RUMBLE FISH

US, 1983, 94 minutes, Black and white/Colour effects.
Matt Dillon, Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane, Dennis Hopper, Diana Scarwid, Nicolas Cage, Vincent Spano.
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

Rumble Fish is the third film version of an S. E. Hinton novel. Matt Dillon, the star of Rumble Fish, also appeared Tex and The Outsiders. This time the screenplay was co-written by Hinton and Francis Ford Coppola. (Hinton herself appears briefly as the hooker in the main street.)

The film is difficult for its audiences rather than a straightforward presence of the youth sub-culture. Where Tex had its gentle touches and The Outsiders (directed by Coppola and made back-to-back with Rumble Fish) uses colour and mythical evocations of memories of Gone With the Wind for its gentle and harsh portrayal of youth, this film uses striking black and white photography, special effects (with echoes of Ingmar Bergman e.g. with clocks) for an unrelenting picture of youth hanging around, fighting, experiencing violence.

The film emphasises its style a great deal, drawing attention to itself. Using Tulsa, Oklahoma, the film shows the picture of alienated youth. To highlight the theme, the Siamese fish (which bite one another, driven to frenzy even by the sight of another male) are filmed in colour as symbolic of the main characters.

Another film indicating Francis Ford Coppola's independence of mainstreams of Hollywood film-making - from The Godfather films, The Conversation to Apocalypse Now and One From The Heart.

1. The title of the film, the symbolism of the Siamese fish? Their fighting, worked into a frenzy at male images? The tradition of alienated youth and their rumbles? Fights, violence, dying? The fish and their symbolism and colour? The tank taken to the river to set the rumble fish free - a kind of escape or a kind of death?

2. The work of S. E. Hinton? The popularity of her novels? Her insight into youth? The problems of youth, family backgrounds, education? male and female roles? Fighting and surviving? Macho images? American themes?

3. Francis Ford Coppola and his career, his idiosyncratic styles and treatments? Audience popularity or not?

4. The impact of the black and white colour photography and its sharp and steely look? The small fish solely appearing in colour? Tulsa, Oklahoma and the life of the city, the streets, the homes, the landscapes? The special effects for the clouds and the speeding of time? The images e.g. of clocks - with or without hands, in gaudy settings as in the pet shop? The visuals, compositions, postures, the choreography of fights? The use of realism and fantasy - especially Rusty James and his levitating? Patty's appearances as a sex object?

5. The insight of the film into youth? A portrait of youth, subculture, rebels? Americana? Peers and pressure, loyalties? Antagonisms? Macho images? Fights, weapons, brutality, blood? The men fighting? The women as supportive or as sex objects? Independence? Modelling by older heroes? Images, ideals? Depression, violence and death? The need to escape?

6. The city as a character: steely cold, the high-rise buildings, the streets, the underpasses? The verbal comparisons with California? California as a dreamland - real or not? Held up as the goal for escape by the Motor Cycle King? The sea and California?

7. Matt Dillon as Rusty James, the focus of the film? Matt Dillon's presence, style? Identification by male audiences? Attractive for female audiences? An image or a character? Style, poses? A contemporary icon? His being referred to as Rusty James (except by his father)? His role in the group and the peer influence? The leader? His place in the city? His love for Patty? The fight, the rumble - with Patty and then coming just in time? His success, injury? His brother as an ideal? The significance of his absence, his return? His fighting and saving Rusty James? The injury and Steve's concern? Caring for Rusty James, treating his wound with alcohol? Rusty James and the police, going home? His schooling - and images of Patty in the King? His being suspended from school? Hanging out around the town - his friends, their willing or unwilling acknowledging of his leadership? Steve as an intellectual yet friendly with Rusty James? The party - and the sex sequence? His alleged friend organising this to take Patty away from him? The domestic scenes with Patty, passionate, talking? Following her from church with the nuns? Her little sister? The bond with his brother, their talk, hearing about his mother, California? His brother as the outsider? The scenes with their father, his drinking, the bonds in the family? The continual and ominous presence of the police? Antagonism towards the Motor Cycle King, towards Rusty James? The violent rumble. knives and stakes? His being hit - and his levitating, seeing himself, Patty, his friends, father? His returning to himself? His assessment of people's reaction to him? His brother taking the fish from the pet shop. taking him to the river, his death? The finale after his brother's death? His brother's bequest of the bike, riding to California and to the sea? Freedom or not? An American symbol? The Motor Cycle King - the graffiti praising him, his being someone, his absence being felt, his return, saving Rusty James, home, the friendly talk between the two, talk about their mother? His plaintive and wistful tone of voice, ethereal reflections? A guide and model for Rusty James? Helping him? The symbolism of the fish? His taking them, freeing them, dying?

9. Rusty James' friends: Steve and his study, concern for Rusty James, helping him with his injuries, walking and talking? The friend who betrayed him and contrived to take Patty?

10. Patty as an ordinary young girl in the city, church, the nuns, Rusty James following, relating, the romance, at home, the mother's comments, the young sister, a passionate girl, appearing in Rusty James' fantasies, her resentment of the stories about the sex night, her going with Rusty James' friend and disdaining him? Dennis Hopper as the boy's father, drinking, at home, memories? Kindly but helpless? The police and their ominous and continual presence, the callous shooting of the Motor Cycle King? The atmosphere, the importance of atmosphere building to conflict, the rumbles. the police - the final tableau with all the characters of the film assembled, Rusty James passing them? A summary of the film? His escape to California?

14. An enjoyable film? A difficult film? action of youth and sub-culture themes?