The Warriors: The Real Gangs of New York

Here's one from the vault for you, a solidly iconic cult classic, The Warriors. Coming straight out of 1979, the film is set in New York City at a time where waves of somewhat fruitfully dressed gangs rule the streets, vying for the herald of being the best on the streets.

The Warriors Poster
Image courtesy of unionroom.com

The film follows the story of The Warriors, the charismatic, leather vest wearing, street fighters and their night on the run from every other gang in the city. They've been framed for the murder of Cyrus, leader of the most powerful gang in New York (The Gramercy Riffs). Whilst presenting an idea of a truce between gangs, making one community of fighters to run the city, above the law Cyrus is shot dead by 'The Rogues' leader, Luther, played by David Patrick Kelly the undisputed master of the ad-lib ("Come out to play-ay" anyone?). After the shooting, chaos undoubtedly ensues. The Warriors become the focus of the ultimate trophy hunt and for the duration of the movie, we see their fight for survival on the cold-blooded gangland streets, contending with all manner of foes - skinheads, baseball players, the police, rollerskaters and more. Between scenes there are the occasional wonderful little commentary segments issued by a nameless, typically 'jive-talking' pirate radio broadcaster, giving all the gangsters out there the low down on the streets, these parts give a great excuse to slip some fantastic music into the movie, Nowhere To Run by Arnold McCuller being one of the real highlights, and perfectly fitting for the gang on the run of course.

"Fuckin' A!" Ajax, played by James Remar
Image courtesy of quotableactionhero.blogspot.com

The cast are incredibly fitting in their roles delivering each and every one-liner with an air of perfection. My particular favourite being James Remar as Ajax (left), with such crackers as "I'll shove that bat up your ass and turn you into a Popsicle" and "I'm sick of runnin' from these wimps!" he fits the tough-guy persona fantastically and he can still be seen today as Harry Morgan in hit series Dexter. But James aside, the film marked a pinnacle in most of their careers. With occasional TV appearances and the odd film here and there, The Warriors marked the only real defining moment in many of their careers. Whilst being a great shame, there's something nice about knowing that they peaked at such a high point, and for a lot of them they will always be remembered as their colourful alter egos. 

Iconic Imagery: The Baseball Furies
Image courtesy of thebbps.com

The setting and soundtrack are fantastic; grey, decrepit, run down streets, subways laden with graffiti and gang symbols, these images coupled with some absolutely divine synth music make a wonderful partnership, strengthening the films artistic merit tenfold. The era and setting is clear as day but the film has aged fantastically considering it's not long turned 41 years since its release. It's one of the most iconic films to come out of the late 70's, and is most definitely worth a watch. If you were looking at picking up a copy of Kaya Scodelario's new movie Shank this is much more worth your time and money if it's gangs that you want to see in action. It's only 92 minutes so it's a short watch, but more or less every second is worthwhile, there's some great shots which is a treat for the eyes and the costume design is phenomenal, make sure you look out for The Hi-Hats and hallowe'en costume favourites The Baseball Furies (right). 

The Verdict

Don't let it's age put you off, this film is like a fine wine. I was in awe after the first time I saw it, and that feeling has never expired. From the stark opening shot of the Coney Island amusement park lit up at night, right up to the final scenes with 'In The City' by Joe Walsh echoing above, The Warriors is an action packed joyride from start to finish. It's one for the boys, full of wise cracks, broken backs and a great soundtrack, but the female film fans shouldn't disregard it either. A cracking movie, and well worth a look 7/10.