'East of Eden' | Critics' Picks | The New York Times

A. O. Scott looks back at Elia Kazan's 1955 film adaptation of John Steinbeck's novel.
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'East of Eden' | Critics' Picks | The New York Times
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[@HelpMeFindTheseSongs]

This review didn't even mention the acting by Jo Van Fleet who plays the mom. She is PHENOMENAL in this movie!!

[@lagunaflyguy]

One of the greatest films ever made. Certainly Dean's best film.

[@mangott]

Thank you to A. O. Scott and The New York Times for bringing this profound film to a review. The three James Dean films, and his live TV dramas, all are remarkable but this film has always been my favorite. For me, in this one he took method acting to somewhere no one else has been able to go. It's so realistic that the emotional impact of certain scenes makes it difficult to watch, but I have to watch.

[@inspiredfandoms7233]

My favorite movie of all time!

[@bagofhammers7479]

Love this film and the cinematography

[@billfisher9238]

Dean only made 3 great films. But the same can be said about Julie Harris. MEMBER of the WEDDING, EAST of EDEN and THE HAUNTING are her best films. She committed herself to the stage. That's where she really excelled.

[@165Dash]

Great movie! Great review! Interestingly the supporting cast never quite gets enough credit for its phenomenal performances in this classic Dean vehicle. Had a huge crush on Abra for years and this film was made the year I was born. I guess I was a “nerd” also.

[@PerfectoKiss]

I can watch James Dean all day. There is authenticity in his acting that u just don’t see. He is a treasure to watch. Such a loss for us that he only did three films, which are all wonderful to watch. Jimmy Dean lives forever!

[@ramona2797]

Superb film, magnificent author, cast and director!

[@voiskumbeaver3285]

At 3:30 that isn't Dean with his back to the camera facing Raymond Massey. It didn't look like Richard Davalos either. It totally looks like Paul Newman. Did he do a screen test with Massey that has never been mentioned before?

[@blahblah60]

I watched it for the beautiful man but got much more out of it.

[@seanfitzpatrick4730]

James Dean wasn't really a good actor he was quite overrated he wasn't as talented as the hype

[@hetmanjz]

@@seanfitzpatrick4730 Bollocks.

[@tozuiyon5857]

Sean Fitzpatrick His role in East of Eden was mostly unscripted as well as that being his first major film role, he also only starred in 3 movies until he died in 1955 and he got worldwide credit for it. Now, isn’t that amazing?

[@p.j.gannon1646]

James Dean was amazing

[@MrJuvefrank]

Southern Pacific sure had some beautiful trains.

[@bobbybobby3232]

Lee is an important character in the novel, but the film left him out.

[@danishara9138]

Whaaat?

[@seanwren2152]

@@danishara9138 Lee is probably the best character in the whole thing

[@salvadorpradoramos]

This movie garbage compare to the book. They destroy the characters and simplified them. James Deen saved this movie.

[@ShapeyFiend]

The book is a huge multigenerational epic. They'd need to make it into a TV series do it justice. I don't believe the 80's one was much use.

[@haiphan5599]

I was going to watch the movie, but now that you said it maybe not. The friendship between Lee and the Trasks is one of the things I love most about the book :

[@sharizanhamid]

best movie ever bout relationship of son n father!

[@Jbaldwin-r6s]

I love this movie especially James Dean 😍😍😍😍😍

[@TomHoffman-bf8wf]

This reviewer is clearly in over his head. Julia Harris played the role of Abra not Alba. She was lovely not nerdy. She was the reason this film worked. I'm not surprised though. The NYT is noted for publishing weak and erroneous opinions. All the while being so sure of their supposed superiority This is a great great film.

[@susancoddington6393]

James Dean at such a young age was an absolutely incredible actor,every role he played made the character come to life in front of the audiences eyes! Gone way to soon

[@glamoriquearshad2552]

James Dean is an inspiration, he's the reason why I wanna act

[@mrose05_]

my favourite movie and book

[@johnkiunke4508]

Great theme music too

[@TheWannabeBumpkin]

Alba?!? LOL

[@sappyguy8127]

i love this movie i do i really i do

[@northwestprof60]

"Turns the biblical story on its head?" Not hardly. It is a rather faithful and modern rendering of it, even if the names are a bit obvious. Abel was a shepherd and provided the Lord with an animal sacrifice; the movie Aaron goes off to war to perhaps do the same thing (using his own flesh); he too is favored by his father. Cal is like the biblical Cain not only in his jealousy but he too provides a plant offering to his father, which--as is the case with the biblical Cain--is rejected.

[@ObscuredByTime]

I've read everything Steinbeck has ever had published, and a few things he didn't know would be, and East of Eden isn't even in my top 5 favorite things from him. Not sure about movies made from his books, but I can tell you this: There's zero doubt in my mind that Cannery Row is Steinbeck's greatest book, with Grapes of Wrath coming in at his #1 most overrated. Steinbeck has always been at his best when he is focused on humor. There are few authors who have ever been funnier than Steinbeck. The man was a comic genius, and very few critics mention that fact.

[@seanwren2152]

I would.... Disagree. East of Eden is one of my favorites. It has to do with God's greatest gift to humanity, choice. Timshel. It might not hit home to others but this book was centered around something I've always been struggling with, and it helped me. So yeah I liked it.

[@seanwren2152]

Grapes of Wrath wasn't really overrated either I don't think. Maybe it's the style of the book you don't like?

[@ObscuredByTime]

@@seanwren2152 Oh, it's a great book, it's just not in my top 5. It's probably #6. I think The Wayward Bus is even better. My list of top five would be: Cannery Row, Tortilla Flat, The Grapes of Wrath, The Pastures of Heaven, The Wayward Bus, and... hrmm, actually, I take it back. I'll put East of Eden at #5. In Dubious Battle is his only dud, imo.

[@rerite2]

Steinbeck's book, "Travels with Charley," is one of his best books, IMHO. Steinbeck excelled in that genre. I wish someone had hired him to do a kind of, "On the Road with Charles Kuralt" TV series. On a side note, I understand two of his last living relatives are fighting a legal battle with each other for his book royalties, which, apparently, are still quite good.

[@MrJuvefrank]

The train on the right has Harriman passenger cars named after E.H. Harriman, a person who worked for Union Pacific.

[@lynnturman8157]

That crazy Harriman. A setup like that costs more than we ever took. Probably inherited every penny he's got!

[@MrJuvefrank]

@@lynnturman8157 Well, you're sitting at home, hating E.H. Harriman, and he doesn't know; he's out dancing, having a good time.

[@rosevanguard]

A great California American story. Without blind patriotism.

[@007nadineL]

Yes I just watched it last week and I was interested to see the anti-war sentiment in the movie

[@MariaLidiaGarcia-gt7vd]

Joyas del cine

[@57ot]

I really don’t understand why Dean gets all the praise and not Richard Davalos. Dean looks alien to the entire film. His acting is full of mannerisms fashionable at the time and would be more appropriate for theatre where overacting might be necessary to get through to a far away viewer. He seems to be really enjoying the spotlight and, that’s what it probably is, he couldn’t step away from his iconic image outside of the stage. Davalos, on another hand, lives in the frame. His face always reflects his inner monologue so beautifully, he does not need to say anything. Davalos acts from within. James Dean is just being himself.

[@amschelmayer.7092]

And in being himself and even at times deviating from the script by adding his own nuances and personality to a line, he makes the character become a real human being! ... What magnificent talent this great James Dean had!

[@Tomy_Yon]

Richard Davalos's subtle transition from sweet and naive guy to the completely broken and mean man at the end is heartbreaking and tragic.

[@57ot]

@@Tomy_Yon yep, that is real acting craft! James Dean’s performance is something between Bollywood manner of grotesque emotions and Ancient Greek tragedy 😩🤧

[@alg11297]

This was an overly long soap opera. Next time you watch it, see how many times "Cal" is said in the first 15 minutes. And some strange dialogue like "Is that why you are like that, Cal. Cause you're bad". Also, the music swells up every few seconds making it seem even longer.

[@lynnturman8157]

Makes me happy that people like you don't like it

[@alg11297]

@@lynnturman8157 People like me? Do you know me?

[@Estaven57]

The female character's name was ABRA not Alba. Get it right fool.

[@lexxandermilan6528]

I can feel your conviction ahaha

[@MrJuvefrank]

He may have said "Alba" because he didn't hear correctly.

[@danwroy]

Reported (you)

[@hetmanjz]

@@danwroy Haha, wut. Reported who for what?

[@cody7790]

Um..who wouldnt prefer cal, hellooo 😅

[@torilllundborn7899]

Do Fathers think of this very important message. LOVE your children of a heart as of Jesus Christ.

[@Fugazinome]

I’m a Dean’s fan but must admit that Brando was at a different level.

[@p.j.gannon1646]

You are no Dean FAN for his age he was a brilliant actor and Brando was a different level a lower level

[@Fugazinome]

@@p.j.gannon1646 Yeah,ok.

[@PerfectoKiss]

My vote goes to Jimmy.

[@iac4357]

@00:43 !

[@thiccboss4780]

way shorter than Mavrik's essay ...................... and yet managed to accomplish so much more... a little polished voicework , less scene by scene commentary , actually trying to dig and dagger into the film's theme without drawing parallels to modern drama godammit godammit godfucking bloody dammit , 9 months of non-stop work , more like 9 months of super-hero and animated movies that's more like it

[@SR120]

@summermoon i think hmv has it

[@admf34]

@summermoon think i saw it on netflix

[@007nadineL]

I just watched two of Deans's movies last week. I enjoyed. My biggest problem is that Dean must have lied about his age because he is too old for these teenaged rolls. So I blame casting etc. on that. At one part he's supposed to be 24 and he literally looks thirty to me. And I know what a bunch of 24 year old boys is supposed to look like

[@amschelmayer.7092]

Westeners usually look some ten years older than their age. Secondary school pupils look like university students and older. ... Certainly not to you, though, if you are one of them. Asians, by contrast, such as Chinese lads, tend to look ten years younger than they really are, or more! A Chinese bloke who looks to be in his early 30s may easily be in his early forties.

[@jimc6054]

Dean was 23 when this film was made in May to August, 1954, released in April, 1955. Julie Harris was 28 during filming and in some scenes she pulls off the teenager look while in others she appears closer to her actual age.

[@rerite2]

A rare instance where the film is better than the novel.

[@kirasgirl]

Absolutely not! This film left some very important characters completely out.

[@abutta05]

You’re insane if you think this!

[@calql8er]

A movie only a film critic could love. I hated it.

[@SmithMrCorona]

James Dean - a convulsing, simpering, overacting noodle, who looked like an Adonis. If he weren't so handsome, he wouldn't be a blip on the screen.

[@robertwilliams4682]

If acting like a traumatized human being constituted "overacting", then your point would be valid.

[@adrian72300]

when did he "overact" ?

[@souryatanusaha6681]

Finally someone said it.

[@haintedhouse3052]

Tony's jealous again.

[@MrJuvefrank]

If that was true, then Dean is not like that anymore. I heard Dean is dead.

[@EltonHamilton]

ruins the book slightly for me.

[@ivangartenhaus4276]

Which book , the Bible or the novel?

[@randywhite3947]

How?