Overview: As part of the year-long centennial celebration for the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros. Studio, two iconic classics from the Warner Bros. library – East of Eden and Rio Bravo - will be available for purchase on 4K Ultra HD Disc and Digital August 1st, 2023.

East of Eden, directed by Academy Award winner Elia Kazan and starring James Dean, and Rio Bravo, directed by Honorary Academy Award winner Howard Hawks and starring John Wayne, will be available to purchase on Ultra HD Blu-ray™Disc from online and in-store at major retailers and available for purchase Digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu and more.

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. Carl 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 his estranged mother.

The 1955 period drama is directed by Elia Kazan from a screenplay by Paul Osborn and based on the 1952 John Steinbeck novel of the same name. The film stars James Dean, Julie Harris, Raymond Massey, Burl Ives, Richard Davalos, and Jo Van Fleet.

4K UHD Blu-ray Verdict: Clearly, Dean was one of the defining actors of the youthful 1950’s. Rebel without a Cause (1955) may have registered more strongly with the cool cats of the time, nonetheless, in my humble opinion, this is the film that represents the actor’s enduring triumph.

Here Cal’s (Dean) yawning emotional needs are on raw display, inclusive of all the tics, grimaces, and facial writhing. All are excruciatingly expressive. At times it’s over the top, sure, but few can doubt the sincerity. In fact, it appears to be the real Dean on screen, and not an actor for the most part.

Then too, Dean was lucky. He got one of the best young actresses of that day or any day to play opposite in Julie Harris. Her lack of glamor is a real plus. That way her rather plain looks don’t get in the way of a growing emotional bond with a needy Cal (Dean).

I count the bean field and ferris wheel scenes as two of the best boy-girl scenes on record. Catch how naturally they’re drawn to each other, only to shrink away at the last moment. It’s like they’re fearful of some kind of forbidden attraction.

Still, before emotions can straighten out, the confused Cal must straighten himself out. That means getting straight with his imperious father (Massey). Then too, Abra (Harris) needs to trust her emotions rather than lifeless convention with Aaron (Davalos). Now if Dad could just stop seeing his detested ex-wife in Cal, he might bend a little.

After all, having principles is not enough. They should first be the right principles, and excluding a son because of one of them is not right. Thus, it’s really Dad who needs to straighten out for then Cal would have a chance.

And who better to play the emotionally constricted patriarch than the commanding Ray Massey. His scenes with Dean represent not only a clash of personalities but also a clash of acting styles. I gather the two actors didn’t much like each other, which is not surprising.

Anyway, the supporting parts are also well done. I especially like the often overlooked Lois Smith as the fearful, fluttery servant girl. She’s really Cal’s emotional counterpart, even though in a small role. I’ve long sympathized with Dick Davalos in the thankless role of the prissy Aaron. That, plus being overshadowed by the most compelling young actor of the day, was surely a misfortune. As a side note, filming in the Salinas Valley was a real plus, lending a large canvas to the intense drama.

Despite the sometimes sprawling screenplay, the movie remains an emotional powerhouse, thanks to Dean, Harris, and director Kazan. In fact, casting the untried Dean in the role of Cal remains one of moviedom’s most ambitious, and therein memorable moments. While in terms of a meteoric body of work, perhaps the young actor checked out at about the right time, but man, what could he have gone on to do.

East of Eden Ultra HD Blu-ray contains the following previously released special feature:
• Commentary by Richard Schickel

Working in partnership with The Film Foundation, both films were restored and remastered by Warner Bros. Post Production Creative Services: Motion Picture Imaging and Post Production Sound. Since its launch by Martin Scorsese in 1990, The Film Foundation has restored more than 900 movies.

The Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc will include each feature film in 4K with HDR and a Digital version of the feature film.

Ultra HD Blu-ray showcases 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and a wider color spectrum, offering consumers brighter, deeper, more lifelike colors for a home entertainment viewing experience like never before.

For the complete 4K Ultra HD experience with HDR, a 4K Ultra HD TV with HDR, an Ultra HD Blu-ray player and a high-speed HDMI (category 2) cable are required.