Marion, Indiana, 1931. James Byron Dean is born into a modest family. At nine years old he loses his adored mother to cancer. His father entrusts him to his grandparents on an Indiana farm. A childhood marked by abandonment that would forever shape his tormented personality.

“A life spanning three films”—that is how the dazzling career of James Dean can be summarized. Only three feature films—”East of Eden” (1955), “Rebel Without a Cause” (1955), “Giant” (1956)—yet enough to transform him into the eternal myth of rebellious youth.

On September 30, 1955, James Dean crashes at the wheel of his Porsche 550 Spyder along Route 466 in California. He was only 24 years old: a senseless death, dictated by fate. The accident provoked intense emotional reactions and fanaticism from his fans, not only in America, but around the world.

Already at that time Dean was considered the symbol of rebellion, of nonconformity, of youthful rage, the hero of his “lost generation.” An icon that transcends cinema to become a cultural symbol: the red jacket from “Rebel Without a Cause,” the cigarette at the corner of his mouth, the wounded and defiant gaze.

Using only authentic material, this documentary honors its commitment to objectivity. From the words of Jimmy’s friends and relatives, of important actors and artists who were close to him, from the frank confessions of the women who loved him, emerges the portrait of a young man drawn to opposite extremes.

Donatella Baglivo gathers extraordinary testimonies: Dennis Hopper, who acted with him in “Rebel Without a Cause” and “Giant” and was profoundly influenced by him; Julie Harris, his partner in “East of Eden”; Martin Landau, fellow student at the Actors Studio; Jane Fonda; Tab Hunter, his rival and friend. And also photographer Roy Schatt, screenwriter Stewart Stern, composer Leonard Rosenman.

Dean studied Method Acting with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio, bringing to the screen an emotional intensity never seen before. With Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift he formed the trinity of rebel actors who revolutionized Hollywood.

Nearly seventy years after his death, James Dean remains the eternal embodiment of restless youth, of talent burned out too quickly, of the myth that never ages.