The picture is one of intermittent violence, senseless yet instinctive and sometimes sickening to witness, but at the same time revealing of a kind of sad innocence, a yearning toward "belonging," that in one passage takes on an almost poetic quality.

Unfortunately the story is just as confused as the character, with the result that the Warner Brothers film is astounding without being at all convincing; shocking without making you believe it's true for an instant.

Rebel Without a Cause is, for much of its running time, of its moment, but it captures that moment with a grace and vulnerability that must’ve been astonishing for its original audiences.

An unpleasant but visually gripping juvenile delinquency melodrama...