Director Walter Hill claims his turf with The Warriors Ultimate Director’s Cut!  It’s the stunning, must-see version of the classic film, loaded with special features that pack extra punch.  The Warriors are ready to fight their way back to Coney Island, but standing in their path are some of the baddest, out-for-blood gangs in New York City.  It’ll take every bit of their street smarts and every weapon they can find to make it back alive!

CRITIQUE

The Warriors is based on The Anabasis, a story by the ancient Greek writer Xenophon, about 10,000 Greek warriors and their long journey home after their leader is killed in battle.  They feel that if they can get to the sea they can get home, so they travel back through Persia, fighting enemies and barbarian tribes along the way, making alliances where they can.

That forms the frame of The Warriors.  There are only nine of them here, of course, the lone gang fighting their way from the Bronx to Coney Island, framed for the murder of gang leader Cyrus (who, incidentally, shares the same name as the character in The Anabasis).  Cyrus (Roger Hill) comes on theatrically, telling the assembled that as one gang they total 60,000, an unstoppable force if they decided to unite.  He puts to them a question none of them has considered: why should we argue over turf when we could have the whole city?  Cyrus is held as “the one and only,” and he strikes a messianic pose.  After he is shot, all it takes is a word, and the gangs that were once united now turn against The Warriors, who are cut off, miles from home, in a neighborhood they know nothing about: “We’ve never even been to the Bronx,” one of them says, worried, before they begin their journey.

In the riot that follows the murder of Cyrus, the leader of the Warriors’ delegation is himself killed, and a crisis of leadership starts almost immediately.  Swan (Michael Beck) naturally assumes that he is the warlord, but Ajax (James Remar) feels he has just as much right to the title.  The two have no time to argue, as they have to jump on the subway and get out of dodge.

The path home centers on the subway, and there would not be a problem if they could just stay on the train.  They set Union Station, the spot where they switch trains, as their meeting point, but even getting that far proves a Herculean task; every time they get on, they get just far enough to escape one gang, only to be faced with another.  Even the police become just another gang The Warriors to contend with, and in a sense they are the most cowardly.  They beat Ajax to death while he is handcuffed to a bench and cannot fight back.  At least the Baseball Furies allow them to fight.

Their arrival back in Coney Island is one of the film’s sadder moments.  When they step off the train, we see the city in daylight for the first time.  The Warriors look around as if they are seeing the place for the first time, its gilt tarnished.  “This is what we fought all night to get back to,” says Swan, as if he were expecting something else, noticing the decay for the first time.  It’s a profound moment.  They have survived the fight of their lives, and perhaps cannot go home again.

They are not finished yet, though, and they film slowly builds to its classic climax, a showdown straight out of Kurosawa (see also: Yojimbo).  The final moments of the film are also its strongest.  David Patrick Kelly is at his creepiest as Luther, the one guy stalking the Warriors that they never see coming.  Luther has the most invested in seeing them wiped out, but he also has a childish, cowardly side; he acts tougher than he probably really is, as though he needs to prove something.

The Warriors is the perfect midnight movie.  There are some changes to the film on this DVD, which Hill admits may turn off some die hard fans, but this version of the film is as much fun and as timeless as the one we have come to know.  The most noticeable change is in some of the transitions between scenes.  Hill has heightened the comic book feel of the film and added actual comic panels, as though we are turning pages between scenes.  That touch does not take away from the film, but I could have done without it.

The important elements remain: great dialogue, tight, fast paced editing, solid acting.  This is a true pulp tale, but it has more interesting implications.  The dialogue is loaded with gang talk, but there is also a lot of military jargon.  The core of the Greek story is there (Lynn Thigpen’s DJ is like a Greek chorus), and through it all there is a portrait of a society existing just under the surface of our own, known only to the participants.

The Warriors has become ingrained in popular culture.  A video game is being made, based on the film, and word has it that Tony Scott will be remaking the film (another remake… just what we need).  But for now, let’s take another look at the original, finally with the DVD treatment it deserves.

THE VIDEO

The Warriors is presented in the original 1.85:1 widescreen ratio, and the transfer is beautiful.  The vibrant colors in the film have never looked better, and the whole spectrum is expertly rendered.  Ninety-nine percent of the film takes place at night, and the black levels are as sharp as anything else.

THE AUDIO

This DVD is presented in English 5.1 Surround, 2.0 Surround, and French Mono.  From the rattle of the subway to the rattle of Luther’s bottles and everything in between, every decibel comes through sharply, all channels humming.

THE EXTRAS

Introduction by Walter Hill: Hill, who claims to dislike long explanations of films, gives a very brief introduction.  This is so brief, in fact, that you really do not miss anything by not watching it.  (1:19)

The Warriors: The Beginning: Walter Hill, producer Lawrence Gordon and others talk about the genesis of the film and preproduction, the chapter of Greek history upon which the book and film is based, seeing the story in comic book terms, casting, costumes, and other points about the early days of the film.  (14:06)

The Warriors: Battleground: The Warriors was a low budget film, one of several being shot in New York that summer, and Battleground details the shooting of the film, the challenges they faced, working with the City, and other interesting points.  Hill and crew also go into detail about the shooting of the park riot that opens the film.  (15:23)

The Warriors: The Way Home: The Baseball Furies, the most visually stunning of all the gangs in the film, and the one that everyone seems to best remember, are detailed here.  They talk about choreographing the fight, editing, and the action in general.  Of course, David Patrick Kelly talks about creating that classic taunt.  (18:07)

The Warriors: The Phenomenon: The shooting of the last scenes on the beach, Lynn Thigpen as the DJ, and rushing to beat the other gang pictures at the time into theaters.  This one covers the editing and post-production.  We see the original opening, and the composer talks about the score.  We also hear about the critical and audience response, the big early box office, and the crowd behavior that eventually doomed the film.  (15:23)

Original Theatrical Trailer: A great vintage trailer.

A commentary would be great here, but the featurettes we have - essentially four parts of one documentary - give much detailed and interesting insight into the film.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Warriors is a classic film that is beyond criticism at this point.  The film gets the full DVD treatment here, and visually has never looked better.  The bonus material is insightful and gives us the most detailed look at the film so far.  Fans will love this, and the uninitiated would do well with this too.