The Warriors is that near perfect movie to watch after midnight; it's got 'grit' carved out on its back and its got a look (and I'm quoting Grindhouse for a moment) that will tear you in two. One scene sort of spells out the attitude of our "heroes", and heroes as in they are the bunch that are a little down on the line of being rough dudes- they're on the subway back to Coney Island, and this is after just getting through a fight with another gang in a bathroom in Union Square. It's a brutal fight, with neither side coming away without scars, and while they're sort of zoning out for one of the only moments of peace so far in this night of havoc while getting back home, two couples who've obviously come out of a disco club come onto the train and sit right across from Swan (Michael Beck) and Mercy (Valkenburgh). Even tired as they are- and she not even a member but someone who decided to tag along with the group- the look that they exchange is not pretty, at all, and promptly the couples leave the train. This is not only one of my favorite scenes in the film, but it's one of the pure cinematic moments in any gang movie (not to be confused with gangster, more like the gangs of the 50s, think West Side Story only 100 times more stylized and potentially violent), adding just that nice extra layer onto what these Warriors represent.
Walter Hill, drawing from Greek history of the Spartans in Persian territory (and no, it's not 300), as well as heavily with comic-books (this is probably more-so with the director's cut, though it's only in the transitions that this is more than obvious, otherwise it's more intrinsic), crafts his film out of the blood, sweat and lack of tears that go on in the middle of the New York City night with these not-so-bizarre gang wars. The premise is simple: the Warriors got to go back to Coney Island after falling into a huge gang gathering in the Bronx that goes to s*** when the supposed future all-of-NYC gang leader (Roger Hill as Cyrus, a very notable one-scene turn full of power) is shot down by a whacko (David Patrick Kelly, wonderfully one-note as a bad-ass heel), who pins the murder on the Warriors. It's a chase picture, a lot of the time, as the gang has to run from rival gangs- not because they wouldn't want to take them on, just because it's a little inconvenient, especially with the conceit of the subway- but it's also one of the more heavy fight-centric gang films I've ever seen, with guys with bats, girls with vendettas (yes, girls), and punks on roller-skates.
Hill's film is captivating without being too ridiculous, which is a very fine line to tread, especially with a cast of unknowns. He could have easily just as made a wild exploitation flick, and there may be some out there who'll consider it just that. But it deftly mixes two aspects, one being the nature of the period in New York City, of the complete lack of real order of law (the cops sometimes get them, sometimes not, it's usually good/bad luck, as with the comic note with Ajax's arrest scene), and where it could be conceivable that after hours on the streets all hell could break loose; one could see this as being somewhat in relation to the world of Death Wish, albeit in this film the gangs not being centered on going after civilians, yet still same city, same wretched crime problem of the 70s. The other being the atmosphere of a down n dirty comic book, loaded with juicy one-liners (some of the best include "Can you dig it?", "I'll shove that bat up your ass and turn you into a popsicle", "Friday nights are good, Saturday nights are better"), expertly timed and edited scenes of violence and action- not just the gangs fights but also the opening with the gangs spreading out with the arrival of the cops- and the lines between good and evil blurred just enough to make it work for the material.
It's hard to envision the Warriors being properly remade today, as there's too much access to new visual effects and other tricks of the trade to maybe make things a little too 'slick', or to just simply admonish the ferocity of the characters and situations of the original. As it stands, the original Warriors lacks the greatest ending imaginable (it's really just an inevitable one, however fun it is to see it come down), and it does teeter on becoming a little too over-the-top for its own good. But overall, Hill has fashioned a modern midnight movie classic, where the people look like they've been taken off the streets and given very brief acting lessons, and the intensity is kept very thick from start to finish, plus an amazing soundtrack with funk and rock songs perfect for any outlaw picture. It's not too hard to wonder that it caused the kind of reaction when first released, from actual gangs in the theaters, not seen since the Wild One.
Walter Hill, drawing from Greek history of the Spartans in Persian territory (and no, it's not 300), as well as heavily with comic-books (this is probably more-so with the director's cut, though it's only in the transitions that this is more than obvious, otherwise it's more intrinsic), crafts his film out of the blood, sweat and lack of tears that go on in the middle of the New York City night with these not-so-bizarre gang wars. The premise is simple: the Warriors got to go back to Coney Island after falling into a huge gang gathering in the Bronx that goes to s*** when the supposed future all-of-NYC gang leader (Roger Hill as Cyrus, a very notable one-scene turn full of power) is shot down by a whacko (David Patrick Kelly, wonderfully one-note as a bad-ass heel), who pins the murder on the Warriors. It's a chase picture, a lot of the time, as the gang has to run from rival gangs- not because they wouldn't want to take them on, just because it's a little inconvenient, especially with the conceit of the subway- but it's also one of the more heavy fight-centric gang films I've ever seen, with guys with bats, girls with vendettas (yes, girls), and punks on roller-skates.
Hill's film is captivating without being too ridiculous, which is a very fine line to tread, especially with a cast of unknowns. He could have easily just as made a wild exploitation flick, and there may be some out there who'll consider it just that. But it deftly mixes two aspects, one being the nature of the period in New York City, of the complete lack of real order of law (the cops sometimes get them, sometimes not, it's usually good/bad luck, as with the comic note with Ajax's arrest scene), and where it could be conceivable that after hours on the streets all hell could break loose; one could see this as being somewhat in relation to the world of Death Wish, albeit in this film the gangs not being centered on going after civilians, yet still same city, same wretched crime problem of the 70s. The other being the atmosphere of a down n dirty comic book, loaded with juicy one-liners (some of the best include "Can you dig it?", "I'll shove that bat up your ass and turn you into a popsicle", "Friday nights are good, Saturday nights are better"), expertly timed and edited scenes of violence and action- not just the gangs fights but also the opening with the gangs spreading out with the arrival of the cops- and the lines between good and evil blurred just enough to make it work for the material.
It's hard to envision the Warriors being properly remade today, as there's too much access to new visual effects and other tricks of the trade to maybe make things a little too 'slick', or to just simply admonish the ferocity of the characters and situations of the original. As it stands, the original Warriors lacks the greatest ending imaginable (it's really just an inevitable one, however fun it is to see it come down), and it does teeter on becoming a little too over-the-top for its own good. But overall, Hill has fashioned a modern midnight movie classic, where the people look like they've been taken off the streets and given very brief acting lessons, and the intensity is kept very thick from start to finish, plus an amazing soundtrack with funk and rock songs perfect for any outlaw picture. It's not too hard to wonder that it caused the kind of reaction when first released, from actual gangs in the theaters, not seen since the Wild One.