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James Dean: Forever Young More at IMDbPro »
| Index | 10 reviews in total |
13 out of 17 people found the following review useful:
Kind of disappointing, 24 September 2005
Author:
Chris Wuchte from United States
I love James Dean, so it's disappointing that I've yet to find a truly great documentary about the man. On the plus side, this documentary has lots of rare footage, especially of his lesser known film and television appearances. I saw a lot of stuff I hadn't seen before. Unfortunately, this is a very basic documentary, the kind of thing you'd expect to get free, tacked on somewhere as a DVD extra. In fact, I'd initially heard this was to be included with the recent James Dean DVD box that came out. It probably would have played better there, but on its own it seems weak. First off, it actually opens with a montage set to Rod Stewart's song "Forever Young". Not only does the song seem terribly out of place, but it also seems like the kind of thing Dean himself would have disliked. We're also subjected to Jim Croce's "I Got A Name" as Jimmy drives to his death. You know the one, where he sings "movin' me down the highway" repeatedly in overly earnest seventies singer songwriter style. And why do we hear Paul McCartney's "Mull Of Kintyre" over the closing credits? All this, plus no interviews, just Martin Sheen narrating in a "then Jimmy acted in this" mode. As a collection of rare clips, this is intriguing for Dean fans. Other than that, it offers little insight into a fascinating life.
11 out of 14 people found the following review useful:
wonderful look into Dean's life, 5 August 2005
Author:
rhinestone_cowgirl from Texas
I saw this film at it's American premiere at the James Dean festival in Marion, Indiana. I feel in love immediately and somehow all over again with James Dean. I think that my favorite aspect of the film was how it revealed the "real" Dean, the artist, not James Dean the rebel, because there's so much more to him than that stereotype. The film chronicles a fearless boy ready to tackle the world, not afraid to take chances and step on some toes, but not in a maniacal fashion, which is what I loved. I appreciated how I was able to watch much of the television work of Dean, as well as some of his screen tests, most notably for "East of Eden" in which he tests with a young Paul Newman. This is one of the most wonderful documentaries I've ever seen, and it's because it's made out of love for Dean, and love of art and film-making, not for the almighty dollar, and that alone makes it something very special.
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
A lengthy look at Dean's early work on TV..., 21 September 2011
Author:
Neil Doyle from U.S.A.
If you're a James Dean fan and only really know him from the three
films that brought him fame, you'll be interested in seeing how he kept
busy before that big break in EAST OF EDEN ('55).
As interesting as these early TV clips are, none of them are set up in
a way that helps us follow what is going on. Seen out of context it's
difficult to assess just how well Dean is doing in his various roles,
but it does appear that he had already adopted all of the quirky
mannerisms he displayed in his major films. His method acting is on
full display in all of the '50s TV work he did, including episodes with
Ronald Reagan and Geraldine Page. It would have been interesting to
know why Louis Jourdan had little to do with him during their Broadway
appearance in "The Immoralist." It's a fact that is quickly mentioned
and then dropped by narrator Martin Sheen.
His test with Paul Newman for EAST OF EDEN to see whether they could
play brothers in the John Steinbeck drama is one of the more
interesting highlights. And ironically, his willingness to appear with
Gig Young in a short about driver safety shortly before Dean's death in
an auto accident leaves an indelible impression.
For fans of the actor, an interesting glimpse of his personality before
and during the height of stardom, but not an incisive full-bodied
portrait of the actor at work.
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
A life cut short, 25 September 2011
Author:
sol from Brooklyn NY USA
Impressive documentary of 1950's Hollywood icon James Dean in both rare
photos film and video clips seen for the first time since they were
shown on TV and the movies almost 60 years ago. Dean who started his
acting career doing Pepsi Cola commercials ended up becoming one of the
top stars in Hollywood five years later only to get himself killed in a
traffic accident on a lonely stretch of a California highway at dusk,
at approximately 5:45 PM, on that fateful Friday afternoon of September
30, 1955.
At the time of Dean's death the public were exposed to only one film
that he stared in "East of Edan" with his next film "Rebel Without a
Cause" slated to be released, in mid-October, just two weeks after he
was killed. But as we see in this fascinating documentary Dean had
already made a name for himself on both stage and TV with some three
dozen roles that he cut his teeth and perfected his acting craft in.
Holding his own against seasoned actors like John Carradine Rod Steiger
Hume Cronyn and Robert Middleton Dean by the beginning of 1954 was
ready to make the big time as well as big bucks in Hollywood. That's in
famed Hollywood & Broadway director Elia Kazan casting him in the title
role of the moody and ill tempered Cal Trusk in film version of John
Steinbeck's best selling novel "East of Edan".
It was in "East of Eden" that the movie going public finally got to see
what an electrifying and talented actor James Dean really was. What the
public didn't know was that one of the reasons that Dean was able to
convey such explosive tension and almost maniacal intensity in his
roles was that he was extremely near-sighted, his vision was 20/400,
and had to squint, in him not being able to see as close as ten inches
in front of his nose, to see or make out the actors and actresses that
were in the scenes with him.
After the success of "East of Edan" Dean was well on his way to movie
immortality but his premature death at age 24 cut all that short; Or
did it! In fact James Dean had become bigger in death then he ever was
in life which is one of the many ironies and contradictions about him.
And it's that his tragic death what makes Dean the legend that he is
even more then any of the parts, on stage TV and in the movies, he
played!
One of the many ironies in Dean's life was that fellow actor Paul
Newman tested for the part, which we see in a never before shown film
clip, of Dean's brother and rival for his father affection Aron in his
beak-out film "East of Edan" and lost out to Richaed Davalos for the
role. As fate would have it the very next role that Dean was to play
before his untimely death the part of boxer Rocky Graziano in "Somebody
up There Likes Me" eventually went to Paul Newman! That like in James
Dean's part as Cal Trusk in "East of Edan" became Newman's beak-out
movie role. That eventually made him the major film star,in Newman
taking the part which by then Dean was not available for, which James
Dean was very probably descant to become!
P.S Another ironic fact about James Dean is that on the day September
30, 1955 that he died he was exactly,in him being born on February 8,
1931, 9,000 days old!
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Underscores how badly we need a boxed set of Dean's surviving TV shows!, 22 September 2011
Author:
mgconlan-1 from United States
"James Dean: Forever Young" is a good but not great documentary about one of the most enigmatic stars in Hollywood history. It's free of the usual talking heads (one British film about him in the early 1970's was promoted as the last one made when both Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo were still alive and available for interviews) and it focuses mostly on Dean himself via his surviving work on live TV shows and screen tests. It presents a sanitized version of his life, ignoring his sexuality almost completely (the real Dean was almost certainly Bisexual and his relationships with older men were probably quite a bit more than the innocent "mentoring" ones they're presented as here) and also leaving out his interest in horror films (as a teenager he played the Frankenstein monster in an amateur play, he hung out with Maila "Vampira" Nurmi of "Plan Nine from Outer Space" infamy, and the film in which he planned to make his debut as director, as well as starring, was an adaptation of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" he had asked his friend, screenwriter Bill Bast — a name unmentioned in this movie even though Bast published the first book ever written about Dean — to write for him). What was really most frustrating about this film was that it showed off the sheer extent of Dean's legacy — a LOT more of his acting survives than the three starring films we've known for over half a century — and at the same time offered it only in tantalizing clips. It's about time that whatever rights holders are involved got together for a COMPLETE (or nearly so) presentation of Dean's surviving TV work on DVD so Dean's fans can have a complete picture of his work and can see the performances that have been left to rot in vaults all these many years. James Dean did a lot more than just three big movies, and the tragedy of his early death only underscores the need for a complete and respectful presentation of ALL the work he actually DID leave behind.
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
The legend lives on in our hearts and in film..., 11 June 2006
Author:
Jem Odewahn from Australia
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Excellent James Dean documentary with plenty of early footage from
Dean's television appearances to sate even the most hungriest Dean
fan's appetite. This is a very well-crafted and produced feature that
looks at the short, yet incredible life of Hollywood's symbol of
youthful rebellion.
One of the amazing things about Dean was the sheer amount of
photographic evidence that he left behind in his death. There are
countless images of our idol on offer here, and this can be attributed
to Dean's love of photography and being photographed. There is a lot of
images and early TV work used here rather than scenes from his three
major films, but Dean fans surely can't complain as a lot of this
footage is rare and hasn't been in public circulation for years.
We get a look at the personality of Dean and the ingredients that make
him such a lauded figure today. His qualities were frustrating, yet
endearing and wholly recognizable.
The legend lives on.
A Must-See For A James Dean Fan, 5 October 2012
Author:
Kazuya_Ryuzaki from United States
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
James Dean: Forever Young is a documentary about the brief but memorable career of the now iconic James Dean.It focuses much attention on his early work for television, and utilizes a variety of archival footage in order to ale the tale of the young man who gained immortality with only three feature films to his credit.A brief career. A timeless stardom. In just three major movie roles namely:The East Of Eden;The Giant; and The Rebel Without A Cause, James Dean became an icon for the ages. Now his legacy shines even brighter thanks to this fascinating film.It was definitely well-researched and definitive.A must-see for a James Dean fan.
Frozen in time, 9 December 2010
Author:
blanche-2 from United States
"James Dean: Forever Young" is a look at the actor, focusing a lot on
the pre-Hollywood television years. There is lots of rare footage, plus
the famous Newman-Dean screen test for "East of Eden", which I had seen
on the A&E bio of Paul Newman.
I know James Dean's story very well, but you wouldn't think I knew it
at all from my reaction. When narrator Martin Sheen says, "In 1953..."
and introduced another television show, I thought, "Gee, it's 1953. He
died in 1955. When is he going to Hollywood?" The entire time, I kept
thinking, he died before his 25th birthday? As if I didn't know that.
Somehow, seeing this gifted, beautiful, vital man in action, it was
harder to comprehend. Even harder to comprehend than that is that he
was a contemporary of Martin Landau's. Think of Dean today, at 79. What
might have been? I didn't really like Martin Sheen's narration. I found
it intrusive and (this isn't his fault) it was like a resume. There
wasn't footage on ALL of the TV shows, yet he talked about every one of
them. Believe me, they could have skipped some. The narration also made
the same stupid mistake that we hear over and over again: "He only made
three films." Why does that drive me so crazy? He only STARRED in three
films. He MADE more than three.
The Hollywood part was fascinating. And the photos. Boy did the camera
worship this man. He was born for the movies. This is well worth seeing
for the photo shoots and footage of Dean off the set. There are no
interviews with friends and coworkers, which is okay too. He speaks for
himself.
I read some complaints about the music. I had no problem with it. It
wasn't '50s music but it fit the subject matter.
As this was coproduced by Dean's nephew Marcus Winslow, the documentary
emphasizes his interest in women. Like all classic stars, there are
lots of rumors about his sexuality. Also, he was supposedly obsessed
with Marlon Brando and emulated him in every way possible - this also
wasn't covered.
What is covered is that James Dean was an unusual person, possibly not
as eccentric as he portrayed himself, but nevertheless a passionate and
talented person, extremely magnetic and sexy. A true icon.
Dean's love for fast cars and racing - at that age, I'm sure he felt
immortal. And guess what, in a way, he was.
Don't miss this one despite a few flaws.
0 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Terrific Look at Dean's Work, 22 September 2011
Author:
Michael_Elliott from Louisville, KY
James Dean: Forever Young (2005)
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Extremely impressive documentary about the final five years in the life
of James Dean. The documentary, narrated by Martin Sheen, is certainly
unlike any other you're going to see. For starters, there are countless
documentaries, magazine articles and countless other tributes to Dean.
I mean, after all there is a reason he's still so highly recognized all
these years after his death. If you want to learn about his childhood
then there's plenty of information out there. If you want to hear about
his public life then that too is out there. This documentary doesn't
just focus on his life, career or death but instead it tries to show
you a little bit of everything that he was doing. Using film clips, TV
episodes, home made movies and countless other items, this documentary
starts at the beginning of Dean's career and travels down to his final
three movies. I really enjoyed how the documentary tried to cover every
aspect of Dean's professional life. We get to see countless clips that
would take you hours to track down via the web or other sources and to
have all of it within an 88-minutes film is just terrific for fans. We
see the work that he did on TV. We get behind the scenes stuff from the
set of GIANT. We get to see the places that Dean hung out at before he
became famous. We even get to see some rare photos of him hanging out
with friends and other celebrities. Best of all are some outtakes from
EAST OF EDEN and the early screen tests including one with Paul Newman.
We even get the now legendary public service spot that Dean shot just
days before his death. If you're a fan of Dean then this here is going
to be a dream come true simply because of how much footage we get to
see. The early television stuff was especially exciting to see as were
some of the lesser known shows that he did early in his career.
2 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
Dean and Newman Screen Test...Wow!, 24 June 2006
Author:
nneprevilo from United States
During the mid-50s, everybody was fascinated with James Dean,
including, obviously, Paul Newman. I have never seen such blatant
flirting between two men on the screen.
Paul wanted this role as Dean's brother in "East of Eden," and it
showed. The "test" was nothing more than Dean and Newman standing side
by side taking direction from an off-screen voice. "Now, turn and look
at one another," the director orders. Dean, whom we know was gay, was
smitten with the ultra-handsome Paul. When their eyes met, Newman could
certainly sense Dean's "interest" in him. Isn't it always IN THE EYES?
Newman boldly flirted back (oh, those blue eyes!) But then, Dean was
equally as handsome. I tell you - those eyes were COMMUNICATING!!!
At one point, while staring into one another's eyes, Dean says to
Newman, "kiss me." Newman smiles and whispers, "can't here." They both
laugh. Several homo-erotic moves and comments follow, something about
"I can't let this guy (Newman) get behind me!".
When I showed this to a female friend, she was floored. "I can't
BELIEVE they did that," she quipped. Now, I saw Paul Newman in person
coming out of Sardi's in New York one evening. You just wouldn't
believe how handsome he was and how mesmerizing his blue eyes were.
And, going back to 1953, he was at his zenith in good looks. I suppose
Jimmy had good taste. Wait 'till you see this screen test! Paul didn't
get the part, but did show up the next year in "The Silver Chalice,"
his first film, co-starring with the gorgeous, Virginia Mayo, who was
top-billed. Newman was "introduced."
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