Rumble Fish

Part of the special series FROM THE HEART:

Rusty James (Matt Dillon), leader of a gang of petty criminals, idolizes the legendary reputation of his older brother, the "Motorcycle Boy" (Mickey Rourke). His girlfriend (Diane Lane) and alcoholic father (Dennis Hopper) have already given up trying to steer him in the right direction. After the charismatic but melancholic Motorcycle Boy disappears to California for two months, he returns, but much to Rusty’s disappointment, he seems to have lost all interest in his former status and dominance over the local gangs.

The coming-of-age film Rumble Fish is based, like The Outsiders, on a novel by American author S.E. Hinton, who co-wrote the screenplay with Coppola. Unlike The Outsiders, Coppola directed Rumble Fish in a more unconventional style, incorporating elements of expressionist cinema and film noir. The story is told from Rusty James' point of view, who also provides voice-over narration, while visually the film adopts the perspective of his color-blind brother. This is why the film is shot in black and white, except for the titular Siamese fighting fish, which are shown in color.