The James Dean Story

Something of a curiosity, this documentary about the life and character of the cultish star who had died a couple of years before is short on analysis, long on (sometimes insufferably pretentious) poetic symbolism, and extremely fine for its sharp black-and-white photography, especially effective in the bleak wastelands where Dean grew up. A few nice rare clips are included (notably a stunning outtake from East of Eden), but otherwise this is probably of interest only to Dean fanatics or Altman collectors.