As seen in the group blog I’m apart of, Behind the Fourth Wall
In his well-loved and esteemed film, Rebel Without A Cause (1955) starring famed James Dean, director Nicholas Ray uses his extensive knowledge and intellect to manipulate and use the elements of mise-en-scène as well as sound to execute and explain both the plot and the larger narrative meanings of the film to the audience. All of the elements’ placements and their effects are evidently premeditated in an impressive display of intelligent filming and wonderful artistry.
The setting of this scene, the Griffith Park Observatory, though beautiful on its own in landscape and architecture, is fundamental to the scene; to the concluding scenes of the film; and also to the film’s overarching meaning, as it touches upon the key issues of social conformity – not ‘fitting in’ – and further to the expansive universe we inhabit – that we are quite small in the ‘grand scheme of things’. It does this because of its literal focus on outer space in the Planetarium, and how physically, it looks to the audience that they are gazing into the endless night sky, though they are actually within a room. The outside of the Observatory accomplishes a similar result, as it’s situated upon a hill with all around open and the sky is plentiful within each shot, thus emphasising the feeling of insignificance we are already party to. And, further perpetuating this feeling is the Planetarium with no projection on the domed screen, after the lecture, as it looks like a dawn approached sky, with the lights illuminating the outer edges of the dome like the sun would the tree line. The Planetarium accentuates one of Jim’s significant concerns and realisations – that “man existing alone seems himself an episode of little consequence.” Our triviality is important to Jim as well as Plato, as neither have ever fit in socially and have always been removed from the other kids, who we assume have not acknowledged them, which once again underlines the boys’ marking as pariahs. Another moment within the Planetarium that underlines Jim and Plato’s outsider status and insignificance to the other kids, as is it is these two who are most affected by the lecture and the explosion as the lecturer ominously explains that “we will disappear into the blackness of the space from which we came…”
The lighting is very simplistic and unobtrusive in this scene, looking as if it is mostly natural light throughout the entire sequence, perhaps stressing the film’s connection to outer space, though its role is not obvious. The sound however plays a much bigger role, as the separate dialogues are drawn attention to during the lecture, through cutting between them, so that we change our focus from the kids’ conversations to the poignant words of the professor accordingly. The professor’s words especially are of high importance to the greater meaning of the film, also giving a depth to Jim, when recognized. He draws our attention to the worries of Jim, and to a piece of information that has a very deep importance to the film’s intended meaning. He says, after the screen shows a whirling, coloured, smoky explosion that signifies the destroying of Earth, “through the infinite reaches of space the problems of man seem trivial and naive indeed. And man existing alone seems himself and episode of little consequence.” At the end of this fragment of the sequence, the camera is trained on Jim’s face, which shows his disdain towards this knowledge, and perhaps the realisation of what he may have already known – that our problems and we – people – are very minute indeed.
Jim’s overlying inconsequentiality, to most others, is further pointed out to us by his tardy arrival to the Planetarium excursion. Him running late and coming alone shows how he is always a step behind others socially, and that he is a lone rider, saying “I don’t want to make friends” to Plato. Him saying this is not just a defiant denial of his rejection from the “wheels”, but also the truth, as he’s not looking for friends, he’s looking for family. His fatherly love is shown at the end of the excursion when he waits for Plato, getting him to come out from hiding. He says to Plato “it’s all over, the world ended”, to which Plato replies, “What does he know about ‘man alone’” and stands up awkwardly close to Jim’s face, with an expression of awe. Plato’s words, by extension, refer to their social estrangement. Plato standing up unusually close to Jim emphasises Plato being in awe of his ‘fatherliness’, and could also alert us to the undertone of homosexual attraction to Jim. This undertone could also be seen when he is at the mansion with Jim and Judy, and when he runs to warn Jim of the “wheels” chasing of him. Also interesting is the seating of the characters inside the Planetarium, with Judy and Buzz seated at the front, and Jim and Plato seated behind them. This could indicate the social hierarchy, though usually the ‘cool’ kids sit at the back of theatres, so it could be a play – uncovering the truth of who is really the ‘coolest’ or most significant to the world.
In this film, Ray has posed many questions and put forth many concerns about existence and the importance of family, to both the characters and the viewers. Manipulating the elements of setting, costume and make-up, lighting, staging and performance, and sound, he creates poignant moments and scenes that relate not only to the plot itself, but also to the films greater intentions. Teaching us of the importance of family and good parenting, Ray uses this film and a cast of great actors to send his message.
Bibliography
Ray, N. (Director). (1955). Rebel Without A Cause [Motion Picture].
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