Given the sprawling epic it’s based on, the first film adaptation of East of Eden had to make some adjustments. First, it cut the novel’s plot to focus entirely on Cal and Aron’s generation. Second, it cut off nearly all other characters that aren’t the Trask family or the two women they loved. Because of this, book fans might find that the runtime inadequate to capture the multigenerational context behind the film’s Cain-and-Abel dynamic, but the choice to cut the film to just one cycle strengthens its focus. And this choice was proven to be the right one with James Dean’s star-making, unforgettable performance.