It's an experimental coming-of-age drama set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, during the 1960s. Seventeen-year-old Rusty James (Matt Dillon) is four years younger than his brother, The Motorcycle Boy (Mickey Rourke). The Motorcycle Boy led a gang for a time but has recently been absent a lot. Rusty James wants to emulate his brother. Their mother disappeared when Rusty James was two, and their Father (Dennis Hopper) is an alcoholic lawyer.
Rusty James hangs out with Steve (Vincent Spano), Smokey (Nicolas Cage), and B. J. (Chris Penn) in a bar run by Benny (Tom Waits). Rusty's girlfriend is Patty (Diane Lane).
The movie follows Rusty James as he gets into a gang fight, a la "West Side Story," that ends with his brother's return. "Rumble Fish" wanders through several days as Rusty James and The Motorcycle Boy explore their past and future and their relationship with their father. The Motorcycle Boy tries to convince Rusty James that gangs have no future, but Rusty, who is not the sharpest tack in the box, resists. A vengeful Police Officer Patterson (William Smith), provides a dramatic conclusion.
"Rumble Fish" (named after betta fish that attack each other) fascinate the colorblind Motorcycle Boy and provide the only color in this black-and-white film. The movie features neo-noir shadows, wet streets, fog, and clocks. The plot is derivative of "West Side Story" and early Marlon Brando and James Dean. It's engaging primarily because of the experimental film techniques used, not for the story or the quality of the acting.
Rusty James hangs out with Steve (Vincent Spano), Smokey (Nicolas Cage), and B. J. (Chris Penn) in a bar run by Benny (Tom Waits). Rusty's girlfriend is Patty (Diane Lane).
The movie follows Rusty James as he gets into a gang fight, a la "West Side Story," that ends with his brother's return. "Rumble Fish" wanders through several days as Rusty James and The Motorcycle Boy explore their past and future and their relationship with their father. The Motorcycle Boy tries to convince Rusty James that gangs have no future, but Rusty, who is not the sharpest tack in the box, resists. A vengeful Police Officer Patterson (William Smith), provides a dramatic conclusion.
"Rumble Fish" (named after betta fish that attack each other) fascinate the colorblind Motorcycle Boy and provide the only color in this black-and-white film. The movie features neo-noir shadows, wet streets, fog, and clocks. The plot is derivative of "West Side Story" and early Marlon Brando and James Dean. It's engaging primarily because of the experimental film techniques used, not for the story or the quality of the acting.