Cal (James Dean) and Aron (Richard Davalos) are the sons of a modestly successful farmer and wartime draft board chairman. Cal is moody and embittered by his belief that his father favors Aron. Although both Cal and Aron had long been led to believe that their mother had died 'and gone to heaven,' the opening scene reveals Cal has apparently learned that his mother is still alive, owning and running a successful brothel in nearby Monterey.
8 May 1893, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
6 October 1893, Payson, Utah, USA
31 March 1906, Russia
11 October 1892, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
9 July 1900, Chicago, Illinois, USA
February 9, 1890 in San Jose, California, USA
20 December 1905, Brooklyn, New York, USA
28 September 1908, Texas, USA
11 January 1877, Sydney, Australia
30 August 1896, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
14 June 1909, Hunt City, Illinois, USA
July 22, 1903 in Turin, Piedmont, Italy
5 July 1907, Callahan County, Texas, USA
14 December 1923, Los Angeles, California, USA
May 6, 1878 in Liban, Russia
27 December 1878, Portlaw, Ireland
15 March 1907, Chicago, Illinois, USA
July 30, 1888 in Chatfield, Minnesota, USA
October 15, 1931 in Springfield, Ohio, USA
January 7, 1935 in Reading, Pennsylvania, USA
24 October 1901, Dracut, Massachusetts, USA
28 December 1913, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
20 March 1908, New York, USA
30 November 1890, Georgetown, Guyana
May 17, 1906 in Bayonne, New Jersey, USA
2 December 1925, Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, USA
11 March 1871, Sacramento, California, USA
May 11, 2011
a reaction to our plutocracy's values and a further case for Dean as the sainted figure of rebellion that would fuel the generational schism of the '60s.
December 06, 2005
Not only one of Kazan's richest films and Dean's first significant role, it is also arguably the actor's best performance.
May 20, 2003
In short, there is energy and intensity but little clarity and emotion in this film. It is like a great, green iceberg: mammoth and imposing but very cold.
November 01, 2007
John Steinbeck's painful biblical allegory -- Genesis replayed in Monterey, California, circa 1917 -- is more palatable on the screen, thanks to the down-to-earth performances of James Dean as Cal/Cain and Richard Davalos as Aron/Abel.
November 28, 2015
Rich historical detail and good visuals make interesting film.
December 02, 2007
Kazan had the bad sense to leave out the best parts from the lengthy book.
February 17, 2006
James Dean's finest performance
March 20, 2008
Fine James Dean vehicle, one of few that put him into immortality.
January 29, 2009
East of Eden is set in 1917 but [James] Dean feels completely modern and contemporary, a boy not quite comfortable in his body.
January 26, 2006
It's a film of great performances, atmospheric photography, and a sure sense of period and place.
April 14, 2014
Catches fire in the clashes between Dean (as the bad brother) and Raymond Massey as his stiff-necked dad.
