#ReadingFilms - Teen Drama, Francis Ford Coppola Style !
“Rumble Fish” (1983) Directed by Francis Ford Coppola Screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola and S.E.Hinton Based on the Novel ‘Rumble Fish’ by S.E. Hinton Starring Mickey Rourke, Matt Dillon, Vincent Spano, Nicolas Cage, Dennis Hopper, Diane Lane, Diana Scarwind, Tom Waits
First of all, I want to be absolutely clear- ‘Rumble Fish’ is not a great film.
Two out of five tops.
However, its an intensely personal film; its inspired by Francis Ford Coppola’s love for S.E. Hinton’s novel of the same name. Coppola loved the novel, not for the traditional literary characteristics- the plot, the characters, the movement and impact of time- rather, he saw it awaken in him a love and loyalty he felt for his elder brother, August Coppola, to whom he dedicates the film.
True, the film is a teen drama. But what is also true is that it's a Francis Ford Coppola teen drama. And by the way, in addition to the truth is the more interesting fact that this is a post-‘The Godfather’ and post-‘The Conversation’ Francis Ford Coppola!
Objectively, only a handful of elements stand out in ‘Rumble Fish’ : - The Cinematography - The Editing - Mickey Rourke’s Performance - Stewart Copeland’s Score
Almost everything else in the film can be discarded as ‘trashy’ in my opinion.
However, subjectively, I felt the film touched something deep in my soul. And a large part of it deals with the themes Coppola has his characters live through, the light and shade in character construction as well as the grand idea of what does it really mean to be one’s own man.
The true weight of the film, (once again) in my humble opinion, can be weighed in subjective gold. And what is this ‘Subjective Gold’?
By ‘Subjective Gold’ I refer to 3 ideas of living which the film attempts to represent. I. The Naive and the Sentimental II. Metaphor as Life on Canvas III. The Meaning of Growing Up
Let’s break it down.
I. The Naive and the Sentimental
In this film, Rusty James (Matt Dillon) represents the Sentimental while the Motorcycle Boy (Mickey Rourke) represents the Naive.
The distinction between the Naive and the Sentimental has its roots in an essay by Friedrich Schiller titled ‘Über naive und sentimentalische Dichtung’ (On Naive and Sentimental Poetry) which was published in 1795.
Here, instead of Poetry, I choose the characters in the film.
The Naive character is someone who is in tune with Nature. He is calm, cruel, and wise - traits that are amply visible in Rourke’s character. The Sentimental character is one who has strayed away from Nature’s simplicity and is too caught up in his/her own emotions and their states of mind.
Rourke plays the wise gang leader and bonafide role model to the neighborhood troublemakers. Dillon plays the innocent and loveable younger brother who aspires to attain his older brother’s halo of reverence.
II. Metaphor as Life on Canvas
The film could be interpreted as the influence of an older sibling on the younger one, the pain of being in a broken family and ideas on how to just ‘be’.
Rourke was the outlaw, the biker, the gang leader. He had everyone’s (with the exception of Law Enforcement) love, admiration, and respect. Dillion grows up in his brother’s shadow- he grows up believing in 2 myths. One, the road to ideal manhood is the one the Motorcycle Boy had taken. And two, as the younger brother of the Motorcycle Boy, Rusty James believes that leadership and courage flow through his veins as well.
There is adulation and hero-worship on Rusty James’ part.
But unfortunately, biography led Rusty James to lose himself over the trivial details rather than the broad stroke of the Motorcycle Boy’s characteristics.
A case in point would be intelligence. More than intelligence it’s shrewdness. Unable to cope with Rusty James’ infidelities, Patty (Diane Lane) finds new love in Smokey (Nicolas Cage). When Rusty James confronts Smokey over Patty, it becomes clear that Smokey not only arranged for Rusty James’ last sexual exploit, but also engineered its leak to the ears of Patty. Surprised by such manoeuvres, Rusty James wonders whether he’d ever be as cunning as Smokey ?
What we can take away from the relationship between Rusty James and the Motorcycle Boy is that genius is independent of genealogy- its something that needs honing, practice and discipline.
In the case of the Motorcycle Boy- it's the intrinsic and the toughness of mind that complements his soft-spoken demeanor. Rusty James, having grown up, identified by, as the Motorcycle Boy’s younger brother, takes it for granted that the traits that distinguish the Motorcycle Boy from the herd are in him as well- alive and kicking.
However, the Director, Francis Ford Coppola, subtly implies that genius or magnetic exceptionalism isn't something that obeys the genealogical order. He insists that its something one acquires for themselves as they go on to live their lives, forging a path for themselves that’d define who they are.
III. The Meaning of Growing Up
Ultimately, its critical that we don’t forget that ‘Rumble Fish’ is a teen drama. And while it has all the elements that go into the making of a teen drama, Coppola highlights, naivety, foolishness and most uniquely, schadenfreude.
Having already spoken of naivety and foolishness, I believe its schadenfreude that makes ‘Rumble Fish’ an intensely personal film for the viewer.
Schadenfreude (noun, German) refers to the ‘pleasure derived by someone from another’s misfortune’.
In this context, we, the audience have a good laugh at Rusty James’ expense. It's with such philosophical finesse, Coppola often breaks the fourth wall.
The Motorcycle Boy is there for Rusty James, his brother. As the film goes on this trend is well established. If Rusty James is in trouble, there’s the Motorcycle Boy. If Rusty James is in a fight there’s the Motorcycle Boy. If Rusty James’ incapacitated, there’s the Motorcycle Boy.
I think Coppola very intimately establishes the Motorcycle Boy’s relationship with the audience in two ways. Firstly, the black and white color scheme in which we view the film is representative of the Motorcycle Boy’s colorblindness. Its intended effect is to give the viewer the experience of looking at the world through the Motorcycle Boy’s eyes. Secondly, and this is where the Motorcycle Boy’s character design absolutely fascinates me. Throughout the film, as mentioned, the Motorcycle Boy is there for his brother, Rusty James. When we, the audience, laughed at Rusty James’ failures, the Motorcycle Boy’s poise and demeanor almost give one a feeling of as though he knows we are laughing at his brother. The Motorcycle Boy’s role is described as the turnpike that connects Rusty James’ evolution to Rusty James’ relationship with the audience.
The Motorcycle Boy has clearly grown up. He’s forged his own path and become his own man. This takes guts, and the Motorcycle Boy knows this. Rusty James, however, hasn’t grown up. Part of the Motorcycle Boy’s intention to stay was inspired by the emotion of helping his brother become his own man. By the end of the film, Rusty James is on the path to becoming his own man, but unfortunately at a terrible price.
I think its pretty easy to intellectualize films. Bazin once said that ‘the cinema substitutes for our gaze a world more in harmony with our desires.’
Interesting.
‘Rumble Fish’ to me, represents that kind of cinema. We can intuit the toughness of the world the film is set in. We can empathize with the relationship between the Motorcycle Boy and Rusty James. But ultimately, we need to understand and respect the impact S.E. Hinton’s story had on Francis Ford Coppola and how it brought to surface the love and emotion Francis had for his brother, August.
Before we can intellectualize a film we need to pay a bit of respect and attention to the filmmaker and his/her motive. Too often, fans of cinema forget this ritual. But once we try seeing the film’s episteme through the filmmaker’s sensibility; the process of understanding, appreciating and intellectualizing cinema becomes easier.
This film warrants more than one watch; one for the mind and twice for the heart!