★ 6 / 10
_**Artsy flick about lost souls wandering the city
Wuchak
_**Artsy flick about lost souls wandering the city in the Midwest, trying to find answers**_ In the Tulsa area, a teen delinquent (Matt Dillon) idolizes his…
_**Artsy flick about lost souls wandering the city in the Midwest, trying to find answers**_
In the Tulsa area, a teen delinquent (Matt Dillon) idolizes his charismatic older brother (Mickey Rourke), who had left the area a couple months prior. When his sibling suddenly returns he’s no longer interested in gangs or rumbling. They wander the town with their pal (Vincent Spano) hanging out at various places trying to find meaning and purpose.
The peripheral cast includes Diane Lane, Dennis Hopper, Diana Scarwid, Nicolas Cage, Laurence Fishburne and William Smith with Sofia Coppola as the little sister.
Filmed in B&W, “Rumble Fish” (1983) was the second of two flicks based on SE Hinton’s young-adult novels shot back-to-back by Francis Ford Coppola. The first one was “The Outsiders” (1983) and it was successful at the box office while this one failed to draw an audience. Unlike “Outsiders,” which takes place in 1965, this one is set in the modern day, 1982, the time of shooting (or at least the late 70s). Hinton, by the way, has a cameo as the hooker on the strip that propositions Rusty James (Dillon) and Steve (Spano).
She was only 16-17 when she wrote “The Outsiders” and so that movie is from the perspective of a mid-teenager. By contrast, she was in her mid-20s when she wrote “Rumble Fish” and this is also reflected in the corresponding movie: The Motorcycle Boy (Rourke) has grown-up and is no longer interested in juvenile delinquency, which confuses Rusty James.
Both “The Outsiders” and “Rumble Fish” are arty, but this one is more so. It’s a mix of “The Outsiders” and Coppola’s experimental “One from the Heart” (1981), along with bits of “The Warriors” (1979) and “Grease” (1978). Like “One from the Heart,” the story is very basic while the filmmaking is highly stylized, which results in a beautiful film that’s entertaining on a visual & audio level, but not very absorbing story-wise.
What’s it all about? Some answers include: The challenge of unconventional people in a conventional world, living in someone’s shadow, the cult of personality, growing up while simultaneously giving up childish things, setting others free, how envy murders others (figuratively or literally), the potential corruption of authority, the resultant injustice and sacrificing oneself for loved ones.
I can’t close without noting how Cage is in the prime of his life and surprisingly good-looking (speaking as a staunch heterosexual). Not that he later became Quasimodo, but I never viewed him as a handsome actor, like say George Clooney.
The film runs 1 hour, 34 minutes, and was shot in the Tulsa area, as was “The Outsiders.”
GRADE: B-
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★ 7 / 10
Pretty good Francis Ford Coppola flick, today considered to be a Cult movie that had a big hit.
ma-cortes
Ambitious and experimental film with an atmospherical musical score and a luxury cinematography in black and white. Melodramatic and enjoyable Francis Ford…
Ambitious and experimental film with an atmospherical musical score and a luxury cinematography in black and white. Melodramatic and enjoyable Francis Ford Coppola movie with amazing cast, most of them made great career. It deals with Rusty James (Matt Dillon), he is the leader of a small, dying gang in an industrial town, he workships his gang-leading older brother, the only role model he's known. As Rusty lives in the shadow of the memory of his absent, older brother, The Motorcycle Boy (Mickey Rourke). Rusty wants to revive the spirit of the old youth gangs, following in the footsteps of his idolized older brother who was once the leader of one of them and who carries a legendary aura and a reputation as a rebel and untouchable. His mother has left, his father (Dennis Hooper) drinks, his relationships are shallow, school has no meaning for him, except for his student girlfriend (Diane Lane). From fight to fight, Rusty longs for the return of his brother who is coming back from California, and there are still city walls that say: 'Motorcycle Boy Kings'. When the missed brother returns home, the two go through a series of experiences and the older brother teaches him things about life and longs for the days of gang warfare. The Motorcycle Boy's Never Coming Back !. Rusty James can't live up to his brother's reputation !. His brother can't live it down !. No leader can survive becoming a legend !.Crafted by Coppola into an important story of growing up on the wrong side of time. Stars Matt Dillon as absent-minded street thug Rusty James who struggles to live up to his legendary older brother's reputation, finely played by Mickey Rourke, and exploring especially the relation between them. Acting naturally from the wrong side of the tracks and concerning their rebel conflicts with the traditional society and each other. A cult and nostalgic movie with a lot of newcomer stars to have many of them a long and successful cinematic career, including the following: Vincent Spano, Nicolas Cage, Christopher Penn, Laurence Fishburne, Diane Lane and, of course , the two starring: Matt Dillon and Mickey Rourke who thanks to this film he ultimately achieved stardom. All of them made great prolific career strides , not even Francis Ford could have afforded such luxurious number of stars a decade after. They are accompanoed by other nice veterans, such as: Dennis Hopper, Tracey Walter, Diana Scarwid and Tom Waits. There are continuous drama and Coppola gets some stirring, exciting moments towards the ending.A nice film for youth , including drama , agreeable relationships, sensibility and a large number of fiights and confrontations among bands tending to fall foul of the law . Based on the popular S. E. Hinton novel and Francis Ford Coppola himself, they adapted another Hinton book the same year : ¨The Outsiders¨ (original title) with Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, Diane Lane, and being followed by a TV series.It packs a good and sensitive soundtrack by Stewart Copeland. As well as evocative cinematography by Stephen H. Burum with plenty of brilliant and glamorous photography in black and white, exception for the rumble fish in significant colour. The film was compellingly made by one of the best filmmakers , Francis Ford Coppola . This director has made great films as "The Conversation", "Apocalypse Now" , "Outsiders" , "Gardens of Stone", "The Godfather" saga and of course this "Rumble Fish"that is deemed to be one of the best ones . Although overdone , and excesively melodramatic but adolescents still love very much this exciting yarn. A cult above average movie for fans of the various new stars that participated in this Coppola masterpiece. Essential and fundamental watching for Francis Ford Coppola enthusiasts and completists. Rating: 7.5/10. Better than average.
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★ 8 / 10
Great film
CornPickle
Rumblefish is one of Coppala's best and his last truly great movie. Taking place in a small industrial town, the film follows Rusty James as he aspires to live…
Rumblefish is one of Coppala's best and his last truly great movie. Taking place in a small industrial town, the film follows Rusty James as he aspires to live up to his notorious brothers reputation through gang life. His brother, known as 'the motorcycle kid', disappeared for reasons at first unknown but he makes an unannounced return whilst his younger brother is fighting a rival gang leader. Throughout the duration of the movie we see James trying to connect with his aloof brother and idol amongst rumours that he's 'crazy'.The films settings and characters are based heavily on 50's culture and there is also an interesting cameo from Tom Waits. The film is shot almost entirely in black and white with stunning cinematography and brilliant acting, especially from Matt Dillon and Dennis Hopper as the alcoholic father. A great drama and a must-see for movie fans.
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