Which 1955 film directed by Nicholas Ray stars James Dean as a rebellious teenager?

The 1955 film directed by Nicholas Ray that stars James Dean as a rebellious teenager is Rebel Without a Cause. Dean plays Jim Stark, an emotionally troubled newcomer struggling with family conflict, social pressure, and the expectations placed on American youth.

The Warner Bros. production was filmed in color using the recently introduced CinemaScope format. Its focus on middle-class teenagers, rather than delinquency confined to urban poverty, gave the film a distinctive social angle. Natalie Wood played Judy, and Sal Mineo played Plato, two young people who form an intense bond with Jim.

The title was borrowed from psychiatrist Robert M. Lindner's 1944 book, but the film is not an adaptation of that book's story. Ray's direction uses expressive color, architecture, and widescreen compositions to turn teenage alienation into visual drama.

Dean died in a car crash on September 30, 1955, before the film's October 27 release, making the performance central to his posthumous legend. East of Eden and Giant also starred Dean, but Rebel Without a Cause is the film most directly associated with his rebellious-teenager image.