James Dean at the BFI

Justin Bieber’s rehab, Shia Labeouf’s paper bag antics may seem the epitome of 21st century celebrity silliness, but the vogue for ‘bad’ young men among teenage girls can be traced back to the 1950s, the birth of ‘teenage cool’ and, of course, James Dean. 
For this reason, we would like to recommend three films underplayed in the BFI’s current programme: East of Eden (1955), Rebel Without a Cause (1955) and Giant (1956). They are the only films James Dean made: each star him in the lead role and each is an opportunity for hardened fans and newcomers alike be mesmerised by his killing charm and, perhaps more importantly, his digitally restored cheekbones.
Dean died at 24, and; like Shelly and Byron; Hendrix and Morrison; Cobain and Winehouse; he will always be young, never ceasing to be the ‘rebel without a cause’ of his films.
We would probably plump for Dean as angsty teenage heartthrob Jim Stark, in Rebel Without a Cause. Despite countless Hollywood rip-offs, this rebellious coming-of-age story is superior. If you fancy a marathon, however,we could hardly blame you. An afternoon or evening spent with James Dean, the renegade who taught us to "live fast, die young, and leave a good-looking corpse", is never a waste.