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Rumble Fish (1983)
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Writers: S.E. Hinton (novel), S.E. Hinton (screenplay)
Cast: Matt Dillon, Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane
About: Rusty James, is a street wise hoodlum with lots of muscle but not much brains. Rusty James idolizes his older brother Motorcycle Boy. Rusty James longs for the old days of street gangs, which was before his time.
Background: In 1983 while directing The Outsiders, director Francis Ford Coppola co-wrote the screenplay for Rumble Fish along with S.E. Hinton who had written the novel.
Coppola used many of the same cast from The Outsiders...But unlike The Outsiders which was a traditional Hollywood style of story telling....Rumble Fish was made as an art house/experimental existential film...shot in high contrast black & white with off kilter compositions, reminiscent of early Film Noir films. The music score too was unique featuring a one of a kind percussion score by Stewart Copeland.
The result is an unconventional film that tells a story by visual and aural suggestion, as opposed to a more direct method. I liked it, but it's a challenge to fully appreciate it.

A young Laurence Fishburne on the left, with Tom Waits middle and Matt Dillon right.

Nicholas Cage in one of his first movies, along with Diane Lane
Part of the allure of this film is the young cast, of mostly unknowns: Matt Dillon, Diane Lane, Nicolas Cage, Christopher Penn
and Laurence Fishburne. Along with such established actors as Dennis Hopper and of course Mickey Rourke. Though in 1983 none of them were really house hold names.
The premise itself is interesting. Rusty James (Matt Dillion) is the younger brother of the neighbor hood hero Motorcycle Boy (Mickey Rourke), who's left the neighborhood for good, or so it seems. Which causes Rusty James to idolize his brother and the older generations of street gangs. The street gangs are gone, according to the movie having been replaced by dope on the streets. What makes Rusty James interesting is, he's not to bright, yet thinks he can grow up to be just like his brother, who's to much of a deep thinker for his own good.
Enough said. If you're a cinema buff, you should watch this.
Rumble Fish (1983)
Writers: S.E. Hinton (novel), S.E. Hinton (screenplay)
Cast: Matt Dillon, Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane
About: Rusty James, is a street wise hoodlum with lots of muscle but not much brains. Rusty James idolizes his older brother Motorcycle Boy. Rusty James longs for the old days of street gangs, which was before his time.
Background: In 1983 while directing The Outsiders, director Francis Ford Coppola co-wrote the screenplay for Rumble Fish along with S.E. Hinton who had written the novel.
Coppola used many of the same cast from The Outsiders...But unlike The Outsiders which was a traditional Hollywood style of story telling....Rumble Fish was made as an art house/experimental existential film...shot in high contrast black & white with off kilter compositions, reminiscent of early Film Noir films. The music score too was unique featuring a one of a kind percussion score by Stewart Copeland.
The result is an unconventional film that tells a story by visual and aural suggestion, as opposed to a more direct method. I liked it, but it's a challenge to fully appreciate it.
A young Laurence Fishburne on the left, with Tom Waits middle and Matt Dillon right.
Nicholas Cage in one of his first movies, along with Diane Lane
Part of the allure of this film is the young cast, of mostly unknowns: Matt Dillon, Diane Lane, Nicolas Cage, Christopher Penn
and Laurence Fishburne. Along with such established actors as Dennis Hopper and of course Mickey Rourke. Though in 1983 none of them were really house hold names.
The premise itself is interesting. Rusty James (Matt Dillion) is the younger brother of the neighbor hood hero Motorcycle Boy (Mickey Rourke), who's left the neighborhood for good, or so it seems. Which causes Rusty James to idolize his brother and the older generations of street gangs. The street gangs are gone, according to the movie having been replaced by dope on the streets. What makes Rusty James interesting is, he's not to bright, yet thinks he can grow up to be just like his brother, who's to much of a deep thinker for his own good.
Enough said. If you're a cinema buff, you should watch this.