East of Eden

East of Eden is a 1955 drama based on John Steinbeck' bestselling novel. In my opinion, this is one of the rare cases where a classic book is followed by a great movie. Much of this is due to the spectacular performance of James Dean in his first starring role. More so than any actor I can recall, Dean is what his job is called, an actor. Watching this film, I did not feel as if I was watching the legendary James Dean portray Cal Trask. I felt as if I was viewing Cal Trask during the events that transpire during the movie. Don't get me wrong East of Eden has a well thought out plot and is well filmed. But I think of this movie as a simple story and setting, with James Dean using his creativity and improvisation to bring it to life.