East of Eden (1955)

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Videos & Photos

  • Trailer for East Of Eden

Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Elia Kazan

Producer:

Elia Kazan

Release Date:

Mar 9, 1955

Runtime:

1hr 58m

Synopsis

Two brothers in 1910s California struggle to maintain the favor of their affectionate but strict, Bible-toting father as an old secret about their long-absent mother comes to light.

Cast

  • James Dean
  • Julie Harris
  • Raymond Massey
  • Jo Van Fleet
  • Burl Ives
  • Richard Davalos
  • Albert Dekker
  • Lois Smith
  • Harold Gordon
  • Nick Dennis

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.9
101.1K
38.7K
26.2K
RATINGS 812 FANS
3.9
  • Feb 2, 2019

    can't wait to die so i can meet james dean in the afterlife and tell him that i love him

    2.2K Likes
    shay
    shay
    May 17, 2013

    Sympathy for Cain (and not Abel). East of Eden is a contemporary version of the story of Cain and Abel. James Dean plays Cain (called Cal in this story), Richard Davalos plays Abel (called Aron in this story), Raymond Massey plays their father Adam and Jo Van Fleet plays…

    1.4K Likes
    Thorkell August Ottarsson
    Thorkell August Ottarsson
    Feb 22, 2019

    yeah hottest man to ever live i think

    1.1K Likes
    ciara
    ciara
  •
    Jun 6, 2016

    Definitive proof that freezing lettuce can only lead to tragedy.

    850 Likes
    Chris
    Chris
    Mar 16, 2018

    James Dean: *acts* me, having nothing in common with his character: oh I felt that. that's so relatable

    780 Likes
    martika
    martika
    Mar 18, 2024

    James Dean, you will always be extraordinary and will never be forgotten, because once a star is born, they live on forever.

    731 Likes
    noen
    noen
  •
    Jul 17, 2021

    The film from which the phrase "the book was better" sprang.

    720 Likes
    Christian Ryan
    Christian Ryan
    Jul 25, 2022

    the book: generational trauma, the never ending struggle between good and evil, biblical allegories, timshel, unconditional love, the natural passage of time the movie: lettuce and beans

    659 Likes
    nico ⛽️
    nico ⛽️
    Sep 1, 2016

    "it's gonna work because it's got to work and it's got to work because i said so"

    621 Likes
    sydney
    sydney

Queue Community Reviews

88%
Community 792
❤️ LOVE
33%
👍 LIKE
55%
😐 MEH
11%
👎 DISLIKE
1%
Top Reviews
  • Alexis Vega
    Alexis Vega loved
    East of Eden

    It’s a fabulous sophisticated film, beautiful to look at & everyone’s terrific, especially Dean who just about leaps off the screen. Kazan was a master at filming this kind of story, repressed sexuality, conflicting loyalties and life long grudges. Some will love this classic!!

    2Y
    Clay
    Clay liked
    East of Eden

    The characters were too different from the novel aside from Cal and Abra (partly). The acting was good tho from James Dean and Julie Harris. James Dean is so handsome fr, he’s literally me!

    11M
    Orlando Ramone
    Orlando Ramone liked
    East of Eden

    James Dean’s first of three movies! A pretty great movie, not as iconic as Rebel Without A Cause, but I still say James Dean’s best performance was in Giant.

    3Y
  • Corey Nicoll
    Corey Nicoll loved
    East of Eden

    It's an awesome movie when aron finds out his mother is still alive. It was so cool and he found out that his mother was not the person he thought she was

    2Y
    Jacob Taylor
    Jacob Taylor is "meh" on
    East of Eden

    James Dean is amazing but that's about it. The plot makes little to no sense and is predictable from a million miles away.

    2M
    Brook
    Brook is "meh" on
    East of Eden

    It was alright the characters were kinda weird. Lots of dramatics

    1Y
  • varelina
    varelina liked
    East of Eden

    Aron and Cal made me feel sad in different ways

    11M
    Madeleine
    Madeleine is "meh" on
    East of Eden

    trop long mais pas assez prenant très bizarre

    2D
    Lulu6
    Lulu6 loved
    East of Eden

    A classic.

    1M

Atom Users Reviews

No one has posted a user review yet.

Metacritic

72
metacritic
Based on 11 Critics
7.8

USER SCORE (14)

Generally favorable reviews based on 14 Reviews
70

John 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.

Metacritic review by Dave Kehr
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
50

In short, there is energy and intensity but little clarity and emotion in this film. It is like a great, green iceberg: mammoth and imposing but very cold.

Metacritic review by Bosley Crowther
Bosley Crowther
The New York Times

Frequently Asked Questions

Is East of Eden (1955) (1955) family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as PG (Parental Guidance Suggested). It's generally considered a family-friendly movie.
How long is East of Eden (1955) (1955)?
The movie is 1hr 58min long.
What's East of Eden (1955) (1955) about?
Two brothers in 1910s California struggle to maintain the favor of their affectionate but strict, Bible-toting father as an old secret about their long-absent mother comes to light.
Who's the cast of East of Eden (1955) (1955)?
  • James Dean as Cal Trask
  • Julie Harris as Abra
  • Raymond Massey as Adam Trask
  • Jo Van Fleet as Kate
  • Burl Ives as Sam the Sheriff
  • Richard Davalos as Aron Trask
  • Albert Dekker as Will Hamilton
  • Lois Smith as Anne
  • Harold Gordon as Gustav Albrecht
  • Nick Dennis as Rantani
Who's the director behind East of Eden (1955) (1955)?
Elia Kazan directed East of Eden (1955) (1955).
Who produced East of Eden (1955) (1955)?
Elia Kazan produced East of Eden (1955) (1955).