Rumble Fish

Coppola's second adaptation of an S.E. Hinton novel revolves around Rusty-James, a mouthy, teenage gang member (Matt Dillon) whose life is devoted to emulating the past exploits of his older brother; the legendary Motorcycle Boy.

Rumble Fish is big on style, the story sometimes seeming secondary to the look of the film. Shot entirely in black and white except for the fighting fish of the title, it is full of beautifully photographed scenes, the stylistic devices employed by Coppola, such as the almost Expressionistic lighting generating a strange, dreamlike, floating atmosphere which somehow makes the whole film seem unreal.

The director's flair for the coordination of movement is shown to great effect in the gorgeously choreographed warehouse scenes of gang warfare: areas of bright light and deep shadow combining with arcing chains and switchblades in a savagely beautiful passage of aesthetic violence. Apart from being an extremely good looking film, Rumble Fish boasts a cast which would look more impressive today than it did in 1984. Matt Dillon, Mickey Rourkee and Dennis Hopper aside, it doesn't take long to pick out Chris Penn, Nicholas Cage and Tom Waits, all of whom have since proceeded to greater prominence. Rumble Fish is strangely attractive and makes up for in style what it lacks in plot.

Review by Iain Harral
Taken from EUFS Programme 1994-95