The Warriors is an urban action movie following a gang of tough warriors through New York on the run from other gangs and the police! It is based on the 1965 novel by Sol Yorick with illustrations by Frank Modell. The book In turn is based on the Greek soldier and writer Xenophon’s Anabasis. This had Greek mercenaries hired by Cyrus the Younger return from a war in Persia fighting their way to return to the safety of Greece. The film is directed and co-written by Walter Hill, he had directed and also co-wrote the action comedy 48 Hrs.(1982) and co-wrote the story for Aliens (1986). The screenplay is also by David Shaber who also wrote the screenplay for the action movie, Nighthawks (1981). The movie was controversial on its release involving three deaths which had the studio pull the movie from theaters.
The film reached cult status and Hill released the Ultimate Director’s Cut of The Warriors with chapters that had comic book splash pages which he intended for the original release. The Warriors did make it into comic book form with The Warriors Official Movie Adaptation limited series published by Dabel Brothers. This was followed by a limited series catching up with the gang in The Warriors: Jailbreak. We don’t get names except the head of the gangs, Cyrus, at this point, but the leader of the Warriors, Cleon (Dorsey Wright) tells about the meeting called by Cyrus. Wright also starred in the musical, Hair (1979), in the same year. We open at the Ultimate Director’s Cut edition with some eerie music, there are comic book illustrations of the “Battle of Cunaxa, 410 B.C.” It is narrated by the director.
This moves to a night shot of the Wonder Wheel lit purple, an icon of Coney Island. We move to the subway train headed to its last stop. Walking up to a closeup is Cleon who has his distinctive leopard pattern doo rag. He explains that Cyrus doesn’t want any weapons or fighting, the Warriors will honor the truce, the gang, nine members, enter the subway train. We get an interesting shot of two trains running side by side, lit blue, from a dark middle area. Cinematography is by Andrew Laszlo. Swan (Michael Beck) talks to Cleon about the gang has never been to the Bronx. Beck appeared in the musical Xanadu (1980) the next year. He is clear thinking and a Gang members start to walk through stations. Cochise (David Harris) mentions that they going in without weapons to Snow (Brian Tyler). Harris was in the Vietnam war film, Purple Hearts (1984), and Tyler was later in the horror movie, Vamp Bikers (2013) also with Wright.
Cleon tells Rembrandt (Marcelino Sanchez) to use his spray can to show the Warriors mark everywhere. Sanchez had a cameo in 48 Hrs., but unfortunately died in 1986. Rembrandt is an innocent member of the gang. The map of the subway lines is traced to the Bronx so we can get an idea of the route the Warriors need to take to return. Cowboy (Tom McKitterick) tells Vermin (Terry Michos) they need to wear their colors. This was McKitterick's only film. Michos was in the action movie, The Great Skycopter Rescue (1980). Ajax (James Remar) wants to get into some fights, but Cleon tells him to be quiet. Remar, the veteran genre actor, was Ganz in 48 Hrs. Swan warns Rembrandt to be careful. We get to Van Cortlandt Park which is filled with gang members. They are all watched by members of the Gramercy Riffs gang with their orange robes.
Cleon and the rest of the Warriors make their way through the crowd. Taking the stage is the charismatic Cyrus (Roger Hill), it becomes silent. Hill was in the "Leatherstocking Tales" (1979) episode of the Once Upon a Classic series. The actor died in 2014. Cyrus explains that all of the gangs are there without fighting each other and climbs up to the wooden podium. He notes that there are nine delegates from the hundred gangs. There is another hundred more. He says 20,000 “hard core” members, others that will total what Cyrus calls “60,000 soldiers.” Cyrus says that there are 20,000 total police officers. He finishes with wrestling announcer style, “Can you dig it?”, to cheers from everyone.
Cyrus says that one gang will take the crime syndicates and the police. Police cars silently roll up to the park gates. Cyrus wants the truce to stand and take the city one borough at a time. A gun is handed across until we see the viperl-ike eyes of Luther (David Patrick Kelly). He is the leader of the black leather vest and hat wearing gang, the Rogues. Kelly was also Luther in 48 Hrs. and I think I recognize him most as T-Bird in The Crow (1994). Luther is ruthless and unstable. He shoots Cyrus who falls from the wooden podium. He turns to see the gangs scattering and the only one standing is Fox shocked at the killing. Luther is about to shoot him, but the park lights suddenly turn on blinding him. Police sirens and lights starts and everyone starts to run. Cleon orders the Warriors to move against the flow of the crowd. He reaches the body of Cyrus.
Luther shouts out that the Warrior, Cleon, shot Cyrus. He runs toward Cleon, but the Warrior elbows him. Still, he can’t defend himself against all of the Riffs, a gang with red robes. The rest of the Warriors reach a wooden wall, but break through it and run into the night. They reach a cemetery and take cover as a helicopter flies overhead and police cars race past them. Swan sends Rembrandt to scout around the graveyard. He plans with the others while they face the police and the possible breaking of the Truce. So they have to face other gangs to reach the subway station. Swan tells them to go to Union Square if they are separated. Ajax questions Swan making decisions. The others point out Cleon made Swan war chief. Swan is ready to fight Ajax to be warlord when Rembrandt says the subway is arriving.
They head there while Rembrandt sprays the Warriors symbol. The new leader of the Gramercy Riffs, Masai (Edward Sewer) asks the assembled gang if they know about the Warriors. This was Sewer's only film and he had died in 2004. Silence. Then, he tells them all of the Warriors have to be found and sends the word. A tight closeup shows the lips of a DJ (Lynne Thigpen) giving out the dedication to the Coney Island Warriors, a remix of “Nowhere to Run.” Thigpen was in the comedy, Tootsie (1982), the actress was also known as Chief in Where in the World is Carmen San Diego? (1991-1995), she won a Tony Award for Best Actress in An American Daughter (1997). Thigpen died in 2003. All of the gangs hear the radio. The strangest is the gang in baseball jerseys, painted faces, and bats, the Baseball Furies. The diversity and sometimes absurdity of the gangs make them a threat. Swan has the gang stay put before heading out to the subway platform.
He sees a school bus taken over by a gang. Cochise recognizes them as the Turnbull A.C.s. The bus passes, the Warriors see the train overhead, and the bus turns. The Warriors start to run with the other gang screaming for them on the bus. They make it to the stairs and up to the station. The Turnbull A.C.s tear after them! The Warriors get on the train on time as it pulls away from the other gang. Everyone cheers, but Swan wants to reach Coney Island before any celebration. Masai is told that the Turnbull A.C.s lost the Warriors. A fire has the subway train pulling up to the next stop. Luther and the Rogues pull up to a store so he can make a call. He says to another Rogue that the Riffs want the Warriors alive. They are worried that they will point out that Luther killed Cyrus. The Warriors are walking through the streets watched over by a gang in green t-shirts.
Fox says they are the Orphans, a gang that are not serious players, and he guesses there are thirty members. Swan takes Fox to talk with the leader of the Orphans. He tells the leader, Sully (Paul Greco) that they were at the “big meeting” and ended up there from the fire. Grego was later in Crocodile Dundee (1986) and had passed away in 2008. The Orphan leader didn’t hear about the meeting. He snaps his fingers to bring another Orphan to show a newspaper clip about how the police are trying to raid the gang. They allow the Warriors to pass, but they are given chicken clucks by Mercy (Deborah Van Valkenburgh). She was in the Hill film, Streets of Fire (1984), but I recognize her the most as the sister roommate in the sitcom Too Close for Comfort. Mercy is a tough talking woman who is looking for a place for herself. The Warriors know she is trouble. Mercy walks up to them wanting a vest. Then, she goads her boyfriend, Sully.
He wants them to take over their colors. Swan refuses and the Orphans start to walk up the stairs, to get weapons? He has the Warriors walk on to the insults by Mercy. They leave and Mercy starts to walk after them until caught by Ajax. Swan has her released and then the Orphans run up with their weapons. Snow brings out a bottle. Swan rips off a piece of Mercy’s skirt. He wraps the skirt piece to the bottle and throws the molotov cocktail at a car. The Warriors start to run as the car explodes. They run to the station along with Mercy. The Warriors think that the other gangs are breaking the truce, but soon realize that they are blamed for the death of Cyrus. The gangs get stranger and the fights get more brutal, but the Warriors are tough fighters. The Warriors is an endless night of battles and running from gangs and the police to survive long enought to the last subway ride to Coney Island!
Four Warriors jackets out of Five!
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