Rumble Fish

ISBN 10: 0783228473 ISBN 13: 9780783228471

Publisher: Universal Studios Home Entertainment, 1998

Synopsis

Academy Award-winning director Francis Ford Coppola's visually stunning adaptation of the S.E. Hinton novel. Starring teen heartthrobs Matt Dillon and Mickey Rourke as two brothers whose desire to break out of their urban trap eventually leads to the death of one and a new beginning for the other. Photographed in black and white with color sequences, the striking production features a brilliant supporting cast including Dennis Hopper, and boasts a musical score by Stewart Copeland, drummer and co-founder of the rock group, The Police.

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Review

The second of Francis Ford Coppola's films based on the popular juvenile novels of S.E. Hinton (the first being The Outsiders), Rumble Fish split critics into opposite camps: those who admired the film for its heavily stylized indulgence, and those who hated it for the very same reason. Whatever the response, it's clearly the work of a maverick director who isn't afraid to push the limits of his innovative talent. Filmed almost entirely in black and white with an occasional dash of color for symbolic effect, this tale of alienated youth centers on gang leader Rusty James (Matt Dillon) and his band of punk pals. Rusty's got a girlfriend (Diane Lane), an older brother named Motorcycle Boy (Mickey Rourke), and a drunken father (Dennis Hopper) who've all given up trying to straighten him out. He's best at making trouble, and he pursues that skill with an enthusiastic flair that eventually catches up with him. But it's not the whacked-out story here that matters--it's the uninhibited verve of Coppola's visual approach, which includes everything from time-lapse clouds to the kind of smoky streets and alleyways that could only exist in the movies. The supporting cast includes a host of fresh faces who went on to thriving careers, including Nicolas Cage, Christopher Penn, Vincent Spano, Laurence Fishburne, and musician Tom Waits. --Jeff Shannon

About this edition

• Publisher: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0783228473
• ISBN 13: 9780783228471
• Binding: DVD