RUMBLE FISH (1983) *** Surrealist Cinematic Liberation Army of Brooklyn, Oklahoma. or anywhere. Shadows and percussion division, man. S. E. Hinton and Francis Ford Coppola have written three characters so huge, so post-humanistic, that it's impossible to figure who could possibly fill any of them. Well, actually, no, Dennis Hopper could do one of them, because he does. Matt Dillon and Mickey Rourke are impressive in the other two, and if some of the moments feel slightly baggy it's more a credit to the spectacular vision and ambition of the writers than any failure on the part of the actors. People are going to get very different things out of this film, and some might argue that it isn't particularly surrealist, there being a readily identifiable plot and all. Aw, come on! The plot doesn't have anything to do with it! Well, it does, but only in the way that springs have something to do with an acrobat trampoline trombonist. Cinema techs will no doubt think they're getting the most out of it, what with Coppola flashing brilliance in every frame, in a manner more inclined towards repressed fury than showing off. I don't know, though, I mean, yeah, the technical virtuosity is more than springs, but maybe it's just the air around it. Mickey and Matt frequent only the finest pool rooms, and battle only the most delinquent gangs, to the background of a Stewart Copeland soundtrack so brilliant that it's impossible not to come to the conclusion that Sting was holding him back. Doesn't matter, he got out, and he's probably swimming around some nice river somewhere. Peripheral performances by Tom Waits, Diane Lane and Nicolas Cage show flashes of perfection, but there are some fish, too, who never opportune to flout their flourish, and yes, so often they do so together. It's a film about brothers, and the addictive nature of danger, and fear of the open road, and Biblical recitations on the non-atavistic nature of sin, and eight balls, and broken clocks, and lurid fire escapes.
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