The Warriors is a 1979 American thriller film directed by Walter Hill and based on Sol Yurick's 1965 novel of the same name. It was released in the United States on February 9, 1979. The Warriors has since become a cult film, and it has spawned multiple spinoffs, including video games and a comic book series.
Plot[]
Cyrus (Roger Hill), the leader of the most powerful gang in New York City, the Gramercy Riffs, calls a midnight summit for all the area gangs, with all asked to send nine unarmed representatives for the conclave. A gang called The Warriors are blamed for killing Cyrus as he gives his speech. They now have to cross the territory of rivals in order to get to their own tariff. The Warriors slowly cross the dangerous Bronx and Manhattan territories, narrowly escaping police and other gangs every step of the way.
Cast[]
- Michael Beck as Swan, War Chief of The Warriors
- James Remar as Ajax
- Dorsey Wright as Cleon, Leader of The Warriors
- Brian Tyler as Snow
- David Harris as Cochise
- Tom McKitterick as Cowboy
- Marcelino Sánchez as Rembrandt
- Terry Michos as Vermin
- Thomas G. Waites as Fox (Uncredited)
- Deborah Van Valkenburgh as Mercy
- Roger Hill as Cyrus, Leader of The Gramercy Riffs
- David Patrick Kelly as Luther, Leader of The Rogues
- Lynne Thigpen as D.J.
- Edward Sewer as Masai, War Chief of The Gramercy Riffs
- Joel Weiss as Cropsy, the Main Lieutenant of the Rogues
- Kate Klugman as Star, the Warlord of the Lizzies
- Paul Greco as Sully, the Warlord of the Orphans
- Apache Ramos as Jesse, the Main Lieutenant of the Orphans
- Konrad Sheehan as Vance, the Warlord of the Punks
- Rob Ryder as Ed, the Main Lieutenant of the Punks
- Ginny Ortiz as Candy Store Girl
- Mercedes Ruehl as Policewoman
- John Snyder as Gas Station Man
Reception[]
Critical response[]
The Warriors received negative reviews from contemporary critics, who derided its lack of realism and found its dialogue stilted. In his review for the Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert gave it two out of four stars and said that, despite Hill's cinematic skill, the film is implausible in a mannerist style that deprives the characters of depth and spontaneity: "No matter what impression the ads give, this isn't even remotely intended as an action film. It's a set piece. It's a ballet of stylized male violence. "However, Ebert later said during a review of Hill's film Southern Comfort that he felt he overlooked some positive qualities in The Warriors out of his dislike for Hill's general approach to broad characterizations.
Cult status[]
The film has become a cult film, and some film critics have since re-examined it. As of December 1, 2017, the film has garnered an 89% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes based on 37 reviews.
At Seattle's Grand Illusion Cinema, programmer Zack Carlson remembers, "people were squeezed in, lying on the floor, cheering". Entertainment Weekly named it the 16th-greatest cult film on their "Top 50 Greatest Cult Films" list. The magazine also ranked it 14th in the list of the "25 Most Controversial Movies Ever".