Pssst, want to check out East of Eden in our new look?
Information
- Year
- 1955
- Runtime
- 118 min.
- Director
- Elia Kazan
- Genre
- Drama
- Rating *
- 8.0
- Votes *
- 25,434
- Checks
- 6,259
- Favs
- 528
- Dislikes
- 40
- Favs/checks
- 8.4% (1:12)
- Favs/dislikes
- 13:1
Top comments
-
psdantonio
i thought this packed a much better story than 'rebel w/o a cause,' but that might be because they adapted it from the work of a master, steinbeck. 12 years 9 months ago -
Siskoid
Steinbeck's East of Eden is a multi-generation saga, but the movie that made James Dean a star (just in time for his death) reshapes only a sliver from the expansive novel. As it must, only hinting at some of the older characters' backgrounds and motivations, and sometimes using their story as surprise revelations. Inspired (as the title suggests) by the story of Cain and Abel - here: Cal and Aron - from Cain's perspective, the jealous brother desperate to get the love of his father, but as the fruit of a sinful mother, unable to get ever obtain it. The love of his brother's fiancée may be more in reach. It doesn't strictly adhere to the Biblical tale, coming to different conclusions by simply asking WHY Cain went bad. So it's really all about Dean's performance as a kid who breaks the rules for no good reason, which is both a quality and a fault in him. Many will empathize with the parent-child relationship even if Steinbeck fans may feel his work was butchered. For me, while I liked the performances and the psychology they suggested, the adaptation from the novel made for a meandering second act. As a result, I wasn't always invested as much as I needed to be. 4 years 10 months ago -
Cocohorse
I would've enjoyed it more had I not read the book, but this is so distractingly different from the book that I really can't enjoy it much. Where is Lee? What about "timshel" and all the great thematic achings of the book? James Dean is very good, though. 7 years 10 months ago
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In 11 official lists
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This movie ranks #17 in Golden Globe Award - Best Motion Picture
Golden Globe Award - Bes…
17 -
This movie ranks #57 in A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese
A Personal Journey with …
57 -
This movie ranks #95 in iCheckMovies's 1950s Top 100
iCheckMovies's 1950s Top…
95 -
This movie ranks #243 in The New York Times's Book of Movies
The New York Times's Boo…
243 -
This movie ranks #277 in The Guardian's 1000 Films to See Before You Die
The Guardian's 1000 Film…
277 -
This movie ranks #379 in Jonathan Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema
Jonathan Rosenbaum's Ess…
379 -
This movie ranks #498 in David Thomson's Have You Seen?
David Thomson's Have You…
498 -
This movie ranks #534 in TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest Films
TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest F…
534 -
This movie ranks #737 in Library of Congress's National Film Registry
Library of Congress's Na…
737 -
This movie ranks #879 in Sight & Sound's The Greatest Films of All Time
Sight & Sound's The Grea…
879 -
This movie ranks #925 in Halliwell's Top 1000: The Ultimate Movie Countdown
Halliwell's Top 1000: Th…
925