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EspañolTHE WARRIORS (FILM)
'''The Warriors''' is a 1979 film directed by Walter Hill and based on the 1965 novel by Sol Yurick.
Synopsis
Cyrus, the powerful gang leader of the Gramercy Riffs, calls a midnight summit for all the New York City area gangs, with all gangs asked to send nine unarmed representatives for the conclave. The Warriors, a gang based in Coney Island, Brooklyn, is one such gang.
The eloquent and intelligent Cyrus tells the assembled gangs that a citywide truce is needed, and that the gangs can unite to control the city and capitalize on the dwindling power of the NYPD. The gangs cheer Cyrus' ideas, but during the speech, a nearby man pulls out a gun and kills Cyrus. Panic ensues. The murderer - revealed to be Luther, head of the Rogues gang - screams that the Warriors are responsible for killing Cyrus. While the Riffs seemingly kill Cleon (the leader of the Warriors) and the police arrive to break up the gathering, the other eight Warriors escape the melee and debate what to do. The Warriors now have a bounty on their heads, and the entire city's gang population is out hunting for them.
The Warriors begin their long journey from the Bronx back to Coney Island; the second-in command, Swan (Michael Beck), is now in charge, though the hot-headed Ajax (James Remar) openly voices his desire to be acting gang warlord. The Warriors slowly cross the dangerous Bronx and Manhattan territory, narrowly escaping police and other gangs every step of the way. In the Bronx, they pick up Mercy, a fiesty girl who quickly becomes attracted to Swan. When the Warriors get separated from one another in Manhattan, three Warriors are seduced by members of a female gang called the Lizzies. Back at the Lizzies' apartment, the women draw weapons to kill the Warriors, but the men narrowly escape again. During the night, gang member Fox is killed in a scuffle with police, while Ajax is arrested by an undercover police officer and taken to jail.
Meanwhile, the Gramercy Riffs are visited by a gang member who was at the conclave - the only witness to Luther firing the gun. The Riffs realize the Warriors are innocent, and they head to Coney Island. When day breaks, the Warriors finally return home, but quickly have more trouble, as Luther and the Rogues are waiting for them. The two gangs meet on the beach, where Swan suggests he and Luther fight in a one-on-one duel. Luther pulls a gun, but Swan quickly throws a knife into Luther's wrist, disarming him. Before more violence has a chance to happen, the Riffs mass on the beach and acknowledge they have learned the truth of Cyrus' murder. The Riffs' new leader compliments the remaining Warriors and lets them go. As the Riffs swarm on the Rogues, the Warriors head off down the shore.
Production/Background
The film is based on Sol Yurick's novel ''The Warriors'', which, like the film, depicts a New York City gang attempting to return to its home territory in Coney Island after being framed for the assassination of a gang leader at a nighttime rally, instigating a city-wide manhunt for the surviving Warriors by gangs from all over the city. The novel was loosely based on ''Anabasis'' by Xenophon, which records how the Greek mercenary company the Ten Thousand made its way through enemy Persian territory to the Black Sea after the death of Cyrus the Younger.
It should be noted that, like other book-to-film adaptations, the story of Yurick's original novel is radically different from the film version, as Yurick himself observes in his introduction to the 2003 reprint, much to his dismay. From beginning to end, only a rough skeleton of the book is present in the movie. Significantly absent from the film version is an accurate recreation of the speech of the gang members, especially when they interact with each other. Moreover, the film version omits nearly all scenes where The Warriors (called the "Coney Island Dominators" in the book) struggle amongst themselves to maintain order, discipline, and a proper chain of command. Also missing from the film are two extremely violent scenes: the brutal murder of an innocent by-passer, and the gang rape of a girl taken from a rival gang.
Filming locations
''The Warriors'' was filmed in 1978 throughout many different locations in New York City, including the Bronx, Manhattan, and Brooklyn.
★ The gathering scene at the beginning of the film takes place in Van Cortlandt Park in The Bronx. However, the scene was shot in Riverside Park on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
★ The exterior shots of the 96th Street subway station (where the Warriors first encounter the Baseball Furies), were actually filmed at the station at 72nd Street and Broadway. The distinctive headhouse at 72nd Street was redressed with "96th St" signage for the film. The interior shots of the station were filmed at the Hoyt-Schermerhorn station in Brooklyn.
★ Certain locations that depict the Warriors in the Bronx and Manhattan (trying to return back to Coney Island) were actually filmed in Brooklyn. For example; when the Warriors narrowly escape from the Turnbull A.C.s, a group based in Gun Hill, the station mezzanine where the Warriors jump the turnstiles to catch a train is actually Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, now part of the Broadway Junction station complex. In another scene, where part of the splinter group enters a stationhouse in Manhattan, then the camera pans upstairs to the group catching another train, we do not see the station where they enter. However, that station they used is actually New Utrecht Ave-62nd Street station in Brooklyn.
Interpretation
While ostensibly intended to reflect urban gang realities, the film has a number of dissonant notes. The gangs in ''The Warriors'' are dressed in flamboyant matching uniforms, usually with a recognizable theme, giving the film a surrealistic, comic book feel. The Warriors themselves are a gang composed of a careful racial balance, highly unusual for street gangs at the time. While the film contains violence, it is contained in scope, and while physical beatings are commonplace, actual serious injury and murder are restricted to the beginning and ending of the film.
Reception
The film's subject matter was controversial upon release and was linked to several incidents of gang violence at theaters. Shortly after the film's release, there was a flurry of press reporting incidents of teenage violence, including three murders, apparently related to the film's "incendiary" subject matter. Further media pressure prompted Paramount to remove advertisements from all print sources, though subway posters and film trailers were unaffected. When advertisements resumed after six days, the "inflammatory" images of the original ads were gone, the new ads consisting of the film's showtimes and reviews from reputable critics (Pauline Kael of ''The New Yorker'' and Janet Maslin of the ''New York Times''). Due to safety concerns, theater owners were relieved of their contractual obligations if they did not want to show the film and Paramount offered to pay costs for additional security and damages due to vandalism. Despite the film's bad reputation, most theaters continued to show the movie and enjoyed packed houses. Thomas, Mike. "Some gang-banging moviegoers saw 1979 flick as a call to arms", ''Chicago Sun-Times'', October 19, 2005, retrieved August 23, 2006.
A mild commercial success on its initial release, the film was panned by many critics as exploitative and superficial. In recent years, ''The Warriors'' has acquired the status of a cult film, along with a re-examination of its standing with some film critics. As of March 2007, the film has garnered a 92% "fresh" rating at Rotten Tomatoes.[1]
Cast/Characters
| Characters | Actors |
|---|---|
| 'Swan' | Michael Beck |
| 'Ajax' | James Remar |
| 'Cleon' | Dorsey Wright |
| 'Snow' | Brain Tyler |
| 'Cochise' | David Harris |
| 'Cowboy' | Tom McKitterick |
| 'Rembrandt' | Marcelino Sanchez |
| 'Vermin' | Terry Michos |
| 'Fox' | Thomas G. Waites |
| 'Mercy' | Deborah Van Valkenburgh |
| 'Luther' | David Patrick Kelly |
| 'Cyrus' | Roger Hill |
| 'Policewoman in Riverside Park' | Mercedes Ruehl |
| 'Radio DJ' | Lynne Thigpen |
| 'Masai' | Edward Sewer |
The Warriors
'The Warriors' gang is based in the western neighborhoods of Coney Island, on the edge of Brooklyn. Their gang uniform consists of a red-orange pleather vest embroidered with the Warriors' logo on the back. The gang has an overall Native American theme, and their logo consists of a death's head with an Indian war bonnet shaped like eagle wings. This theme is accented by the Indian-style bead necklaces and armbands worn by some members. Their main stomping ground and base turf is among the many amusement park areas of Coney Island, particularly the landmark that is Deno's Wonder Wheel, a now-iconic symbol synonymous with Coney Island and ''The Warriors.''
In a deleted scene that is included in some TV versions of the film, Cleon mentions that the Warriors is a street family of 120 members, but only nine are shown in the film. The nine principal members in the film are:
★ 'Cleon': The Warlord, leader of the gang. Named after the Ancient Greek politician. He famously wears a leopard patterned cloth around his head as well as an Indian style necklace. After Cyrus's assassination, Luther pins the murder on him and he is beaten to a pulp by the Gramercy Riffs and killed. Cleon is African-American.
★ 'Swan': The Warchief, second-in-command of the gang. Assuming control after the loss of Cleon, Swan makes the decision for the gang to continue wearing their colors and fight their way back home, though in general his leadership is more level-headed and practical than his brothers-in-arms. After successfully leading the group back to Coney, he wins a gunfight against Luther using only a knife. During filming, the script was changed so that he ends up with Mercy. Swan is Caucasian
★ 'Ajax': A cocky, loud, womanizing Warrior always up for a fight. After the loss of Cleon at the conclave, he engages in a short confrontation with Swan over who should assume command. He is said to be the strongest warrior, and is certainly the most aggressive. He wears fingerless leather gloves and a black tank-top under his Warriors vest. Ajax is arrested when he tries to force himself on an undercover female police officer. He is named after the legendary Greek hero. Ajax is Caucasian.
★ 'Cochise': A high-kicking Warrior who wears Native American-style jewelry, leather pants and boots. He sports an afro with a red bandanna tied around it. He is named after the Apache Chief. Like Vermin, he was scripted to die, and then to be thrown into the Hudson River, though in the finished film he survives. Cochise is African-American.
★ 'Fox': The Scout, Fox is very familiar with other gangs' tactics, territory, and numbers. He dies when he's thrown in front of a speeding train while struggling with a police officer, but Mercy later tells Swan that "the cops got him" because Fox told her to run as soon as he began fighting and she was not aware he died. In the script, Fox was originally the love interest of Mercy, but the two actors had no chemistry; the actor playing Fox left the film over this, which necessitated his being written out of the story. Fox is Caucasian.
★ 'Rembrandt': The Writer, the gang's graffiti artist, he wears the standard Warrior's vest along with a messenger bag and an afro. The youngest member, Rembrandt is far less battle-hardened and is frequently looked after by the other members of the gang. He is most likely named after the famous painter. Rembrandt appears to be of Puerto Rican descent.
★ 'Snow': A stoic, African American Warrior with an afro. In the script and deleted intro scene, Snow is referred to as "Snowball". A bit more reserved, he's still a talented fighter, proving his worth in the fight with the Baseball Furies, and The Punks.
★ 'Vermin': Quick with a smile and a joke, Vermin is the most cynical member of the gang, but a solid soldier and extremely loyal. According to the Warriors video game Vermin formed the Warriors with Cleon. In an early script, he was supposed to be shot and killed by the Lizzies. Vermin is Caucasian.
★ 'Cowboy': A Warrior who wears a Stetson cowboy hat and a shirt underneath his vest. He is an optimistic, happy-go-lucky Warrior. Cowboy is Caucasian.
★ 'Mercy': A prostitute who is originally a member of the Orphans but finds herself aligned with The Warriors as soon as they meet. At the end of the film, she apparently quits her seedy job and pursues a relationship with Swan. She is Hispanic.
Other notable gangs
"Warriors... come out to play-ay!"
Along the way, the Warriors encounter the following fanciful gangs, from north to south:
★ 'The Turnbull A.C.s': (Also going by the names 'Turnbulls', 'Bulls', or 'A.C.s') A gang with shaved heads, they travel in large numbers (in a spraypainted bus) and wear denim jackets with matching jeans and patches. Their turf is around Gun Hill Road, in the Bronx. According to Rembrandt, even the Gramercy Riffs are afraid to go toe-to-toe with the bulls. The Turnbulls have both black and white members.
★ 'The Orphans': A bottom-of-the-barrel gang, the Orphans were not invited to Cyrus's conclave, nor even knew about it. Their full strength is about thirty members. They wear green shirts with "ORPHANS" stitched into the back, and blue jeans. Their turf is Tremont. Their leader, Sully, is a self-aware coward, with a weakness for flattery.
★ 'The Baseball Furies': (or simply 'The Furies') A New York Yankees-inspired gang in pinstriped baseball uniforms wielding baseball bats and wearing facial makeup similar to that of the rock group KISS, only multicolored instead of black and white. The Furies are never heard to speak. They are an intimidating presence as they chase the Warriors down, but prove ineffective fighters during the ensuing brawl in Riverside Park; The Furies were created because of Walter Hill's love for baseball. In Greek mythology, the Furies were the embodiment of vengeance.
★ 'The Lizzies': An all-female gang, they attempt to seduce the Warriors and lure them into their Bowery apartment to kill them. They are also one of the few gangs with firearms, though they are poor shots. Their name may double as a reference to Lizzie Borden. It may also suggest their lesbian tendencies ("lezzies" being a derogatory slang word for lesbians), which are implied by a suggestive dance scene between two of the gang members. They also represent the mythical Sirens.
★ 'The Punks': A gang with a leader who strolls around on rollerskates. The Warriors fight them in a men's room in 14th Street–Union Square subway station. Each member wears denim overalls over a different-colored striped shirt. The Punks are never referred to by name except in the credits. They share the Bowery with the Lizzies.
★ 'The Rogues': The gang that framed the Warriors for Cyrus’s assassination. They wear primarily deep-blue leathers and drive an old Cadillac hearse. The leader, Luther, is a small man with extremely violent and psychopathic tendencies. He possesses one of the few firearms seen in the film, but is also something of a coward. The Rogues' turf is Hell's Kitchen.
★ 'Gramercy Riffs': A disciplined, well-organized gang from around Gramercy Park, said to be the biggest gang in the city. Cyrus was the leader of this gang before he was assassinated. After his death, the second in command, Masai, takes over. They are dressed in karategi; at the end of the film, however, they are seen wearing black t-shirts and matching jeans. The Riffs' members seem to be entirely or almost entirely African-American.
Thomas Waites Controversy
★ 'Thomas G. Waites', the actor who portrayed Fox in the movie, left and had his name removed from the credits when he became unhappy with his role - originally Fox and Mercy were intended to fall in love, but it was felt that the two characters had little on-screen chemistry, and instead a romance between Swan and Mercy was developed. However Waites didn't want to be completely cut from the film, so director Walter Hill had Waites' character perish while grappling with a cop in the subways. He was replaced by a body double when Fox is tossed on to the train tracks, which becomes obvious when watching the film as when he runs in front of the camera, he is visibly covering his face.
Spinoffs
While itself adapted from a novel, the film has been adapted into a number of other products as well. The film's soundtrack was released in the same year as the film. In 2005, Mezco Toyz released Warriors action figures, including Swan, Cleon, Cochise, Ajax, Luther, and a Baseball Fury.[2]
''The Warriors'' video game, based on the movie, was released by Rockstar Games in October 2005. Most of the game acts as a prequel to the film, creating backstory and embellishing on the characters from the film. The ending recreates much of the film's events. Several of the actors from the movie returned to perform the voices for their original characters.
A modern-day remake of the film is set to be directed by Tony Scott, with a tentative release date of 2008. The remake will include real gang members and try to create a modern version of the story, set in LA and without the campy feeling of the original.[3]
References to Movies
At the conclusion of the film, The Warriors confront Luther and the Rogues at the beachfront in a shot-for-shot homage to Akira Kurosawa's samurai film, ''Yojimbo''. The hero in both films disarms the pistol armed villain with a thrown knife, after which the villain clutches an impaled wrist.
References in popular culture
Music
★ In the beginning Tupac Shakur's song "California Love", Monster Says, "Can You Dig It!" As Cyrus said in the film.
★ The band Biohazard created a song titled "Wrong Side Of The Tracks". At the end of the song, the famous line said by Cyrus, "Can you dig it?", plus the cheering is included.
★ The 1985 Twisted Sister album Come Out and Play features lead singer Dee Snider chanting a version of the film's famous line, "Twisted Sister...come out and play...''Twisted Sister...come out and play-yee!''"
★ In the Wu-Tang Clan song "Shame On A Nigga" from their first album Enter the Wu-Tang rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard uses a Warriors line in a battle rap, ''Crews be actin like they gangs anyway / Be like, "Warriors! Come out and play-ay!"''
★ Diddy's popular phrase "Bad Boys, come out and play-ay" is taken from this movie. He uses this line in the beginning of the song "Flava in Ya Ear Remix" by Craig Mack.
★ In the single "Gangbangin 101", Snoop Dogg makes a references to Cyrus, saying that he shot him and doesn't care because he isn't from the West Coast.
★ The Diplomats' "Crunk Muzik" music video features an elderly black man making a statement to a group of gangs, similar to Cyrus. The video also features the line "Dipset, come out and play! Dipset, come out and play!" followed by the clanking of two alcohol bottles.
★ Fat Joe Gangbang Interlude from his Jealous Ones Envy LP is Cyrus's speech from the Playground.
★ In the Redman song "Noorotic" from the album Dare Iz A Darkside he says "I'm a warrior, to the heart, but I didn't kill Cyrus."
★ The British band Pop Will Eat Itself feature samples of the film on several tracks including "Can U Dig it?" which featured Lynne Thigpen's radio DJ line "Let's get down to it boppers." as well as the conclave cheer "Riffs! Yeah!" and Cyrus's "Can you dig it?"
★ Another British band Renegade Soundwave sample the DJ's lines on their 1989 original album "Soundclash" and compilation album "RSW 1987-1995", including the outro line "Good news, boppers. The big alert has been called off..."
★ The music video for D12's single "Fight Music" has several references from the movie, involving all members of D12 running through New York City from other gangs. Ice T plays Cyrus, radio DJ Angie Martinez plays the DJ.
★ Former Psychopathic Records recording artist, the Anybody Killa, a.k.a. ABK, used samples from the movie at the end of many of his songs on his debut CD, "Hatchet Warrior," and even has a cover of the end theme, In The City, as the last track on the album.
★ Non Phixion's 2005 album ''The Green'' starts with a long sample of Cyrus' speech, starting at "The problem in the past..." and ending with his triple repetition of "Can you dig it?!"
★ In 2002 electronica musicians Jam X & DeLeon released "Can U Dig It?" featuring sound samples from the movie.
★ Before Mudvayne performs their song "Dig" in concert, Chad Gray will ask, "Can you dig it?!" Mudvayne also sells a shirt featuring the band dressed in the Baseball Furies' outfit.
★ Garage punk band, The Baseball Furies, take their band name from the Baseball Furies gang. They also dressed up like the gang during their early live shows.[4]
★ The 1980's Japanese Oi! band The Baseball Furies also took their name from the movie.
★ The name of greaser punk band The Turbo A.C.'s is a reference to the Turnbull AC's gang.
★ Argentine band Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas called ''The Warriors'' visually in their 1999 video for the song ''Culo''.
★ Lloyd Banks's song "Warriors" uses a sample of the line, "Warriors, come out to pla-ay" from the movie.
★ The name of the hardcore/punk band The Warriors is a reference to the Warriors gang.
★ The British Techno group, Messiah, also uses several samples from ''The Warriors'' in their album, ''21st Century Jesus''.
★ The Danish hardcore band Barcode uses a sample of the line "That's 20,000 hardcore members ready to fight. Can you dig it?" in their song "End the War".
★ Punk band American Distress uses an audio sample of Luther's famous exchange with the candy shop girl ("Hey, what about the money you owe?" "FOR WHAT?!") at the beginning of their song "Fraudulent Times".
★ Tha Eastsidaz with Snoop Dogg used the line "Eastsiders Come-Out To Play" for the intro for the song I Luv It
★ Rap group N.W.A. cast Lynne Thigpen to reprise her role of the radio DJ for their song "100 Miles and Runnin". In the song, she plays "Nowhere to Run" as she did in the movie.
★ Guitarist Buckethead released a song entitled "Baseball Furies" on his 2006 tour only CD The Elephant Man's Alarm Clock.
★ Post-hardcore band Alexisonfire's music video Waterwings (And Other Poolside Fashion Faux Pas) is based on the meeting of the gangs.
★ MC Ren uses the "Can you dig it?" sample in the intro to his album "Shock of the hour"
★ UK Post-Hardcore band Enter Shikari use samples from the film frequently in their live sets.
★ Rap group Delinquent Habits on their first and self titled LP uses a cover image with gang members dressed in similar clothing to the Baseball Furies and others.
★ New Zealand hardcore act Brick Vs. Face tribute the film in their track Warriors.
★ Argentinian hardcore band Nueva Etica samples Luther's infamous "Warriors, come out to play" part on the intro to their CD "Inquebrantable".
★ The Offspring song "Come out and Play" has many references to gangs and the title is also a reference for the movie.
★ Insne Clown Posse's song "Beverly Kills" starts out with "Jugglers, come out to play-ay!".
Other
★ On the Television Show Transformers Cybertron Crumplezone shouts 'Overide, Come out and pla-ay' while she is hiding behind a block.
★ The Center Patch [Club Colors] of The Warriors is a face-foward Hells Angels Motorcycle Club Death Head. This image is strictly protected by copyright laws. That is, however, the images origin.
★ The lettering that makes up The Warriors top rocker is a font often called Bone Font and is also utilized by HAMC.
★ WWE wrestler Booker T's first entrance music included several of Cyrus's lines, the most notable being, "Can you dig it?"
★ In the video game ''Serious Sam II'', Sam shouts "Kleers, come out to play!!" while waiting on Planet Kleer.
★ The video games ''City of Heroes'' and ''City of Villains'' feature a street gang named the Warriors. Like their counterparts, this gang is frequently attacked by other gangs. The game also feature multiple nods to the film in its scripted missions.
★ Shaquille O'Neal has named The Warriors as his favorite movie and frequently references it during interviews, particularly Cyrus's line, "Can you dig it?"
★ In the green fever episode of ''Sealab 2021'' Sparks is seen riding, and banging a pipe shouting "Sufferers come out to pla-ay"
★ In children's television show Rugrats, Angelica yells out "Aliums, come out and play-ay" while searching for Tommy and Chuckie, after believing Chuckie is an Alien and mispronouncing the word.
★ In the ''Making the Band'' sketch on the second season of ''Chappelle's Show'', Dave Chappelle, as P. Diddy, clinks 2 milk bottles together and chants "Breast milk, you made my daay-aay"
★ In one episode of the TV show Scrubs, Turk yells "Do you see, Carla? Do you see what you get when you mess with the Warrior?" after beating her in an arm wrestling match, in reference to the line spoken by Sully in the film.
Footnotes
1. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1023205-warriors/
2. http://www.mezcotoyz.com/products.asp?pline=war
3. http://movies.ign.com/articles/746/746394p1.html
4. http://www.bigneckrecords.com/oldfiles/FURIES.htm
External links
★
★
★
★ The Warriors Movie Site
★ The Warriors Movie Forum & Chat Room
★ Goons of New York
★ ''Fader'' magazine's oral history of ''The Warriors''
★ "The Warriors Trip From Coney Island to Dyre Avenue in the Bronx Revisited"
★ Autographed Pictures of Swan and Mercy 2006
★ 2006 Warriors Cast Reunion Pictures Swan/Mercy/Vermin/Cyrus/Cleon/Cochise/Snow/Apache
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