresh start in a new town. Now, after a class trip to Los Angeles’ Griffith Observatory, Jim masking a profound but unfocused teenage anguish. He will once again find himself neck-deep in trouble when he catches the eye of the school’s bully, Buzz.
We see that only a perilous test of courage can separate the men from the boys in those conditions. Also, Jim’s odd alternative family, Plato and Stark’s attractive next-door neighbor Judy, become Jim’s alternative family. It is the only sanctuary from their seemingly cruel parents. The spiral of estrangement and adolescent disobedience has now come full circle, and the petulant trio will have to start all over again. Now, we have a question, is there always a second chance?
Rebel Without A Cause Ending Explained: What Happens To The Trio?
Are you wondering what happened at the end of the movie? Well, the ending indeed needs to be explained. We see that Plato is pursued by police into the bushes near the mansion, and he fires back at them as he flees furiously. After that, Judy is frightened that Plato was so unstable that he tried firing at Jim. So, Jim also follows through the bushes, despite Judy’s protests. He assures her that he didn’t mean it and that he requires their assistance. Judy answers by telling Jim that she, too, requires his assistance. She discloses to Jim that Plato addressed him as if he were his father, and Jim realizes too late that Plato was attempting to adopt them as his family.
Jim can alternatively be interpreted as a ‘death angel’. He hums Wagner’s ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ at the police station. This is connected with the transport of the dead to the afterlife. We also see he resides on ‘Angelo’ street, which is a sinister allusion to death. In one scenario, the audience witnesses Jim entering a planetarium just as his fellow high school classmates are seeing a show depicting the world’s inevitable cosmic death.
What Happens To Plato?
The audience witnesses that only Plato, who is the most innocent of the three, is aware of the abandoned estate where the three teenagers find themselves. After that, they begin to roleplay, and they reveal an interesting insight into their adult perceptions. As we see that Plato drifts off to sleep, at last at ease, his two friends explore the estate on their own, and their relationship seems to be blossoming.
After that, the mansion is discovered and invaded by Buzz’s group, resulting in Plato shooting someone. Plato becomes increasingly agitated and upset as Jim returns to restrain him, as he fears Jim will forsake him as his father did. He ends up in a long confrontation with the cops, which is only temporarily resolved when Jim offers his jacket in return for the gun. Jim removes the ammunition, however, to our dismay, Plato takes the gun and flees the mansion. It is where we see he is shot by the cops.
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