James Dean: What Makes a Film Icon?

In this video essay, I discuss the ontology of star iconicity, taking James Dean and the rebel icon as a case study to explore this concept.

Written version of this video:
https://www.zacharyxavier.com/james-d...
Subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.zacharyxavier.com/#/portal/

Timecodes:
00:00 Introduction
04:19 The Rebel Icon
07:35 The Transparency and Opacity of the Icon
13:39 The Ontology of the Screen Performer

References:
• Bazin, André. What is Cinema? Vol. 1. Translated by Hugh Gray, U of California P, 2005.
• Cavell, Stanley. The World Viewed: Reflections on the Ontology of Film. Harvard UP, 1979.
• Dyer, Richard. Stars. New ed. with a supplementary chapter and bibliography by Paul McDonald, BFI, 1998.
• Fishwick, Marshall. “Icons of America.” Introduction. Icons of America, edited by Ray B. Browne and Marshall Fishwick, Popular Press, 1978, pp. 3 – 12.
• Genette, Gérard. Paratexts: Thresholds of Interpretation. Translated by Jane E. Lewin, Cambridge UP, 1997.
• Halberstam, David. The Fifties. ePub ed., Open Road Integrated Media, 2012.
• Meir, Irit and Oksana Tkachman. “Iconicity.” Oxford Bibliographies in “Linguistics”. Oxford UP, last modified 24 March 2014, https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/...
• Orr, David Gerald. “The Icon in the Time Tunnel.” Icons of America, edited by Ray B. Browne and Marshall Fishwick, Popular Press, 1978, pp. 13 – 23.
• Springer, Claudia. James Dean Transfigured: The Many Faces of Rebel Iconography. U of Texas P, 2007.
• Truffaut, François. “James Dean is Dead.” The Films in My Life, translated by Leonard Mayhew, Simon & Schuster, 1985, pp. 296 – 299.

Films Featured:
Rebel Without a Cause (Nicholas Ray, 1955) https://amzn.to/3FqVt2R
East of Eden (Elia Kazan, 1955) https://amzn.to/37q3zfB
Giant (George Stevens, 1956) https://amzn.to/3vQHfFs

Music by AIIVAWN, Craymer:
“Can’t Take My Eyes off You”
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0VS2cv...
Released by College Music: https://open.spotify.com/user/college...
Download/Stream: https://www.collegemusic.co.uk/releas...

Music by Twotrees:
“Lighthouse” – Iridescence
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4zB9Re...
Released by College Music: https://open.spotify.com/user/college...
Download/Stream: https://collegemusicrecords.bandcamp....

Music by Mondo Loops, Quist:
“Winding Roads” – In Nature
“The Nightman” – In Nature
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4KbLj8...
Released by College Music: https://open.spotify.com/user/college...
Download/Stream: https://collegemusicrecords.bandcamp....

Social Media + Contact:
My Website: https://www.zacharyxavier.com/
Instagram:   / zaxavi_  
Twitter:   / zaxavi_  
LinkedIn:   / zachary-xavier  
Business Enquiries: [email protected]

Note: Affiliate links are included above.
#jamesdean #icon #rebel #cinema