Little to like in 'Warriors’

Press, 2 July 1979, Page 15

Little to like in ' Warriors’

“The Warriors," a film y.hich was responsible for a few killings and a lot of controversy in the United States when it started there last February, has opened at the Cinerama cinema. There is not much to say about this movie, except that it is not particularly edifying and certainly lacks any socially redeeming i values. The story is about all the gangs of New York City gathering in convention at a park somewhere in The Bronx, where they plot to take over the town borough by borough. However, the would-be leader of all the gangs is assassinated, and the Warriors, who have come to the meeting from Coney Island, are wrongly blamed for his death. The rest of the film is about this group running the gauntlet under gang retribution on their way back to home territory. This is a very small premise on which to base the plot of a 100-minute film — and a very small film. Nevertheless, it is well

; I 'done stylistically, and has! ! excellent colour photography I ' and acting. ’ Even the bizarre gangs —‘ i one with harlequin make-up; ’ and swinging baseball bats,' 1 (another led by a fellow! '(coasting along on rollers —I (are effective. - The trouble is that the j • film has its own peculiar , sense of morality (or lack ■ thereof). : The audience, eventually, s is hoping the Warriors will make it back to Coney Iss land. Finally, the assassin is : caught and gets his just de- - serts. > I consider this and other aspects of the film very • strange morality. Although i well made and entertaining, - I wonder why Paramount bothered to make it — ex1 cept for the money.