The legendary performance that broke Nicolas Cage’s heart: “I felt so, so sad”
In terms of memorable performances, few actors have as many claims to fame as the great Nicolas Cage. He won an Oscar for his role in Leaving Las Vegas, gave Meryl Streep a run for her money in Adaptation, and swept Cher off her feet in Moonstruck. However, ‘memorable’ doesn’t always mean ‘good’. His appearance in Vampire’s Kiss is one of the most remarkable and engaging of his career. Does that mean he should have won a second Oscar for it? The jury’s still out.
As anyone who has seen The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent will know, Cage is a big fan of classic cinema. “I’ve always seen acting as medicine,” he told Salon, talking about some of his favourite movies from years gone by—which include The Cabinet of Dr Caligari and Paddington 2—he also holds a strong appreciation for the work of a tragic icon.
“When I first saw James Dean in East of Eden, that scene where he wants to give his father all the money, and his father gives it back, saying, ‘I don’t want it,’ and he’s weeping and weeping—well, it just ripped my heart clean out,” he said. “I felt so, so sad. And it was at that point that I thought, well, that’s what I want to do. That’s what I want to say. I think audiences can relate to having problems in their homes and schools and lives, so I wanted to rip the mask off the superhero and get in closer to the community that way.”
Released in 1955, East of Eden is an adaptation of the classic novel by John Steinbeck. Directed by Elia Kazan, the movie follows Cal Trask (Dean), a young man competing against his brother for the love of his father. It’s an up-to-date retelling of the parable of Cain and Abel from the Bible, set against the backdrop of an America gripped by World War I. It was the first of just three major movie appearances from Dean and the only one released during his lifetime.
Cage once named East of Eden as one of his favourite movies. He’s spoken at length about the impact Dean’s brief time in the spotlight has had on him, not just as a performer but as a human being. The leather jackets and penchant for motorcycles that make up a huge part of the eternal rebel’s iconography clearly informed how Cage dressed and acted during his younger days.
“I started acting because I wanted to be James Dean,” Cage told the Independent in a separate interview. “I saw him in Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden. Nothing affected me—no rock song, no classical music—the way Dean affected me in […]Eden. It blew my mind.” By the time Cage was born, Dean had been dead for over eight years. He would have had to go back and discover his work retroactively. Then again, when you grow up as part of the Coppola family, you’re going to be exposed to a lot of old movies.
Considering his career only lasted five years, Dean’s influence on acting, Hollywood, and culture in general is outstanding. He may be long gone, but his legacy will never die.
