James Dean: The Rebel Hollywood will never forget 

Media Partners | Contributors | Advertise | Contact | Log in | Friday 6 October 2017

Burger King has just used Stephen King’s It to burn McDonald\'s so hard

Nobel Peace Prize: What is it and who decides who wins?

Gender-neutral emojis join mermaid and zombie in Apple’s new iOS update

Au pairing: the self-financing gap year alternative with great cultural benefits that can change your life

Interview: Hilary Bell on her new essay collection and what it is to be a millennial

Freshers - how to make a good impression with your tutors not just fellow students

James Dean: The Rebel Hollywood will never forget

Jim Stark. Cal Trask. Jett Rink. James Dean played only three characters throughout his Hollywood acting career but has left an indefinite mark on the industry and its consumers.

On September 30th, 1955, after only a year long stint on the Hollywood scene,

star, James Dean, was involved in a car accident that ended not only his career, but also his life. 

Despite his fleeting career, James Dean remains one of the most iconic Hollywood actors of all time. But how is it that a 24-year-old man, with only three notable films under his belt, has left such a significant impression on the world of film, even 62 years after his death?

The answer is simple. James Dean was more than just an actor and the roles he played more than just characters; he was the face of a generation. A generation of rebels and social outcasts who were in need of an icon, something to aspire to and a source of inspiration. 

Dean’s most famous, and arguably most influential, film,

solidified his status among the classic Hollywood stars and captured the hearts of countless adolescents. Red Windbreaker and lit cigarette to hand, he played Jim Stark, a troubled and misunderstood teenager recently uprooted and moved to a new town, brandishing him somewhat of an outcast.

Even today, there is a warmth of familiarity to Dean’s character in this film. The relatable feeling of going unnoticed and searching for belonging makes this coming-of-age film feel like a mirror reflection of youth even six decades after its release.

Stormzy shares childhood memories in Gang Signs & Prayer short film

‘In this movie, I’m trying to be poetic’ –Director Hany Abu-Assad on The Mountain Between Us

Like Jim Stark, his character in the 1955 film adaptation of John Steinbeck’s

, Cal Trask, also faced very real troubles. Feeling like an outsider in his own home, Cal resents his father due to the relationship he shares with his brother and therefore spends much of his time alone and in search of affection in the form of his absent mother.

And finally. The last character James Dean would ever play, Jett Rink, a handyman that develops the tormented feeling of unrequited love. Like his other two characters, Jett Rink is troubled by feelings that are all too familiar to the younger generation. His characters’ troubles are timeless and for that reason so is his presence in popular culture.

His true-to-life characters were major players in making Dean the icon he is but this isn’t a rarity in cinema. Coming-of-age stories aren’t hard to come by so it wasn’t simply the fact that Dean had created a relatable image of himself that gave him such a status.

All of Dean’s roles, including that of himself, carry an air of mysteriousness. It is a common belief that nobody truly knew the real James Dean and so the enigma surrounding his personality makes him all the more alluring. People are curious, that’s human instinct, so someone like James Dean, who relates to the masses but also keeps his cards close to his chest, naturally demands attention.

His premature death in September of 1955 only immortalised his mysteriousness and allure. From that day onwards, James Dean would remain the 24-year-old rebel American youth loved and aspired to.

not only referencing his films, but using them in their plot, current Hollywood are making sure that James Dean’s legacy withstands the test of time.

On the 62nd anniversary of his death, James Dean is no less a star than he was during his prime proving he was, and still is, larger than life.

20 quotes from Gwyneth Paltrow that will make your day

French-language films starring Marion Cotillard everyone should watch

Two creators, credit enough for one: Mother! & misogyny

The best films coming to Netflix UK this October

Female directors bring a modern reality to rom-coms – Reese Witherspoon

Teaching Will Smith how to pick-pocket: Interview with Focus con artists, Ava Do and Apollo Robbins

Is sex work still the most dangerous profession? The data suggests so

Impostor syndrome: why it\'s necessary for us to open up about self-doubt

Into The Wild: a tale of discovery, adventure and tragedy

Goodbye Christopher Robin: My day at the Hundred Acre Wood

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

Tinder’s new Reactions feature includes animations exclusive to women

The best street style from Paris Fashion Week

Top article: Alberobello, the fairy tale town of southern Italy you\'ve surely missed

© 2017 TheNationalStudent.com is a website of BigChoice Group Limited | TheBigCampus, 44-46 Offley Road, London, SW9 0LS | registered in England No 6842641 VAT # 971692974