Cheap East of Eden (Video) (Elia Kazan) Price

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Customer Reviews of East of Eden

Classic American Cinema
James Dean has become a legend, both because of his amazing talent and the fact that he died so young. One has to wonder how he would have developed if he had lived longer. He, Montgomery Clift and Marlon Brando all appeared at the same time, with the same soul searing magic. Clift died young too. Would Dean have self destructed like Marlon Brando or matured to handsome but sensible old-age like Paul Newman and Robert Redford? Of course we don't know, but fortunately we have these records of the few films he made, to enjoy. <
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>Elia Kazan made this movie from a book by Steinbeck, who was inspired by the write of the book of Genesis. Pretty good stuff! Add the wonderful actors, (besides Dean,) Julie Harris, Raymond Massey and Jo Van Fleet...and how can you miss? <
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>The story is deep and universal with fundamental human problems. Who can't relate to wanting to be loved? to be considered good? to having one's gifts honored? We see the "good" man, Adam, who has ideals and standards, who wants to make a contribution for the next generation, who sincerely tries to do what he believes is right, but who has no idea that his very "goodness" is crushing the life of his son, Cal, just as he crushed the life of his former wife. We see the former wife, by all standards a "bad" woman, a madame, who is profiteering off of the weaknesses of others and yet we come to like her. As the Julie Harris character says, she really doesn't know what's good and what's bad anymore. <
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>There's an interesting sub-plot in which a formerly considered "good" neighbor, a German shoemaker, is now considered to be "bad" because we're now at war with Germany. <
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>At the time this film appeared, our country was just about ready to wake up from the myth of "we're good and everyone else is bad." We had fought and defeated the bad guys in another world war and had grown fat and complacent in our new prosperity. We were on the brink of the 60's in which all hell broke loose and a whole new generation of young people would rise up and re-write the rules of morality. Dean, in this film, portends the new revolution in consciousness, which is why, in my opinion, he captured the hearts and souls of so many people. He embodied the spirit that was ready to burst out...that of the guy who dared to break the rules, to discover for himself what was right..(.but boy, it sure wasn't easy.) Dean's talent, good looks and charm dressed this new rebellious spirit in a very attractive package; we wouldn't have fallen so hard for a mere thug. (A decade later we had John Lennon.) <
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>Kazan wasn't afraid of feeling or telling his version of what's right and wrong. He gives us a fully formed, deeply felt and emotionally satisfying film that should please every sentient being on the planet. It was a perfect film for that time, and, come to think of it, a pretty good film for now!

Moviemaking at its best
I can still remember the night I saw this movie. I was in my teens, and came out of the theater with my hands in my pockets and a bit hunched, just lika James Dean in the movie! The acting in this movie is top-notch, by even the actors and actresses in bit roles. Unforgettable movie, well adapted from a masterpiece novel.