Throughout anyone’s film viewing life, there are certain films at any given time that will leap out of the screen at you – and remain part of your sub-conscious forever. One such film in my case is Walter Hill’s THE WARRIORS (1979)
Based on a novel by Sol Yurick and adapted by Hill with David Shaber, the film is effectively a 1970s reworking of Homer’s THE ODYSSEY, with the beleaguered gang The Warriors on the run after a major gang meeting with all the gangs of New York numbering 100,000 members and headed by big main man Cyrus goes wrong when another gang member, Luther (David Patrick Kelly) shoots him in front of everyone and then openly blames The Warriors. War Chief Cleon (Dorsey Wright) is beaten to death in the confusion and the remaining gang, led by deputy Swan (Michael Beck) decide to head back through the city from The Bronx to Coney Island, from whence they came.
Amidst all this, another big gang is out to get The Warriors and use a DJ to issue reports to bring the gang to justice. It’s an urban jungle out there – and everything and everyone in the Warriors is there for the taking, unless they can make it back….
A film that gained a lot of notoriety on its’ original release due to some incidents at American cinemas, THE WARRIORS has evolved to become one of the stand-out films of the late 1970s, thanks to some excellent action sequences and violence reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick’s A CLOCKWORK ORANGE. Barry De Vorzon’s incidental score is another strength of the film and Eagle Joe Walsh co-wrote IN THE CITY with De Vorzon, a track which featured on the Eagles 1980 album THE LONG RUN, alongside hits like HEARTACHE TONIGHT.
Frank Marshall, who went on to become a producer in his own right, as well as marrying future Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, executive produced the film, his second credit after THE DRIVER.
Lead actor Michael Beck appeared in XANADU (1980) with Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly, whilst James Remar went on to appear in 48 HRS. (1982)