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East of Eden (1955)

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 3
Fresh: 2 | Rotten: 1

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Average Rating: 4/5
User Ratings: 21,576

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Movie Info

This truncated screen version of John Steinbeck's best-seller was the first starring vehicle for explosive 1950s screen personality James Dean, who plays Cal Trask, the "bad" son of taciturn Salinas valley lettuce farmer Adam Trask (Raymond Massey). Although he means well, Cal can't stay out of trouble, nor is he able to match the esteem in which his father holds his "good" brother Aron (Richard Davalos). Only Aron's girlfriend Abra (Julie Harris) and kindly old sheriff Sam Burl Ives) can see

PG, 1 hr. 55 min.

Drama, Classics

Paul Osborn

May 31, 2005

Warner Bros. Pictures

Cast

All Critics (33) | Top Critics (5) | Fresh (31) | Rotten (4) | DVD (17)

John Steinbeck's painful biblical allegory -- Genesis replayed in Monterey, California, circa 1917 -- is more palatable on the screen, thanks to the down-to-earth performances of James Dean as Cal/Cain and Richard Davalos as Aron/Abel.

November 1, 2007 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | Comment
Chicago Reader
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Not only one of Kazan's richest films and Dean's first significant role, it is also arguably the actor's best performance.

December 6, 2005 Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | Comment
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

In short, there is energy and intensity but little clarity and emotion in this film. It is like a great, green iceberg: mammoth and imposing but very cold.

May 20, 2003 Full Review Source: New York Times | Comment
New York Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

a reaction to our plutocracy's values and a further case for Dean as the sainted figure of rebellion that would fuel the generational schism of the '60s.

May 11, 2011 Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | Comment
Film Freak Central

East of Eden is set in 1917 but [James] Dean feels completely modern and contemporary, a boy not quite comfortable in his body.

January 29, 2009 Full Review Source: Turner Classic Movies Online | Comment
Turner Classic Movies Online

Fine James Dean vehicle, one of few that put him into immortality.

March 20, 2008 Comment
Video-Reviewmaster.com

Kazan had the bad sense to leave out the best parts from the lengthy book.

December 2, 2007 Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | Comment
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

James Dean's finest performance

February 17, 2006 Comment

It's a film of great performances, atmospheric photography, and a sure sense of period and place.

January 26, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out | Comment

What could be a better way to spend two hours?

December 6, 2005 Full Review Source: Film Threat | Comment
Film Threat

Kazan's Biblical allegory has not held up well, but Dean's performance, for which he was Oscar-nominated posthumously, proves why he became a star after his very first film

July 18, 2005 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | Comment

... can be seen as one of the earliest examples of the enshrinement of the unregenerate, semi-nihilistic "attitude" that informed and in part created "rock 'n' roll."

July 17, 2005 Full Review | Comment
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

the real reason that this film has any legs at all (and the ONLY reason that Warner Brothers has released the DVD) rests with James Dean

June 29, 2005 Full Review Source: Old School Reviews | Comment

A classic of its time.

June 22, 2005 Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | Comment
Empire Magazine
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for East of Eden

Extraordinarily good version of the second half of the Steinbeck classic novel. Dean is riveting as the conflicted Cal with Julie Harris as Abra matching him every step of the way. Tautly directed by Kazan even in the quieter moments this pulls you right along. Burl Ives makes his few small scenes count and Raymond

September 26, 2007
jjnxn
jay nixon

Super Reviewer

Was anyone else completely convinced that Dean was 14 year old boy? His mannerisms were always dead perfect. And I must say that this movie actually made me want to read the book! Which I know is a brick of a book.Anyway, at first I wasn't all that enthralled in it, Dean played the disaffected youth he was so good at

December 29, 2010
MeetMeinMontauk
Jennifer D

Super Reviewer

    1. Sam the Sheriff: Burp!
    – Submitted by Meyer R (4 months ago)
    1. Cal Trask: I've been jealous all my life. Jealous, I couldn't even stand it. Tonight, I even tried to buy your love, but now I don't want it anymore. I can't use it anymore. I don't want any kind of love anymore. It doesn't pay off.
    – Submitted by Kate S (9 months ago)

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Foreign Titles

  • Jenseits von Eden (DE)
  • East of Eden (1955) (UK)
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