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Rusty James (Matt Dillon) has hopes of being a big fish in a small pond. He’s the typical tough-guy in a small, industrial town. Guys want to be him (or they want to fight him), and chicks want to be with him.
Rusty’s brother, known only as The Motorcycle Boy (played by Mickey Rourke), is a town legend. He was once the gang leader –- the toughest of the tough-guys –- but then he just disappeared, leaving Rusty to try to live up to his reputation. Rusty wants to be just like his brother, but things aren’t going as planned. His girlfriend is tired of his lying and cheating, and his friends aren’t really all that excited about getting into rumbles. And he’s left alone in a run-down old dump with his alcoholic father (Dennis Hopper).
When The Motorcycle Boy returns to town –- no longer the great leader he once was -– Rusty still refuses to believe that the glory days of the gangs are over.
Rumble Fish is an intriguing movie. Director Francis Ford Coppola created a strong, dramatic, intensely-artistic film that screams a plain-and-simple message –- one that his rare use of color in this black and white film only strengthens.
For some reason, I kept waiting for the characters to burst into song -– scenes in the movie often reminded me of West Side Story (but without all the dancing). But overall, the film was incredibly well-done. It’s one of those movies that leaves you in awe. And the cast alone makes this one worth seeing. Not only will you find great performances by Matt, Mickey, and Dennis, but you’ll also find Laurence (“Larry”) Fishburne, musician Tom Waits, and a young –- and excessively-coiffed –- Nicolas Cage.
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