Rebel without a Cause was the middle of these films and perhaps the best. It was hailed by the American Film Institute, as one of the best 100 films of all times and it deserves such accolades. Rebel may seem a bit dated to the sometimes jaded youthful audiences of today but the emotional impact of this film is timeless. The struggle of coming to age, the tension of being a teenager or the conflict between parents as their child grow to adulthood remain as powerful today as they were in the fifties. Sure, it was supposed to be a simpler time back then but the pains of the teen years are never easy, especially from the teenager's point of view.
Rebel does show a different era.
One where boys wore ties and jackets to high school. Where girls wore calf length flair shirts to school and poodle skirts to sock hops. Still, it is a real and meaningful today as it was then. The timeless struggle of a teenager to become an adult. How that change is reflected not only in our they deal with their peers but also how they have to reevaluate their parents and other adults.