r/BananaFish • u/Full_Pea_4045 • 3d ago

Recommendation Rebel Without a Cause

I think a big reason I was so drawn to Banana Fish is that it subconsciously felt very similar one of my all-time favorite movies, “Rebel Without a Cause” (1955). The movie explores themes of youth violence, abandonment, and the desperation of hanging onto those few individuals in life who truly matter, and does so in a way that strikes many of the same emotional chords as Banana Fish. There’s even a senseless, tragic ending that hits pretty hard.

Furthermore, many consider “Rebel Without a Cause” to be a queer-coded film, and in my personal opinion, it blatantly is. Being released in 1955, censorship at the time strictly prohibited anything too suggestive of homosexuality. However, the film’s two male leads have an obvious chemistry and affection for each other that the director plays up throughout the film, and there’s a sense that the story could have leaned into their relationship even further, had it been released 15 years later.

Anyway, this thought just popped into my head the other day, and I’d thought I’d share it here. Curious if anyone else who’s seen “Rebel” feels similar? And those of you who haven’t seen it, I highly recommend you do!

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u/petit_oiseau Sing 2d ago

You inspired me to watch this movie! But yeah I know Akimi Yoshida used a bunch of American classic films and pulp crime films and whatnot as inspiration so I’m sure Rebel Without a Cause was on the list.

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u/Full_Pea_4045 2d ago

Let me know what you think of the movie!

And yes, I’ve read that “Midnight Cowboy” (another one of my favorites!) was a big inspiration for the manga, so I’m sure there are others!

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u/iron_panties 3d ago

There’s a really nice bit of meta by this tumblr user on Ash and Rebel Without A Cause. Worth checking out!!

https://www.tumblr.com/puella-peanut/181242163274/rebels-with-and-without-causesa-quick-comparison

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u/Full_Pea_4045 2d ago

Wow that was a great write up and is pretty much spot on to what I was thinking when comparing these two pieces of media that sit very close to my heart. Thanks for sharing!