| Images courtesy Universal Pictures |
"Another time, another place."
Walter's Hill's rock and roll fable is a cinematic sojourn into an era in which films of wonder and imagination were made real by taking chances on unusual concepts. Blending neo-noir sensibilities with musical tropes, Streets of Fire creates a world within our reality, a fever dream of street gangs, violence, and star-crossed romance. The result is one of the most visionary American films ever created. Featuring a veritable who's who of 80's talent, an unforgettable soundtrack and near ethereal cinematography, this is one of the many icons of the decade.
Tom Cody is a veteran who returns to Richmond and is drawn into a conflict with a local gang who have kidnapped his former lover. As Tom commits himself to rescuing his former flame, he begins to realize that some things will never be what they were ever again. Michael Pare stars at Cody, and while his performance is adequate, he is out shadowed by the supporting cast, particularly Rick Moranis and Amy Madigan. Willem Dafoe gives one of his earliest and best performances as the villainous Raven, partnered with a vicious Lee Ving (Clue). Additionally, Rick Rossovich and Richard Lawson star as the law caught between the near mythological forces at work on the streets. Rounding out the cast is Diane Lane as Ellen Aim, Cody's lost love and Mykelti Williamson and Grand Bush as members of the Sorels, a Motown doo wap group who get swept up in the conflict.
 |
Music is one of the essential ingredients. Hill used real musicians and combined several elements to allow the artists to make two original songs for the soundtrack, Nowhere Fast and Tonight is What it Means to be Young, both of which are both stunning and perfect accoutrements to Hill's vision. The other element is Andrew Lazlo's vibrant cinematography. Lazlo frames every sequence as if it is coming right from the page of a fable or comic book, using fire kissed set pieces to fuse the viewer's reality with the port in a storm of Richmond, a place of rumor and supposition poised to explode at any moment and the result is an excursion into a place between dreams and nightmares.
Ultimately Streets of Fire is a flawed but fun trip down a unique, one-of-a-kind rabbit hole. Hill's ambition is evident in every single frame. Very few films have managed to create a world one step removed from reality and succeeded on so many levels. The sounds, the look, the costumes, everything works in concert to transport the audience not only into Richmond, but into the rhythm of the world within it, where the streets burn, damsels sing fierce power ballads, and light and darkness forever battle for supremacy.
 |
Now available for digital rental or on a gorgeous UHD transfer from Shout Factory, Streets of Fire was a commercial failure upon release, but over the years it has deservingly attained cult status. A one two punch to both the heart and imagination, Walter's blemished, but furious opus captures the imagination from the film's opening seconds to its jaw dropping musical finale, truly a once in a lifetime cinematic experience.
-Kyle Jonathan