At the crossroads Robert Johnson, the greatest blues guitarist of all time, sold his soul to the devil for talent and fame, so the legend goes. "Crossroads" is a bow to the great blues musicians and the myths surrounding them. The movie was made in the middle of the 80's but thankfully director Walter Hill avoided including too much of what was hip at the time and concentrated on the classy, timeless coolness of the blues. Even the devil, who plays a certain part in the story, isn't portrayed as some kind of cheesy monster, but appears as a regular guy with a sinsiter smile. On the other hand, this movie could only have been made in the 80's. It's the classic story of a young rookie meeting an old, grumpy legend and learning how to become a giant himself with a lacing of fantasy thrown into the mix. Ralph Macchio who had incidentally already been the "Karate Kid", a movie with a different subject but a similar setup, does a great job at mimicking to play the guitar. He has to act as if he was playing some really tricky stuff and he pulls it off quite well. In reality, Ry Cooder was responsible for all the amazing guitar work. If you're a guitar buff and own a Telecaster yourself (like I do), you'll find it delightful to see that guitar in action so much. What I like the most about "Crossroads" is that it takes all the clichés and myths of blues and handles them with a lot of dignity while never forgetting to move on with the story. The movie's heart is of course the guitar duel at the end, where Steve Vai makes a prominent appearance. It's the one scene that people will watch repeatedly, although it's also the scene, in which "Crossroads" reveals when it has been made. Such a finale just wouldn't be possible nowadays as shredding guitar heroes aren't popular anymore. I love the scene for what it is, but it's not set up well and the movie ends a bit too quickly afterwards.
All in all "Crossroads" is no masterpiece, but it's certainly one of a kind. The most likable thing about it is that it doesn't seem like it was made for a huge commercial success, but for the love for its subject. This one's not just for blues geeks, but also recommendable to "normal" people.
All in all "Crossroads" is no masterpiece, but it's certainly one of a kind. The most likable thing about it is that it doesn't seem like it was made for a huge commercial success, but for the love for its subject. This one's not just for blues geeks, but also recommendable to "normal" people.