This is an artistic movie concerning lost individuals searching for answers while moving through a Midwestern city. In the vicinity of Tulsa, a young person with behavioral problems (Matt Dillon) looks up to his older brother (Mickey Rourke), who had departed the area a couple of months earlier. Upon his sibling’s unexpected return, he loses interest in gangs and fighting. They wander around town alongside a friend (Vincent Spano), stopping at various locations as they try to discover meaning and purpose. The supporting cast includes Diane Lane, Dennis Hopper, Diana Scarwid, Nicolas Cage, Laurence Fishburne, and William Smith, with Sofia Coppola playing the younger sister. “Rumble Fish” (1983) was the second of two films adapted from SE Hinton’s young-adult novels that Francis Ford Coppola filmed consecutively; “The Outsiders” (1983) preceded it and proved successful at the box office, while this one didn't attract a large audience. Unlike “Outsiders,” which is set in 1965, this film takes place in the contemporary era—1982, when filming occurred (or possibly the late 70s). Hinton makes an appearance as a prostitute on the street who approaches Rusty James (Dillon) and Steve (Spano). Hinton was only sixteen or seventeen years old when she wrote “The Outsiders,” so that movie reflects the viewpoint of a mid-teenager. She was in her mid-20s when she penned “Rumble Fish,” and this is also noticeable in the film: The Motorcycle Boy (Rourke) has matured and no longer cares about youthful delinquency, which confuses Rusty James. Both “The Outsiders” and “Rumble Fish” are artistic films, but this one takes it a step further. It’s a combination of “The Outsiders” and Coppola’s experimental “One from the Heart” (1981), along with elements of "The Warriors" (1979) and “Grease” (1978). Like “One from the Heart,” the narrative is very simple, while the filmmaking is highly stylized, resulting in a visually and sonically appealing film that isn’t particularly engaging on a story level. What's it really about? Possible explanations include: the difficulties faced by unconventional people in a conventional society, living under someone else’s shadow, the appeal of charismatic figures, growing up while letting go of childish things, freeing others, how envy can destroy people (figuratively or literally), the potential for abuse of power, resulting unfairness, and making sacrifices for those you care about. I have to mention that Nicolas Cage is at his peak here and surprisingly handsome (speaking as someone who prefers women). He certainly didn’t always look like Quasimodo; I never considered him a traditionally attractive actor, unlike George Clooney, for example. The film has a running time of 1 hour, 34 minutes, and was filmed in the Tulsa area, just like “The Outsiders.” GRADE: B-

Source on TMDB