James Dean Movie East of Eden (1995) Of the three films in which James Dean played the lead, this is the only one to have been released during his lifetime. Official Trailer East of Eden is a 1955 American period drama film directed by Elia Kazan and written by Paul Osborn, adapted from the fourth and final part of John Steinbeck's epic 1952 novel of the same name. It stars James Dean as a wayward young man who, while seeking his own identity, vies for the affection of his deeply religious fathe