Life Imitates Art

One of my favorite all time movies is The Warriors, a film from 1974 by director Walter Hill about gangs in New York City (not to be confused with the Leo DeCaprio movie of that name using that phrase). Sort of a good guy gang vs. 100's of bad guy gangs. I couldn't help but think how it represents what is happening today in a weird sort of way. The story revolves around a very charismatic gang leader who summons all the gangs in New York to a rally in Central Park where he announces that he will unite all the gangs in New York under one roof and they will control the city. Noone knows anything about him only that "he is the one and Only." He goes by the name Cyrus. Does this sound familiar? As Cyrus speaks and all the gangs cheer him on, the leader of the Warriors, (a young, handsome level headed macho dude named Swan, played by Michael Beck) is not so sure about this Cyrus and winces a bit at his pronouncements while everyone else cheers. I myself felt the same way during the Obama campaign when everyone cheered and fainted at his speeches.

As Cyrus speaks ,a young punk leader from a punk gang called "The Rogues" shoots Cyrus and kills him "Only because I like doing things like that." and blames it on The Warriors. So begins an incredible, sometimes fantasy tour of The Warriors runing from and encountering and escaping from every gang in the city. Through all this Swan finds time for a romance with a Puerto Rican woman from a gang called The Orphans. In the end the punk gang gets their comeuppance and the Warriors are cleared. As they are riding home on the subway back to Coney Island where they are from, one of the Warriors says," Boy that Cyrus. He was going to run the whole city. What a bunch of crap that was." I can't help but think of today after Obama said he was going to unite everyone and all this Hope and Change and now he's falling fast. So to all those people who cheered and fainted before him I say,"Boy that Obama. He was going to unite everyone. What a bunch of crap that was."

Below are a few clips from the movie. Be sure to check out the music video. It shows Some great scenes from the movie. The song is "In the City" by Joe Walsh. The movie is out on DVD with interviews with the actors today including Michael Beck and Walter Hill.

YouTube - The Warriors Movie Trailer


Warriors Vs. Baseball Furies

The warriors music video - In the city