The Big Picture

Francis Ford Coppola’s favorite film of his own is his 1983 adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s Rumble Fish, which also happens to be his daughter Sofia Coppola’s favorite. Rumble Fish features career-best performances from Matt Dillon and Mickey Rourke, with Dillon delivering what actor-director Ethan Hawke calls the “greatest juvenile performance of all time.” The film stands out for its arthouse aesthetic, combining elements of film noir, French New Wave, and German Expressionism, with black-and-white cinematography and surrealistic touches. Nicolas Cage also has a small role in the film.

The masterpieces of legendary New Hollywood director Francis Ford Coppola prove almost too many to count on one hand between The Godfather, The Conversation, and Apocalypse Now, but fans of the director’s titanic oeuvre will be surprised to know that his favorite film of his isn’t any of the aforementioned, but his 1983 adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s coming-of-age novel Rumble Fish. Coppola revealed his preference for the intimate revisionist gang drama in an AMA, stressing that he loves all of his films. Interestingly, his daughter Sofia Coppola (an acclaimed director herself) expressed the same preference for Rumble Fish, evident with its placement in her top five. When someone’s career encompasses two Best Picture Oscars as well as two Palme d’Or winners, one has to wonder what it is about Rumble Fish that two of the most prominent members of the Coppola family select it among their most revered.

Rumble Fish stars a young Matt Dillon and Mickey Rourke in some career-best performances, with Diane Lane, Dennis Hopper, and Tom Waits rounding out the supporting cast. The film was shot back-to-back with Coppola’s other S.E. Hinton adaptation The Outsiders and released in the same year (a lucky time for teenage cinemagoers, no doubt), holding onto much of the same cast. However, watching Rumble Fish for all of its avant-garde ambition makes The Outsiders look tame in comparison. The film follows Rusty James (Dillon) as a rebellious youth in Tulsa, Oklahoma who longs for the days of gang violence to return. A time when his missing brother, the Motorcycle Boy (Rourke with one of his most badass eponyms), reigned supreme.

‘Rumble Fish’ Features Matt Dillon and Mickey Rourke Like You’ve Never Seen Them
Image via Universal Pictures

Actor-director Ethan Hawke himself called Matt Dillon’s performance in Rumble Fish the “greatest juvenile performance of all time” and watching the film, it’s easy to see why. Dillon brings the perfect combination of angst and sensitivity to the role, as behind his every macho move, no matter how many times his bravado gets him his ass kicked, he keeps on going for idolization of his brother. It’s a desperately sad embodiment of masculine insecurity with his fear for not being as smart as the rest of his family birthing his attempts to display his worth through aggression. It’s the little things that make Rusty James particularly piggish, like the way he swipes beers from his girlfriend Patty’s (Lane) fridge in spite of the trouble it will cause her… and then not even finishing it. Or the way he demeans Cassandra, his brother’s ex-girlfriend, still hopelessly in love with the Motorcycle Boy, as a junkie who he’ll never come back to. Everything about his performance screams anger for being born five years too late, when gang violence thrived, though it’s his reality check that acts as the crux of the film’s message.

Mickey Rourke himself delivers one of his most calculatingly suave performances, sporting his iconic hushed baritone vocals and nonchalance with unforgettable swagger. Along with his stint as Charles Bukowski, it’s nigh-impossible to find a film featuring Rourke slicker than this. His presence makes his idolization instantly understandable, with elements around him seemingly bending to his will, such as his first appearance where he launches the motorcycle of his namesake towards a drugged rival gang member only for it to flip off the wall and land on its wheels without a scratch. One character describes the Motorcycle Boy as “royalty in exile,” the perfect allusion to a former king who’s retained every bit of his divine charisma even after having been dethroned. Of course, while the film wouldn’t work nearly as well without its perfect leads, one has to lend credit to Coppola’s shooting style as…

Francis Ford Coppola Shot ‘Rumble Fish’ Like a European Arthouse Gem
Image via Universal Pictures

The most defining feature that separates Rumble Fish from the rest of Coppola’s star-studded work is its arthouse aesthetic, melding elements of film noir, French New Wave, and German Expressionism into a powerful concoction. The black-and-white cinematography does wonders to elevate its images of dank alleys and misty streets, with several Dutch angles placing its viewers into the warped mind of serial gang fighter Rusty James to show us how twisted his idealization of violence really is. On top of that, Coppola leans into certain mildly surrealist elements to illustrate his message about the futility of youth violence. A recurring motif within the film is several shots of clocks. Ticking is also constantly heard (not all too dissimilarly from Dunkirk) to illustrate that time is passing faster than these teenagers are able to comprehend or appreciate.

This theme is reinforced by Tom Waits in one of his best supporting performances as Benny the Barkeeper, who occasionally chimes in to narrate the film. His most powerful musing occurs quietly as he cleans tabletops and contemplates the concept of aging, stating that there comes a time in everyone’s life when they realize they only have so many summers left. It’s a facet of Rumble Fish that allows it to shine among gang films for its sensitivity, as anti-gang as Apocalypse Now is anti-war. Other elements of surrealism include a near-death dream sequence in which Rusty James’s ghost watches over the aspects of life that he might be missing should he perish, as well as a group of fish being the only object of the entire film to be portrayed in bright colors to emphasize the color-blind Motorcycle Boy’s connection to them.

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‘Rumble Fish’ Features One of Nicolas Cage’s First Credited Roles
Image via Universal Pictures

Between its script, performances, and aesthetic, Rumble Fish has a lot going for it, though the film also has the distinction of being among the first to star iconic Thespian and certified platinum meme Nicolas Cage. While Cage’s debut actually came the year prior in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, the actor was still credited as Nicolas Coppola then, a name he switched to avoid allegations of nepotism due to his connection with his uncle Francis. He actually took the name ‘Cage’ from Marvel comics superhero Luke Cage, dubbing Stan Lee his “surrealistic father” as a result.

Nicolas Cage had also starred in the ’80s rom-com Valley Girl the same year but most interestingly, had attempted to work for his uncle before, having auditioned to play Dallas in The Outsiders. His uncle rejected him, opting to (ironically) cast Matt Dillon instead, but gave him a role opposite his victor in Rumble Fish. Cage plays Smokey, Rusty James’s former best friend who eventually orchestrates a breakup between him and Patty so that he can date her himself. While Cage would later go on to star in countless offbeat gems from great directors, one can imagine that at the time, this revenge against Dillon’s character must have tasted sweet.

Rumble Fish is an epic family drama that aspires to Greek tragedy, alluded to in the Motorcycle Boy and his father’s discussion of the character Cassandra (a Trojan priestess blessed with the power of prophecy but cursed in that her precognitive warnings were never to be believed). However, what sets the film apart from the epics that inspire it is the intimate scale upon which it’s told. It’s a film that doesn’t get nearly as discussed as its director’s other masterworks even if, if the Coppola family’s penchant for it is anything to go by, it undoubtedly deserves to be.