During the 70s Francis Ford Coppola’s cinematic output was some of the most impressive in film history The Godfather parts one and two, Apocalypse Now and The Conversation are still heavily revered to this day. But during the 80s Coppola’s output often fell short at both the box office and with critics, despite being some of his most experimental and personal output.
Rumble fish was released off of the back of The Outsiders, featuring a cast of young actors including Nicolas Cage, Chris Penn, Matt Dillon and Mickey Rourke. The film tells the story of young Rusty Lee (Dillon), who lives in the shadows of his ex-gang brother Motorcycle Boy (Rourke), a man who abandoned Rusty and left him with his alcoholic father (a rather sedate performance from Dennis Hopper). Motorcycle Boy returns to town in an attempt to show his brother the error of his ways but time is quickly running out for young Rusty Lee.
Stylistically the film owes a lot to early German expressionism and the noir films of the 40s and 50s. Coppola owes a lot to the films of Murnau, although he incorporates a lot of close ups throughout the film which at times feel distracting. Shooting the film in stark black and white is a clever cinematic touch to show Motorcycle Boy’s colour blindness. The most experimental part of the film is without a doubt the score created by Stuart Copeland of Police fame. The soundtrack is a heavy rhythmic affair, featuring urban sounds that work great with the film, giving a great sense of urgency when coupled with the repeated visual themes of time running out. At times the score does bleed into the dialogue a bit and it is sometimes awkward to hear what is being said, but despite this the soundtrack is one of the film’s highlights.
The young cast does a rather impressive job of keeping the audience gripped. Rourke is perfect as Motorcycle Boy, giving a calm but at the same time powerful performance. Dillon holds his own as Rusty Lee but has trouble delivering within some scenes, and the same goes for a young Nicolas Cage who feels rather awkward throughout the film (this being said it was one of his earliest roles).
The Masters Of Cinema Blu-ray release is full of special features, including a fantastic booklet that includes an in depth and personal interview with Coppola conducted during production of the film. It is a fantastic insight into what makes Coppola tick and shows his love for every aspect of cinema. Visually the Blu-ray version of the film often feels flat, especially during large location shots, of which there are many. Due to the film’s monochrome visuals, the blacks and greys don’t polish up so well in this high definition release and it feels as if it has lost some of it gritty cinematic beauty. Despite the visuals being a let down, there are a decent amount of extras to enjoy, including the film#s fantastic score, which is definitely a pleasure to listen to. Also featured are a few featurettes that include archival footage and focus on both the young cast and also the film’s soundtrack and its production, giving a well rounded look at the films ins and outs.
Overall Verdict: A fine package from Eureka that gives a solid and enjoyable experience of one of Coppola’s most visually interesting and experimental films.
Special Features:
Theatrical Trailer
Soundtrack
Commentary with Francis Ford Coppola
Featurette on location in Tulsa
Featurette on the soundtrack and its production
Rumble Fish booklet
Reviewer: Gareth Haworth