Rumble Fish (1983)

71% of critics liked it
(24 reviews)
77% of users liked it
(21,917 ratings)

One of two S.E. Hinton novels Francis Ford Coppola directed in 1983, Rumble Fish is a stylized black-and-white film about the death of gang culture in a rough-and-tumble town full of stunted youths. The central character is the strutting Rusty James (Matt Dillon), a foul-mouthed lunkhead clad in… More One of two S.E. Hinton novels Francis Ford Coppola directed in 1983, Rumble Fish is a stylized black-and-white film about the death of gang culture in a rough-and-tumble town full of stunted youths. The central character is the strutting Rusty James (Matt Dillon), a foul-mouthed lunkhead clad in sweaty tank tops, who passes his time at the billiards hall waiting for "something" to happen in his life. That something might be the return of his brother, known only as the Motorcycle Boy (Mickey Rourke), from exile in California. Charismatic and intelligent, the Motorcycle Boy once led numerous wide-eyed followers into battle, into the "rumbles" once commonplace in town. Rusty James wants to take over that role, but lacks the smarts necessary for leadership, nearly getting himself killed in an opening fight. The Motorcycle Boy stops the fight with equal parts efficiency and cool, and Rusty James seems delighted by his brother's return. But it quickly becomes clear that a local cop (William Smith) is still gunning for the Motorcycle Boy, waiting for him to slip up, even though the mysterious youth has developed a weary philosophy of life and a skeptical view of his former power. As the Motorcycle Boy seems more and more distant, lost in deaf and color-blind fugues, Rusty James gets into greater trouble, running afoul of his girlfriend (Diane Lane) and friends (Nicolas Cage, Christopher Penn, Vincent Spano), and seeming on the path to destruction. ~ Derek Armstrong, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: Francis Ford Coppola
Written By: Francis Ford Coppola
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Oct 7, 1983 Wide
On DVD: Sep 8, 1998
Studio: Universal Pictures

Critic Reviews

Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine
If Rumble Fish fails as a traditional movie about real people, it is beguiling as an exercise in hallucinatory style.
Variety Staff, Variety
Overwrought and overthought.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
This is a movie you are likely to hate, unless you can love it for its crazy, feverish charm.
Janet Maslin, New York Times
A number of the images in Rumble Fish are more memorable than the film is as a whole, sometimes for the wrong reasons.
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
The action is clotted and murky, and Coppola obviously hasn't bothered to clarify it for the members of his cast, who wander through the film with expressions of winsome, honest befuddlement.
Nick Davis, Nick's Flick Picks
Rumble Fish is like a unisex Sweet 16 gift for children whose favorite hangouts are the pool hall, the Cinématheque Française, and the rings of Saturn.
Charles Cassady, Common Sense Media
Teen-gang saga is more intense, violent than the book.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
Beautiful.
, Empire Magazine
A bit too over-stylized to allow for any great involvement, the most interesting part of this is spotting the young actors before they became stars -- most notably nephew-of-the-director Nicolas Cage.
, Time Out
Coppola's recent viewing seems to have been German silent films of the '20s, so he has decided to coat the whole enterprise in a startling Expressionist style, which is very arresting but hardly appropriate to the matter in hand.
Brent Simon, Now Playing Magazine
Transcends the conventions of its roots to present a moving showcase of agitated, fitful youth.
Scott Weinberg, DVD Clinic
An offbeat experiment that, while certainly not a brilliant movie, flies far more than it fails.
Daniel Eagan, Film Journal International
Visually stunning but dramatically inert coming-of-age tale
Jake Euker, F5 (Wichita, KS)
Art for adolscents, tricked out in quasi-seriousness. Once hip, now amusing.

Read all 14 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Melvin W

The Motorcycle Boy: If you're going to lead people, you have to have somewhere to go. "No leader can survive becoming a legend." Since first watching Rumble Fish, it has grown and grown on me. Initially I liked it, but thought it was lesser Coppola, not nearly as bad… More
The Motorcycle Boy: If you're going to lead people, you have to have somewhere to go. "No leader can survive becoming a legend." Since first watching Rumble Fish, it has grown and grown on me. Initially I liked it, but thought it was lesser Coppola, not nearly as bad as Jack, but not even as good as one of his more average movies, Tetro. The more I have thought about it, the more I have really started to like the film. I love these brother movies, where the younger brother tries to be the older brother, but can't. There is so much truth in them and this one one is extremely well done. The movie opens with Rusty James being told that another street punk wants to kill him and challenged him to fight. We then learn through conversations with his friends that Rusty's brother has been gone for awhile. His brother is a legend on the streets; he is The Motorcycle Boy. When Rusty James and his gang go to the fight, The Motorcycle Boy shows up too and the two brothers start hanging out again. From there, there isn't too much plot. It is all about the brothers and what it means to be a leader and shit like that. The Motorcycle Boy is such an awesome character. He is played by Mickey Rourke and I don't think there was an actor better suited to play him. The character is like James Dean's from Rebel Without a Cause reincarnated. The guy is tough, but he is also soft spoken. He is color blind and doesn't hear all that well. He looks old for his age, probably from all the partying and fighting. The Motorcycle Boy is a leader and a smart, philosophical brother to Rusty James and all Rusty wants his to be like his brother when he grows up. Maybe it isn't The Godfather or Apocalypse Now, but I still think this shows off just how good Coppola is. It shows how flexible he is as a filmmaker and further proves his immense talent. There is only one thing that hurt the movie and that was knowing the ending way too early. Not that we were told of it, but that it was too obvious. It was the only way it could end. Still a beautiful film from Francis Ford Coppola.
Mark W

Francis Ford Coppola has another attempt at adapting an S.E Hinton book and this time with better results. It's a bit more grown up, and he once again assembles a brilliant cast. The film is beautifully shot in monochrome style and at times it's almost surreal. Admittedly I… More
Francis Ford Coppola has another attempt at adapting an S.E Hinton book and this time with better results. It's a bit more grown up, and he once again assembles a brilliant cast. The film is beautifully shot in monochrome style and at times it's almost surreal. Admittedly I never read the book but enjoyed this one more than "The Outsiders". Matt Dillon is on good form as "Rusty James" a tearaway teenager who can't stay out of trouble, while trying to live up to the reputation of his older brother "Motorcyle Boy" played with quiet intensity by Mickey Rourke. The rest of the cast are great also with Dennis Hopper playing the alcoholic father and Laurence Fishburne, Chris Penn and Nicolas Cage making up the rest of Rusty James' crew. Also a welcome cameo appearance by Tom Waits mumbling his way through a short but funny character. Worth checking out, even just for the gorgeous cinematography.
Kalel J

With some of the most impressive visuals that I have ever witnessed in film and a European inspired design sense, Rumble Fish is a unique, engrossing, and highly memorable film. It could easily be argued that its style tends to detract from the characters and any relevant themes in… More
With some of the most impressive visuals that I have ever witnessed in film and a European inspired design sense, Rumble Fish is a unique, engrossing, and highly memorable film. It could easily be argued that its style tends to detract from the characters and any relevant themes in the film, but it instead amplifies the need for insight and concentration as we wade through Coppola's beautiful noirish visuals. There isn't a single frame from the picture that couldn't be considered instantly iconic imagery.
Mark H

Francis Ford Coppola's follow up to <I>The Outsiders</I> was a critical and commercial flop when originally released in 1983. Panned for being over-stylized and lacking a clear narrative, audiences shunned the film. Yet it is those artistic touches that set the film… More
Francis Ford Coppola's follow up to <I>The Outsiders</I> was a critical and commercial flop when originally released in 1983. Panned for being over-stylized and lacking a clear narrative, audiences shunned the film. Yet it is those artistic touches that set the film apart. Black and white cinematography, which recalls French New Wave cinema and German Expressionism, never looked so beautiful. In fact, this surreal film more resembles life in the mid-50s, despite being set in the modern day. Stellar cast adds to this visually arresting teen drama about streets gangs and sibling relationships.
Pierluigi P

Mickey Rourke's laid-back charismatic attitude and Stephen H. Burum's hypnotic photography are the key elements of this striking surreal moral tale.
Mike T

This visionary burst of artistic expression is one of the strongest installments in Coppola's directorial canon. Rumble Fish is one of his most unique and compelling works, a film that pulsates with crazy energy and bold ideas. Beautifully shot.
Marcus W

In the hands of some European wannabe director this would be a dull black and white noir. In Coppola's hands it's a mesmerising film with possibly the greatest use of black and white cinematography, plus a great score that keeps the film energised and stops drag. It's… More
In the hands of some European wannabe director this would be a dull black and white noir. In Coppola's hands it's a mesmerising film with possibly the greatest use of black and white cinematography, plus a great score that keeps the film energised and stops drag. It's also the best I've seen Rourke. A must-see for film lovers. A deserved classic.
Adam M

Arty, noir-ish drama with Matt Dillon and Mickey Rourke about 2 brothers, one a cool as fuck biker who nearly everyone in town worships and the other, a thug and dreamer who tries to live up to his brothers reputation. Their boredom at the town they live in has forced to make up… More
Arty, noir-ish drama with Matt Dillon and Mickey Rourke about 2 brothers, one a cool as fuck biker who nearly everyone in town worships and the other, a thug and dreamer who tries to live up to his brothers reputation. Their boredom at the town they live in has forced to make up stories about the old days and gang fights but the reality is they come from a shitty little town and are desperate to leave like everyone else. This looks really good in black and white and has good performances from Rourke and Dillon as well as appearances from Dennis Hopper, who's brilliant as the dad, Diane Lane as Dillon fit girlfriend and Nicolas Cage as a friend of the brothers. This is a well made film by Francis Ford Coppola, visually stunning and well acted.
Lee K

Pretty good adaptation of the susie hinton novel, that has a very very cool matt dillon and a cool backing cast.