The James Dean Trilogy

Having admired the iconic aura left behind by James Dean's death and all that his life gave to the film industry as a whole, I felt the need to watch his feature films: Rebel Without A Cause, East of Eden and Giant.

Whilst Rebel Without A Case will no doubt be Dean's defining role, giving an outlet and a powerful mainstream voice to the generation of frustrated teenagers who simply wanted to get away and make a name for themselves, not to be held back by society and authority figures. In Rebel Without A Cause, Dean plays Jim Stark. Feeling oppressed by his parents who want nothing but the best for him, he seeks love and to give himself and a young local boy the life his parents couldn't give either of them. This iconic role made Dean a Hollywood star at 24, opening at cinemas a month after his death.

The puzzling aspect of Dean's popularity though, other than his youthful good looks and role as Jim Stark, is that his acting throughout his mainstream career was far from perfect. In films East of Eden and Giant, he plays contrasting characters but is portrayed as foolish, overly sensitive and immature. Whilst he plays the naive yet charismatic rebel as Jim Stark, this seems to be the role which suits him best, cast as an arrogant but emotionally shallow tycoon in Giant and a frustrated and emotionally confused young man in East of Eden.

Perhaps it is best that he is remembered for his rebellious icon, rather than the warbling drunkard in Giant, or the hapless and weak teenager in Eden.

New York City

Having returned - with only 3 hours sleep in the past 24 hours - to Heathrow on Tuesday morning, i completed what was my first holiday abroad. Full thoughts ahead.

Having wanted to go to New York for as long as I can remember (since about the age of 16), staying there for any period of time would have been a dream come true. Thanks to a generous financial input from the parents, I was able to finally book this dream holiday and March 1st was the day I would leave.

The decision to go alone was seemingly huge. Admittedly, it made the experience more overwhelming than going with a friend but getting around was a lot easier as i didn't want to be held back in my travelling around nor my exploration of the vast city.

The biggest deal about travelling to New York was initially that it was my first flight anywhere which made the takeoff and landing so much more spectacular. The rattling of the plane as it gains forward momentum is absolutely incredible, knowing you're taking off into the skies in a lump of metal weighing several tonnes is not only terrifying but also jubilating. The views as we left England, and presumably flew over Wales were fantastic. From afar, bland towns and lakes form wonderful patterns and shapes on a canvas.

Arriving at JFK was a non-event though taking a cab into the heart of New York - on the way to my hotel, situated a block and a half from Times Square - made for great entertainment. Flying past hundreds of cars on the freeways and emerging into a minefield of oversized billboards and an approaching skyline of dazzling lights from world-famous skyscrapers brought the realisation to the forefront of my mind, I was actually in New York. The glitz, the glammer, the ghetto. They were all here, in front of my very eyes.

My exploration of the vast roadways and sidewalks of the world's most famous city took me to several bigname locations: The Empire State Building, Rockerfeller Center and Plaza, Madison Square Garden, Central Park, the UN Headquarters, Chrysler Building, the Ellis Island Immigration Museum and last but certainly not least, the Statue of Liberty.

Of note were the Rockerfeller Center, Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty, each of whom carries an enough weight as worldwide iconic landmarks.

The Rockerfeller Center provides the Top of the Rock Observation Deck, which allows visitors a spectacular view of the vast landscape that surrounds New York City, in particular areas like Brooklyn, Queens and about a quarter of a mile away...Central Park. I went here at night as i was promised brilliant views, and quite frankly i was not disappointed. I managed to capture some amazing shots of the Empire State Building, one of which i'll add to this blog post later.

The Empire State Building in comparison is a bigger building and a bigger landmark but the lack of space allowed on its lower deck meant it was hard to get decent pictures, though i'm sure had i returned at night, it would have been more empty and i would have managed to get some fantastic shots of the millions of lights that glitter around the grand city.

The Statue of Liberty was a bit of anti-climax though this was not helped by the blustery winds which did nothing to aid the experience. The ferry trip which took about half an hour in all (from Southern New York City to Liberty Island to Ellis Island and back again) allowed me to get some great shots of the financial district's towering structures but i would have preferred a quicker mode of transport.

The Statue itself is incredible up close, and whilst up close only means several hundred feet away, it's still a mesmerising sight to behold. Admiring the sheer size of the structure, appreciating the efforts that went into building and transporting its various parts, as well as the eerie giant human features make it an incredible experience in person and whilst it was not the be all and end all i had hoped for, it was still worth the cost of the entire trip just to say i had witnessed the masterpiece in person.

Other matters aside, the trip was marvellous. If anything, i now want to move on and see other parts of the world, though California remains another area i would like to visit should the opportunity arise.

All in all, a fantastic chance to explore the world's most famous city, and there was little complain about in earnest. People warn of the crime, the pollution and the rudeness of the people of New York City. During my stay, i saw nothing to support the crime scares, pollution is present anywhere with vehicles, and despite the worrying large number of people talking to themselves and the impatient nature and poor driving of various cab drivers around the city, the people i met were very friendly and made the holiday pleasant.