Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This is by far the best version of Steinbeck's "East of Eden" ever made; far, far better than the superficial James Dean version, which was little more than a vehicle for the then popular teen idol. (Contrary to all the Hollywood hype I never thought much of Dean as an actor.)
Steinbeck has always been my favorite American novelist; and "East of Eden" is, in my opinion, his finest work - superior even to "The Grapes of Wrath." It is a substantive and timeless work, in which Steinbeck transcends his earlier novels, bounded as they are by his conception of the nobility of the poor. Here, in "East of Eden" he goes beyond his earlier sociological obsessions with poverty, exploitation and radical politics to explore somthing much deeper: character, the essence of good and evil, betrayal and guilt. This is a book of Biblical proportions, based on the story of Cain and Abel; and the meaning of God's pronouncement upon Cain.
All of which is captured beautifully in this TV mini series; just as it is ignored, overlooked or simply not grasped in the James Dean movie. Needless to say this version is true to Steinbeck's conception. And the many memorable performances by the cast - Jane Seymour, Timothy Bottoms, Bruce Boxleiter, Lloyd Bridges, Soon-Tek Oh, Sam Bottoms, Hart Bochner, Karen Allen -(a number of which I can still visualize in my mind 25 years later) bring clarity to the meaning of Steinbeck's story - something one can rarely say about contemporary Hollywood acting.
A movie not to be missed.
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