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Rumble Fish (1983)

Starring Matt Dillon, Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane, and Dennis Hopper.  Cinematography by Stephen H. Burum.  Edited by Barry Malkin.  Produced by Fred Roos and Doug Claybourne.  Written by Francis Ford Coppola and S.E. Hinton.  Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

Rusty-James is the leader of the neighborhood gang.  He’s a trouble maker and, by his own admission, is not very bright.  His leadership comes from his fists and not with his mind, but he is nonetheless respected by his peers. 

Rusty-James’ brother, Motorcycle Boy, is quite the opposite.  He is quiet and thoughtful and chooses negotiation over warfare.  Everyone loves Motorcycle Boy, but for the past two months he has been missing; apparently having moved on to California. 

Before his disappearance, Motorcycle Boy called a truce with the town’s rival gang, but Rusty-James finds it harder and harder to live by these high standards. So inevitably a fight breaks out and Rusty-James is hurt badly.  Motorcycle Boy returns and over the next few days spends time with his brother trying to teach him the ways of the world.

S.E. Hinton published her third novel, Rumble Fish, in 1975.  The book was both praised and criticized for being overly stylized; the same fate that would plague Francis Ford Coppola’s film adaptation eight years later.  Coppola first read the book while filming his first Hinton collaboration, The Outsiders. 

He immediately appreciated the story and decided to start production directly after finishing The Outsiders.  So with two of the stars (Matt Dillon and Diane Lane) and most of the crew he used in his previous film, he basically continued production right into his next project.

Coppola had a very different vision for Rumble Fish than he did for The Outsiders.  While The Outsiders drew inspiration from the “juvenile delinquent” films from the 1950’s (for example Rebel Without a Cause), he set out to make “an art film for kids” with Rumble Fish.  The entire film was shot in black and white with only two symbolic images appearing in color. 

The soundtrack was mainly composed of percussion written by ex-Police drummer Stewart Copeland.  Coppola took chances with Rumble Fish, which is amazing courageous considering the financial position he was in at the time.  Unfortunately Warner Brothers, who had agreed to distribute The Outsiders, did not follow suit and refused to deal with Rumble Fish.  It was eventually picked up by Universal Pictures, but was shot down in the box office.  Coppola may have been down, but he was most certainly not out.  The Outsiders proved to be a success and Zoetrope would continue to thrive.

Budget:  $10,000,000

Total US Gross:  $2,500,000

Genre:  Drama

Runtime:  94 Minutes

US Release Date:  10/21/83

Aspect Ratio:  1.85:1

Awards: 

Golden Globes: 
Nominated for best original score.

Tagline:  Rusty James Can’t Live Up To His Brother’s Reputation.  His Brother Can’t Live It Down.

Quote:  “If you're going to lead people, you have to have somewhere to go.”

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