James Dean’s famous picture
He may have died young, but he remains a symbol of adolescent revolution and social alienation. James Byron Dean rose to fame thanks to Rebellion Without a Cause (1955), East of Eden, released the year of his death, and The Giant released a year later. His untimely death proved crucial in his subsequent deification. He was the first actor to receive an Academy Award for Best Actor after his death and remains the only one to have two posthumous acting nominations.
The background of the photo
Dennis Stock was an American photographer and journalist who died in 2010. The meeting between James Dean and the photographer took place in January 1955, a few months before his tragic death. Stock got quite excited with him and started photographing him at every opportunity. On a trip from Indiana to New York and back to Hollywood, Stock has given us photos that capture both Dean’s professional and private lives.
The iconic photo
In this iconic image, James Dean walks alone in the rain in an unexpectedly empty Times Square. It looks like he’s having a bad day, walking in the rain with a cigarette in his mouth and wearing a long woolen coat. At first glance, it looks like a picture of despair or even a portrait of isolation. At the same time, however, his cool personality can be seen, like a ray in the rain. Three of the four shots appear to place him precisely in the middle of the image, with his figure in stark contrast to the building behind him.
However, the fourth shot and the most well-known, despite its asymmetry turned out to have the perfect composition. Dean is in a clear background, occupying only 1/3 of the space. Stock has placed the reflection on the wet road as part of the composition of his image. One of the dynamics of this shot is considered to be the symmetry on the sidewalk and the railings to the right of the protagonist. With a little observation, it seems as if they are leading us to the figure of James Dean.
The impact
Over the years photography has become very popular, especially with the flourishing of the internet. They tried very hard to represent her, with the most famous example being that of actress Liv Tyler. Others tried to study it symmetrically. Eventually, a film was even made focusing on photography, starring Robert Pattinson. Even after 66 years, the interest in the image has not diminished. Sold at Magnum Photos for $ 2500 to $ 4000. Maybe, in the end, her success is due to the fact that the bad-tempered atmosphere she exudes expresses something about Dean’s character.
