James Dean Remembered

This is one of the special features on the bonus DVD for "Rebel Without a Cause". It's a very unusual sort of documentary in that it's not just a discussion of his films but also allows those who acted with him to give their recollections of what he was like as a person as we as like an actor. Because of this, it gives greater than usual insight into the sort of person he was--something pretty rare for a documentary.

This retrospective features Peter Lawford as a narrator and host. In addition to introducing clips, he interviews stars such as Sammy Davis, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo and Rock Hudson. It's ironic to think that while these people are all dead today, most also died very prematurely--though none as prematurely as Dean. The style of the film might bore some (it is a bit slow here and there) but for fans, it's a great insight into the man behind his cult veneer. One of the only drawbacks is that much of the footage was quite grainy--but this is a small price to pay to watch a truly unusual sort of documentary. Another, though very minor, is that I would have liked more interviews with more actors and actresses.