Absolutely Fantastic

I was totally surprised at how great this film.You could feel your paranoia rise as the film went on and as you gradually learned the details of the real situation.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

The Warriors is a great film directed by Walter Hill about a group of lads embroiled with other gangs fighting for honor and turf on a strange surreal night. The film has gained critical acclaim and cult status only in recent years and was quite unsuccessful upon release. The reevaluation could be down to it being seen as a social commentary on youth and tribalism which has taken a much larger scale ever since its release. Indeed today many young people are a part of groups animatedly fighting against others with opposing agendas- which is not to say this film is only subversive. There is a lot of running and fighting and taking cover and hiding. The film flows and the violence even resembles poetry as the film progresses. The setting of the big apple in the isolation of the night lends itself perfectly to the characters and situation. The warriors is a great film not just because of its content but because of how relevant it has become.

This movie is halfway between grind-house, and a seventies Blaxploitation movie, if you can imagine what that would be like. It has neon, misogyny, Kung-Fu-style street brawling, mirrored-sunglasses wearing bad guys and bizarre gangs. Top that of with a heavy synth soundtrack, and you've got one hell of a movie.

Walter Hill's films in his prime combine a very simple, tight film making style with a mythic quality to his characters. They are not exactly stereotypes, but they're broad, simple archetypes. This is the best film he made in this mode. It manages to be simple and gritty with a completely unrealistic, heroic tone. I love this film. If you can avoid the newer version with animated comic transitions dropped in, do that.

"The Warriors" will go down as one of Walter Hill's greatest movies. Everything about this film clicks into place. The dialogue, the acting, direction and photography are terrific. The music is pretty cool too. You never forget the sense of danger and of tension as the gang "The Warriors" have no choice but to fight their way all the way back to their home territory along Coney Island after they have been falsely accused of murdering a high ranking gang member. The action is well choreographed as you root for "The Warriors" to clear their names. Probably the most familiar face amongst the cast is James Remar. He has worked for Walter Hill on a few occasions and this movie was the actor's first major one. It is interesting in that real street gangs were employed for the movie. Goodness knows how the actors and film crew got along with them! A classic.