The Warriors (1979)

I never get tired of this movie. It came out when I was a kid and I didn’t get to see it until I was older. However, I remember the trailer, the hype, and the drama surrounding the movie stemming from the reports of violence in some theaters that evidently resulted when rival street gangs would attend the same showing and decide to handle their differences on the spot.

The movie follows a small group of delegates from a fictional Coney Island street gang, the Warriors, that venture to the Bronx to attend a conclave with rival gangs only to find themselves being pursued by those rival gangs, unaffiliated gangs, and the NYPD as they try to make it back to their home turf of Coney Island. This following the assassination of the gang leader that organized the conclave and the false accusation by the perpetrators that the Warriors were the ones responsible.

As has been pointed to by people associated with the film, it has a deliberate comic book feel. The stylized outfits worn by the various gangs certainly are not particularly realistic, but the movie still feels authentic to the 1970s New York City that it is portraying. The rock music score with synthesizers really hits you and complements the film. And the young cast turns in fantastic performances including those by Michael Beck, James Remar, Roger Hill, and Deborah Van Valkenburgh.

Below is a link to a YouTube playlist of scenes from the movie. If you have seen the movie, the clips make for a pleasant ride once more with the Warriors. And if you haven’t seen it, perhaps the clips will pique your interest and influence you to give this cult classic a viewing.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEGdQFob-Y972Ymnb4TDzJ-5iGh4S6aDo&si=z5Hx8jiXYdJJtZAp