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On September 2, 1945, Japan signed a formal surrender that effectively brought an end to World War II. In honour of the 71st anniversary of «V-J Day,» as the occasion became known, this week on «Film Friday» I bring you a picture that documents the events that marked the beginning of the end of six long years of devastating conflict. Directed by Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton and Bernhard Wicki, The Longest Day (1962) opens in June 1944 in England, where the Allied troops are preparing to invade France through the coast of Normandy. Despite threats of poor weather that might ruin their chances of succeeding in their mission, General Dwight D. Eisenhower (Henry Grace) decides that the assault will take place in the early hours of June 6. On the other side of the Channel, the German High Command — expecting the invasion to happen at Pas-de-Calais, and assuming it will not happen anyway due to the current bad weather — is caught completely unaware. Because Adolf Hitler has taken a sleeping p...

This week on «Film Friday» I bring you one of the most powerful and groundbreaking portrayals of juvenile delinquency in cinema history. This is also film that immortalized James Dean as the ultimate rebel and solidified his status as a screen legend. Directed by Nicholas Ray, Rebel Without a Cause (1955) opens with teenager Jim Stark (James Dean) sprawled drunk on the sidewalk, playing with a toy monkey. He is then taken to the police station, where two other teens have also been brought in: Judy (Natalie Wood), who was found wandering the streets, and John «Plato» Crawford (Sal Mineo), who was caught shooting puppies. On the first day of school, Jim learns that Judy is his neighbour and offers her a ride. She refuses, and is picked up by her boyfriend, Buzz Gunderson (Corey Allen) and their group of delinquent friends. Jim goes alone to school, where he is shunned by most of the student body, except Plato, who comes to idolize him as a father figure.   James Dean, Sal Mineo, Co...