The Warriors (1979)

Explaining what makes "The Warriors" a good movie and one that is so enjoyable to watch is simple. It's the style.

The style announces itself loudly in the opening scene/credit sequence. Each credit appears in the custom text style then recedes into the depth of the screen like a departing train disappearing down a tunnel. Characters engage in excited exchanges about a deity-like leader, Cyrus, who commands the city's most powerful gang, the Grammercy Riffs.

Everyone is heading to see him deliver a speech. And, boy, what a speech it is. He captivates the crowd of thousands by using his striking charisma and booming baritone.

Then the gathering is abruptly interrupted by an act of violence for which the Warriors are falsely blamed. Acting on this inaccurate information, all gangs seek to capture and/or kill the Warriors. Now the Warriors must brave the dangerous streets on a 28-mile journey to safety.

Queue the action sequences. We see a lot of fights and running. A LOT of running. It's all delightful and stylish.

Director Walter Hill boldly leaves his fingerprints everywhere, shaping the aesthetic and creating something unusually special.

He creates a world of gang warfare that has undertones steeped in reality, but none of the characters of the world they inhabit ever feel real. The movie much more closely resembles a comic book. At times this is played subtly, and in other scenes Hill makes this readily apparent by pausing certain frames on screen to make them look like boxes from a comic book.

Dialogue continues the comic book theme. Characters say strange things that no one in real life would ever utter. The camera even moves in an unnatural manner. The action sequences contain exquisite energy, yet they feel completely rehearsed. Viewers are constantly fed reminders that they are watching a movie. It's never meant to be a realistic experience.

None of that is to say that this movie isn't enjoyable or that it is poorly made. It's purely a stylistic choice that Hill makes, and it's an overtly intentional one.

Within the first few minutes, you will have a pretty good sense if this movie is for you. If you like the vibe early, you'll enjoy the movie. At the very least, this one is worth a shot.

Fmovies: "Listen boppers", this is a great gang flick that has a small crew chased down by every gang in NYC after they are wrongly accused of killing Cyrus (the local crime boss) at the Bronx Zoo. The Warriors have to make it from the Upper Bronx to Coney Island with every gang in town trying their own unique ways of knocking them off. Baseball mimes, Roller Skating posses, chick gangs, and of course, the "Riffs" do their darnedest to knock off the resilient Coney Island gang before they can make it back to their stomping ground. A local radio announcer (the woman from "Where in the World is Carmen San Deigo?") narrates their progress downtown, tipping off rivals and setting up further confrontation. A great movies for all ages.

During a gang summit in the Bronx, a rival gang leader (Roger Hill) is shot and killed. A Coney Island gang is wrongfully accused of the crime and find themselves on the run from other gangs and cops as they race back to their turf. Will they make it back in one piece?

Walter Hill's ("48 Hrs.") stylish tale about gang warfare packs a punch (even by today's standards). Upon release, the film sparked controversy and was accused of encouraging gang violence. After one look, it's not brutal, graphic or unpleasant. It's an exciting, fast-paced, action-packed, non-bloody tale that sends a message with conviction. Most of the gangs portrayed are too cartoonish to be menacing, but yet they are unique in more ways than one. Credit should also be given to Andrew Laszlo's photography. A cult classic. "Can you dig it?"

My evaluation: *** out of ****.

The Warriors fmovies. I am a massive fan of the original warriors, but hated the directors cut. The comic book wipes from scene to scene seemed to cheapen the whole film. Though the director may have been originally aiming for a more 'fantastic' (for lack of a better word) feel, surely he must realise that the way the movie turned out, with a certain gritty and yet, feel good style, is the way it is meant to be. Slapping a few cartoons here and there instead of a simple wipe doesn't make for a radically different movie, just a spoiled one. And why would the original film, a classic and masterpiece, be discontinued once the new edition is released? there are future and even current generations who may not get a chance to see the original now. If the original DVD edition is going to be discontinued, why can't it be included in the new edition, we all know that it is possible (see alien special edition) am i the only one who has this opinion?

I'll admit the first time I saw this, I didn't see what the big deal was. I thought parts were dragged out, unneeded, and didn't make any sense. I decided to give it a second chance, and it instantly became one of my favorite movies.

The Warriors tells the tale of a "futuristic" New York City, in which, it seems, everyone is either associated with a gang, a cop, or just in the way. The Riffs, the largest gang in the city, calls for a meeting, consisting of 9 representatives from each gang, and each member to be unarmed. During this meeting, Cyrus, the leader of the Riffs, tells his plan of a unified gang which would run the city and outnumber the cops. During his speech, Luther, a member of the Rogues, shoots Cyrus after sneaking a gun into the meeting. Questions arise as to who did it, which the finger being pointed at the Warriors. From here on out, the Warriors are on their own as they must travel from the Bronx to Coney Island by any means necessary, traveling by train and by foot, through other gang territory.

Now a days, the violence in the movie may not effect some, but seeing as how it was made in 1979, I can see where the controversy comes from. As the movie goes on, you will start cheering for the Warriors and anticipating what will happen next. The use of (then) unknown actors helps you get into the story a little bit more, as you realize these could be everyday people and not big-name, big-budget Hollywood actors.

Looking back, I realized how much the meeting was an allegory for the Martin Luther King Jr. "I have a dream" speech. From the vision of a unified group to the assassination and even after wards, when the Warriors are saying what a great man and leader Cyrus would have been.

If you enjoy the movie, or want to understand it more, I highly recommend the Warriors video game, produced by Rockstar. It runs (almost) alongside the movie, but also provides a steady back story or how the Warriors was started and how each member came to be. An added bonus of the game is some of the major actors return to provide voices for their characters, such as Swan, Ajax and Cleon. It is also interesting to see (if you watch the movie before playing the game), how well the clips from the movie translate into the game. Many of the key scenes look like they are taken straight from the movie, like the meeting and the introduction of all of the Warriors in the beginning.

Again, I highly recommend this movie for anyone who likes cult movies, as this is a major one. Even if you don't like cult movies, I recommend it for the strong messages it sends.

Walter Hill shows his directing flair again for action, drama and style in this crackling 1979 movie about a Coney Island gang falsely accused of murder and fleeing from everyone....including the other NYC gangs and the New York City Police Department. Set amongst a hostile, nocturnal world of neon lit train stations, baseball bat wielding gang members and lethal women "The Warriors" moves along at a frantic pace with a fine selection of young actors taking the lead. Michael Beck plays the cool headed, "war chief" Swan, seeking to get the other members back home to Coney Island alive and in one piece. James Remar is unforgettable as the woman chasing, hot headed Ajax...always out to prove his manhood with his fists. And David Patrick Kelly is perfect as the murderous, but ultimately cowardly leader of the Rogues. Attending a combined gangs meeting deep in the South Bronx to hear the Gramercy Riffs plans to control the streets of New York, the Warriors are wrongly accused of the shooting death of their charismatic leader, Cyrus. The finger of blame pointed their way, they flee via any means they can and upon their way back to home base encounter violent opposition from the Orphans, the Turnbull AC's, the Baseball Furies and even rifts within their own ranks lead to trouble. A colorful, exciting and fast paced film...at the time of it's original release it drew criticism for allegedly encouraging gang activity, but now seems almost cartoon like in it's displays of violence.Hands down a great film,stands the test of time. 1 million stars