"...and Cain went away and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden."
Added 3/16/2010
This milestone of a film concerns truth and redemption, and the titanic clash between respectability and passion. It is chillingly stark, shocking, and brutal at times. It is also tragic and moving, in no small part because the rising young star James Dean would not live long past his riveting performance. In addition to its other qualities, the movie is authentic; it is true to life. East of Eden can be summed up in two words---irreconcilable differences.
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James Dean is Incredible
Added 2/5/2010
I highly recommend this product. It is a great movie, great cast and stands the test of time. This is one of my favorite movies.
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Can be used in American history classes, too!
Added 12/16/2009
This film is an excellent learning tool for any modern-US History class learning about America's involvement in World War I. The scences right after Cal gets the money from his mother to start growing soy beans for the war effort up to the small anti-German riot are so spot on. Students are transported to the small CA town of Salinas as it prepares to send its young men off to war. The parade, the propaganda, the draft board, the news headlines, anti-German sentiment, and war profitering are all covered. One of the best lines is during the parade when Cal says to Aaron: "Your own Wodrow Wilson's gonna' make the world safe for democracy." GREAT!
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Good character study
Added 10/26/2009
The Bottom Line:
This adaptation of the second half of Steinbeck's epic novel isn't a great piece of storytelling but it succeeds in being interesting because setting the method acting James Dean against old-school Raymond Massey (who genuinely disliked the young Dean) electrifies their scenes together, generating enough tension to keep the viewer engaged despite the less impressive secondary players and plot.
3/4
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James Dean was wonderful but the film was disappointing
Added 10/5/2009
I've lately been reading great novels of the twentieth century and I'd just finished John Steinbeck's East of Eden. Certainly Steinbeck's best, the novel expands on the Biblical story of Cain and Abel through three generations of a family, more true to the Biblical text than most preachers ever could be, and philosophically ahead of its time. But this movie version is disappointing. The script was clearly written to showcase the promising young actor James Dean stereotyped in the "what's happening to our teenagers" 50's angst. The script obliterated Steinbeck's story line, cut out the Greek Chorus-like main character of the novel- the Chinese manservant Lee- and tried to focus a multi-generational theme into a few months of a wayward teen's life. The film is only a 'classic' because Dean was superb and he died so young. I highly recommend the 1981 mini-series TV film version of the story over the 50's 'classic.'
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