East of Eden

To get in character as tormented Cal Trask, possessor of the mightiest daddy issues this side of Genesis, the movie’s young star would bait the older actor playing his father, Raymond Massey, so mercilessly between takes that his dad’s on-camera loathing was only too real. But there was Method to James Dean’s madness, goaded by director Elia Kazan until Dean produced a furious star-making performance. Kazan’s amped-to-11 1955 adaptation of the John Steinbeck novel was one of just three star vehicles that cemented Dean’s legacy before his freak death that year: this one features perhaps his nerviest acting, especially in the scenes with Massey and the actress playing his wayward mother, Jo Van Fleet. Watch also for the amazing bug-eyed character actor Timothy Carey, who reportedly so exasperated Kazan that he pushed the director to blows. The movie finishes The Belcourt’s monthlong Kazan retrospective.
Nov. 28-30, 2009