Rebel without a Cause or Marty, which one should win BP?

Marty all the way. Rebel Without a Cause isn't even the best James Dean film of 1955.

Ernie "The GOAT" Borgnine > James Dean

but Rebel Without a Cause > Marty

I think "East of Eden" should be a big player even though Kazan has just won big with "Waterfront". No way they're giving it to a movie as small as "Marty".

Marty was a perfect film and shaping up to be one of my 20 or so favorite films of all time until an abrupt and botched ending. By virtue of that I'd say Rebel Without a Cause, which is also very good.

Marty was a 10/10 that went down to a 8/10 because of the ending, while Rebel is a solid 9/10.

Marty is okay. Rebel is blah.

1955 was a great GREAT year, and neither should be in the conversation. Although the Oscars missed the boat on the best movies entirely, looking back on it.

Movies that should have been considered for BP:
Bad Day at Black Rock
The Court Jester
Diabolique
Mister Roberts
The Night of the Hunter
The Trouble with Harry

Rebel Without a Cause without a doubt. I find the universality of its themes much more resonent through time, even if they're tied in a 50s melodrama, because you can see the film is about to explode with everything it wants to say but remians a step back for you to put something of you in it and understand the character, the search for some kind of guidance in your life in the shape of someone else, and of course Dean's incredibly commited performance, it's on pair with East of Eden, nobody fools me. 

I like Delbert Mann movies but Marty feels very by-the-numbers to me and the main character pushing it too far his whole dilemma ( maybe unconsciously, but still ) , for instance, I prefer his follow-up, The Bachelor Party easily.