
In the Salinas Valley, in and around World War I, Cal Trask feels he must compete against overwhelming odds with his brother Aron for the love of their father Adam. Cal is frustrated at every turn, from his reaction to the war, to how to get ahead in business and in life, to how to relate to estranged mother.... (Full plot summary below)
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In the Salinas Valley, in and around World War I, Cal Trask feels he must compete against overwhelming odds with his brother Aron for the love of their father Adam. Cal is frustrated at every turn, from his reaction to the war, to how to get ahead in business and in life, to how to relate to estranged mother.
Leave your thoughts about East of Eden.
| Chicago ReaderDave KehrJohn 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. |
| Time OutGeoff AndrewIt's a film of great performances, atmospheric photography, and a sure sense of period and place. |
| Turner Classic Movies OnlineSean AxmakerEast of Eden is set in 1917 but [James] Dean feels completely modern and contemporary, a boy not quite comfortable in his body. |
| Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranSteinbeck himself praised it for reaching the parts his book couldn't. Need a better endorsement? |
| Filmcritic.comDon Willmottas exciting a drama as you're ever likely to see, and ultimately it's the unforgettable Dean that makes it so |
| Film ThreatBrad LaidmanWhat could be a better way to spend two hours? |
| Film Freak CentralWalter Chawa 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. |
| Creative LoafingMatt BrunsonAfter testing various performers (including a newcomer named Paul Newman), Kazan went with the unknown Dean, a move that immediately yielded dividends. |
| Ozus' World Movie ReviewsDennis SchwartzKazan had the bad sense to leave out the best parts from the lengthy book. |
| Arkansas Democrat-GazettePhilip Martin... can be seen as one of the earliest examples of the enshrinement of the unregenerate, semi-nihilistic "attitude" that informed and in part created "rock 'n' roll." |