Some films become well known among the ranks of cinephiles not so much for great achievement in the art form but more because they offer a snap shot of well established artisans and pivotal points in their careers. Films like ‘Mystic Pizza’ or ‘Rumble Fish’ have strong cult followings at least in part because of the numerous ‘A’ List careers that received their starts in these movies. Going through my movie collection is s rather nostalgic frame of mind brought me to reconsider a personal favorite I hadn’t seen in quite awhile; ‘The Outsiders’. Although this film is not great it does present some strong performances by a group of young actors on the cusp of becoming house hold names. This movie also represents a stylistic departure for one on the most acclaimed directors of or time making this an interesting albeit flawed piece of cinematic history. There is another footnote that is attached to the film with the difference between the theatrical release and the director’s cut. The studio experienced a degree of trepidation over the original length of the movie even though two hours is not considered an overly lengthy running time. They forced the filmmaker, Francis Ford Coppola, to edit out about a quarter of the movie, over thirty minutes, reducing it to a mere 91 minutes. In 2005 thanks to the popularity of director’s cuts on DVD much of the footage was restored bringing the time up to 114 minutes. This release was distributed under the title ‘The Outsiders: The Complete Book’ to induce fans of the novel to give the film another try. While both versions are available on DVD it is best to stick with the lengthier edition. Some director’s cuts are only minimally different and released more for fiscal reason that artistic integrity but in this case it does come closer to the true vision held by the filmmaker. Considering this film was after Coppola’s masterpiece ‘Godfather’ trilogy it just goes to show you that no matter how well regarded you are in the industry the studio executives can still exert an enormous amount of pressure overriding the filmmaker’s best instincts.

The novel that provided the basis for this film was penned by S. E. Hinton and has been popular among middle and high school students for quite awhile. The reason for this is plain; it speaks directly to the feelings of isolation and disenfranchisement that is prevalent during the turbulent teen years. In fact another part of this movie’s legacy is that a group of student prompted Coppola to create this film. It would also be credited in initiating the driving force in youth oriented eighties flick with bringing together the group of upcoming stars that became known collectively as ‘The Brat Pack’. Although the majority of teen angst stories tend to take place in larger urban centers like New York City or Las Angles but the setting here was in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which to be fair is a large city. In the economically depressed part of town dome of the local youths belong to a gang aptly called ‘The Greasers’. Chief among the members is Ponyboy Curtis (C. Thomas Howell) and his two older brothers, Sodapop (Rob Lowe) and Darry (Patrick Swayze). Where ever you find a youth gang there is always a bitter rivalry with another group, in this case the ‘Socs’. In contrast to the low end Greasers the Socs have members that have an upscale image not quit ‘country club but close enough for this part of town. Also par for the course are seemingly random violent attacks. One of the precipitating events of this nature occurs when five Socs jump Ponyboy cutting his neck with a switchblade. This incident came only a few weeks after a similar attack on Johnny Cade (Ralph Macchio) making an already volatile situation dangerously close to exploding completely. Making matters worse is when Ponyboy and Two-Bit Matthews (Emilio Estevez) become friendly with Cherry (Diane Lane) and Marcia (Michelle Meyrink); the girlfriends of a couple of Socs, Bob Sheldon (Leif Garrett) and Randy Adderson (Darren Dalton). The girls manage to temporarily defuse the situation but shortly after another confrontation Ponyboy is attacked again and is rescued by Johnny who fatally stabs Bob. This degrades into both sides anxious for a decisive rumble to settle the issue of dominance and survival for once and for all.

Stylistically this is a change of pace for Coppola. After the supreme grandeur and epic scope of the ‘Godfather’ films many might have been let down by this movie. There is a claustrophobic feel to the movie enhancing the emotional state of the characters. They are trapped by their socio-economic status bond to others of like circumstances and limited in what they perceive as viable options and resolutions. In ‘the Godfather’ violence was frequently calculated; necessitated by goals that must be attained. The two gangs depicted here are more feral, operating on the most fundamental animal instincts. There is little hope of reformation or atonement possible for most of the characters; they live and die within the constraints of their circumstances. The portions of the story that typically appeals to teens is identifying with the all consuming drive for acceptance. In lieu of any semblance of family stability or strong parental guidance the cycle of violence, emotional isolation and generalized anger at the world, this is the only existence these teen will ever know. Coppola would carry one several of the themes explored here in a subsequent film, ‘Rumble Fish. Still despite several short comings this remains a classic worthy of your consideration.