Is "Rumble Fish" an experimental film in the 1980s youth film boom a success or a failure? What is the director's thoughts behind the black and white film?

Soundtrack created by rock musicians

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It's no exaggeration to say that what differentiates this film from other youth films, or indeed any film, is the soundtrack. Up until now, soundtracks have been orchestral, with an emphasis on melody. However, this project was originally conceived as an anti-melodrama project. Coppola had no intention of making offers to film composers.

Emphasis on rhythm rather than melody. Percussive. So he took the surprising step of asking Stewart Copeland, the drummer for the band Sting and The Police, who were at the height of their popularity at the time. The Police's album ``Synchronicity'' was released in the same year as this work, but the clash of talents of the members with strong individuality reached an extreme, and although the album received the best reviews and sales, they effectively disbanded.

"Rumble Fish" (C) 1993 Hot Weather Films. All Rights Reserved. *The main part of the movie is in black and white, but it is in color because it was a still photograph taken at the time of filming.

It is precisely because he is in the midst of this, that Copland unleashes his genius and completes a unique soundtrack that is difficult to categorize, neither rock nor jazz nor reggae, but which fits perfectly into the concept of this work.

In the movie, time-lapse images are repeatedly inserted, such as fast-moving clouds and a fast-moving clock. Although it is a one-sided expression of longing for the passing of time, Copland's time-consuming method of notching the percussion matches the expression of time very well. The time-lapse image is a motif that Gus Van Sant has continued to use in many of his works since he collaborated with Matt Dillon on `` Drugstore Cowboy '' (1989), and is an homage to this work.

"Drugstore Cowboy" preview

Due to the success of Copland's appointment, the film industry has since added soundtracks by solo artists. Peter Gabriel `` Birdie '' (84) `` The Last Temptation '' (88), Ry Cooder `` Paris Texas '' (84), John Frusciante `` The Brown Bunny '' (2003), Jonny There Will Be Blood '' (2007) and Thom Yorke's `` Suspiria '' (2018), he has become an important partner for directors who seek music that is unconventional.

Nowadays, the co-stars are too gorgeous.

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Matt Dillon and Mickey Rourke's father is played by Dennis Hopper, making for a very strong family. Dennis Hopper was a monster actor who caused a lot of trouble for Coppola by appearing drugged up in the jungles of the Philippines, where ``Apocalypse Now'' was filmed. This time, he plays the role of a drunk man whose wife ran away from him, but I can't help but think that he's really drunk, and the takes seem to have turned out quite well. Coppola may be a good match for him. Don't miss the appearances of young Nicolas Cage, Laurence Fishburne, and Tom Waits.

"Rumble Fish" (C) 1993 Hot Weather Films. All Rights Reserved. *The main part of the movie is in black and white, but it is in color because it was a still photo taken at the time of filming.

While the 1980s saw many youth films produced by major Hollywood studios, it was also a time when the strong individuality of independent directors flourished one after another. This is the emergence of new American writers, such as Jim Jarmusch and David Lynch, who are both niche and commercial. Coppola, who had already become a master, continued to compete with their films, which naturally displayed their individuality and created distinct styles, with his strong creative desire and new endeavors. However, unfortunately there are very few successful works that are a good fit with major studios. Although the film is full of the kind of cinematic catharsis Coppola is known for, it leaves a feeling of being unsatisfied.

I don't know if I'll be able to see the new work in the future, but I would like to see the director's passionate work once again in the theater.

reference

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/aug/13/how-we-made-rumble-fish

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewDWoxBCcBE&t=304s

Text: Koji Eguchi

Video producer. We are active in a wide range of media, focusing on advertising. He has won many domestic and international advertising awards, including Cannes, and contributes from the perspective of a producer who has various production experiences such as director Koji Fukada's ``The Man from the Sea'' (18) and exhibiting VR at SXSW. Also posted on " note ".

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"Rumble Fish"

Blu-ray now on sale

Publisher/distributor: King Records

Blu-ray: ¥4,800+tax

(C) 1993 Hot Weather Films. All Rights Reserved.