Streets of Fire (1984)
Director: Walter Hill
Starring: Michael Pare, Willem Dafoe, Diane Lane, Amy Madigan
Primary genre: Action
Secondary genre: Crime
Third genre: Neo-noir
“Streets of Fire” is so 80s it hurts. Yet, its undeniable vitality is evident from get go. Opening with an inspired musical number which captures exactly what the energy of the 80s was, this 50s-inspired action crime neo-noir flick infects the viewer with its enthusiasm. A very young Diane Lane singing her lungs out while a villainous Willem Dafoe is seeking to kidnap her after she finishes her performance - reminiscent of beat’em’up games like “Double Dragon” (1987) and “Final Fight“ (1989) that came after the film - is full of mesmerizing shots, courtesy of Andrew Laslo’s cinematography (“Southern Comfort” (1981), “First Blood“ (1982)).
“Streets of Fire” packs vast amounts of talent both in front of and behind the camera - director Walter Hill, aforementioned cinematographer Andrew Laslo, producers Joel Silver and Lawrence Gordon, composer Ry Cooder, actors Willem Dafoe, Diane Lane, Rick Moranis, Amy Madigan and Bill Paxton give this hybrid of a movie their best shot. While the dialogue leaves much to be desired (on purpose) based on oversimplified tropes of good vs evil through a modern western take where the protagonist rolls into town to literally save the girl and defeat the bad guy does play like a rock n’ roll fable, courtesy of the energetic soundtrack.
Along the way, he encounters intriguing personalities in this ambiguous dystopian future where the automobile culture of the 50s and the 80s social structures are fused together in a genre mishmash. A key character, Amy Madigan’s ex-soldier is as modern as they come - this is an 80s film we are taking about, and Lane’s damsel in distress are two examples where “Streets of Fire” feels both backwards and forward thematically.
“You know some of you guys got some cute little asses. Be a real shame if I had to blow ‘em off!”
Yet, such a sentiment does not prohibit Hill of crafting some solid action scenes. The creative force of the cult gem that is “The Warriors” (1978) and “48 Hours” (1980) has plenty of skirmishes to keep you occupied, culminating in an old school mano-a-mano duel which took quite some time to shoot. And while Michael Paré has a commanding presence, he lacks the necessary acting charisma to create a good looking and relatable hero so it is up to the cast around him that propels the weak narrative, especially a less comedic Rick Moranis (e.g., “Ghostbusters“ (1984), “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” (1989)) and Madigan’s tough as nails McCoy.
Like any film in the 80s which tried to break new ground, “Streets of Fire” flopped hard. Its uneasy combination of visuals did not sit well with less refined audiences. After all, who would have been interested in an action flick featuring 80s musical numbers in a 50s production design? Nevertheless, it received recognition decades later on generating significant pop culture influence. If you view the 80s under a nostalgic lens, you will definitely appreciate the effort, craftmanship and attitude of this movie.
Pure 80s energy time capsule
+Cinematography
+Production design
+Beautiful shots
+Sensational opening number
+Cast
+McCoy’s character
-Lackluster lead actor
-Bizarre fusion of 50/80s