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East of Eden

East of Eden

Drama · 1955

In the Salinas Valley in and around World War I, Cal Trask feels he must compete against overwhelming odds with his brother for the love of their father. Cal is frustrated at every turn, from his reaction to the war, how to get ahead in business and in life, and how to relate to his estranged mother.

Movie details

East of Eden

“Sometimes you can't tell who's good and who's bad! ...”

1955 Drama 1h 55m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.5 / 10

Community rating

In the Salinas Valley in and around World War I, Cal Trask feels he must compete against overwhelming odds with his brother for the love of their father. Cal is frustrated at every turn, from his reaction to the war, how to get ahead in business and in life, and how to relate to his estranged mother.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over East of Eden?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Hud

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Elia Kazan

Written by

Paul Osborn

James Dean

James Dean

Cal Trask

Julie Harris

Julie Harris

Abra Bacon

Raymond Massey

Raymond Massey

Adam Trask

Richard Davalos

Richard Davalos

Aron Trask

Jo Van Fleet

Jo Van Fleet

Kate Trask

Burl Ives

Burl Ives

Sam the Sheriff

Albert Dekker

Albert Dekker

Will Hamilton

Court is in session

Put East of Eden on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.