Alfred Hitchcock Critique

On June 28, 1941, in the outskirts of New York City a man named Donald Spoto was born. Spoto is not a household name by any means, but he is a well renowned biographer and historian. He has written 19 books total that all are centered on the film industry. The first one entitled The Art of Alfred Hitchcock: Fifty Years of His Films, has become a classic in the film industry and has been translated into 17 different languages. He went on to write a biography of Hitchcock, The Dark Side of Genius: The Life of Alfred Hitchcock, that earned the 1984 Edgar Award for the Best Nonfiction Book. He has also written about actresses and actors such as Marlene Dietrich and James Dean. Rebel: The Life and Legend of James Dean is Spoto’s through research

East of Eden, the only movie released while Dean was alive, is a movie about a young man named Cal Trask, James Dean, who wishes to become the family favorite over his brother Aron, Richard Davalos. Trask sets out to gain his father’s approval by becoming an entrepreneur. During this process, he also meets his thought to be deceased mother and falls in love with his brother’s girlfriend. The character Cal is very much like James because he is usually unhappy and always seems very out of place. This is how the book Rebel: The Life and Legend of James Dean portrays the young man. According to BOSLEY CROWTHER of the New York Times, “The use that Mr. Kazan has made of Cinemascope and color in capturing expanse and mood in his California settings is almost beyond compare.” Rebel without a Cause is the story of Jim Stark. In this movie, James is a rebellious teenager who loves causing trouble in his new town. He races cars toward cliffs and risks his life. This is almost like a precursor to his death. The reviews on this movie are good. Roger Ebert states that "’Rebel Without a Cause’ was enormously influential at the time, a milestone in the creation of new idea about young

An excerpt from publishers weekly says, “while there's not a lot here that's exciting or new, Spoto cuts and pastes smoothly.” In another review Kirkus states that, “the basic thrust of Rebel is to denounce Spoto's predecessors for vastly inflating the alleged sexual escapades of his protagonist.” I personally enjoyed the book. I thought that it done a very good job of showcasing Dean at each of the stages of his life. I agree with the Kirkus Review that it was heavily based on proving that there was not a shred of evidence to conclude any of the allegations that arose after his death. I did find it to be an interesting read and I feel like I have a better understanding of the legend that is James