This appears to be the month for re-issues of films made from the writings of S.E. Hinton. Both “The Outsiders” and the under appreciated “Rumble Fish” are due to hit DVD shelves in September. Both were directed by a young Francis Ford Coppola and both deal with the teenage angst commonly associated with being… well… a teenager. Both are set in another time, both deal somewhat with the prevalence of gangs, yet each has a distinct style. One could never mistake one film for the other. “Rumble Fish” starred Matt Dillon as Rusty James, a young man from the wrong side of the tracks. He is part of a gang of thugs, seemingly with no direction in life. He has an older brother Motorcycle Boy (Mickey Rourke) and an alcoholic father (Dennis Hopper), both of whom have tried to straighten Rusty out. Rusty wants nothing more than to follow in the footsteps of his brother, who used to be where he is now. The only problem is that Rusty isn’t really cut out to be a leader, in this world or any other.

This is a fact that is played out throughout the film, and one that he is desperately unable to pick up on.

I say that “The Outsiders” and “Rumble Fish” are two different films, and without a doubt they are. This is probably why the first was such a success, while the other had varying degrees of it. “The Outsiders” was a fairly straight forward approach to filmmaking, the story told in a way that was devoid of overt symbolism. There is really is really a lot of symbolism present, but if you’re not looking, you’ll miss it.

On the other hand, just by its very nature, “Rumble Fish” is in itself a symbolic piece. The way Coppola uses camera angles and shadows, even the choice to film the movie in Black & White (with only splashes of color), symbolizes a misguided view of the world as it might be seen by the characters in the story. To say the film is slightly avant-garde is an understatement, and audiences just aren’t always ready for that type of filmmaking. People who saw the film either loved it or hated it. Admittedly, I rode the fence when I first saw it years ago. I thought it was a good film, but not necessarily a great film. I did prefer the earlier “The Outsiders.”

This isn’t to say the film isn’t without merit or entertainment value. If anything it is a great companion piece to “The Outsiders”, much as the books are a great read, back to back. What it really boils down to is what kind of film you prefer to watch, one that makes you think or one that doesn’t require thinking (though it adds to the overall experience).

This new DVD offers up a nice transfer of the film as well as a couple of terrific extra features. Aside from the obligatory commentary by Coppola, there is a featurette that focuses on the film. This well produced piece includes a lot of old on location footage, showing some of the future starts in the film at a young age. We are also treated to comments from S.E. Hinton, a rarity as she hardly ever appears anywhere on camera. Just as interesting is a featurette on the music, which was composed by Stewart Copeland (The Police). Copeland is interviewed and offers up a lot of commentary on the experience of scoring the film. Add to this a music video for “Don’t Box Me In” and you have a pretty well rounded DVD.

“Rumble Fish” is often overlooked because if it’s better-known predecessor, so it is kind of fitting that the two are being released around the same time. Hopefully each will call attention to the other and audiences will get a taste of a couple of great films.

Directed by: Francis Coppola
Starring: Matt Dillon, Mickey Rourke, Vincent Spano, Diane Lane, Diana Scarwid, Nicolas Cage, Dennis Hopper
Extras: Deleted Scenes, Feature Commentary with Director Francis Ford Coppola, On Location in Tulsa: Making Rumble Fish, Rumble Fish: The Percussion Based Score, Don’t Box Me In – Music Video, Theatrical Trailer
Specifications: Widescreen (1.85:1), Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Universal
Release Date: 9/13/2005
Region 1
MPAA Rating: R
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We'll give Rumble Fish a B+.