Classics: A Review of The Outsiders by Lauren Ennis

 "They grew up on the outside of society. They weren't looking for a fight; they were looking to belong" reads the tagline for the 1983 drama The Outsiders. With this, the film perfectly sums up the dilemma of its teen protagonists. Adapted from S.E. Hinton's 1967 novel of the same name, the film follows its outcast heroes as  they struggle with neglect at home, ostracism at school, and violence on the street. This coming of age drama captures the pain of growing up with a power and poignancy that few films can match. Stay gold with The Outsiders.

The story begins in 1965 Tulsa, Oklahoma with Ponyboy Curtis and his brothers Darryl and Sodapop coping with the recent deaths of their parents. Like their friends Johnny and Dallas, Ponyboy and his brothers are working class teens from the "wrong side of town" mockingly known as Greasers. Camaraderie and solace that he finds in the Greasers is threatened by their constant clashes with the upper class rival gang known as the Socs. Ponyboy and Johnny are attacked by a group of Socs ultimately resulting in Johnny killing one of the Socs in self-defense. Certain that the authorities will not believe them they go on the run, setting off a chain of events that will change their lives forever. 

Over forty years after its release The Outsiders continues to resonate with audiences across generations. Through its depiction of the plight of the impoverished, ostracized, Greasers the film aptly captures the bitter reality of class and social division. This theme has only become more pertinent in an era in which Americans have become divided across class, racial, and political lines, amongst others. The bitter struggle between the Greasers and Socs, based in tribalism and group-think, in many ways mirrors the current fraught political climate. Even as it brilliantly portrays the brutality of gang warfare, however, the film maintains a decisively hopeful message of understanding and redemption the likes of which our current society sorely needs. Find common ground with The Outsiders.

The film brings S. E. Hinton's acclaimed novel to brilliant life thanks to the work of its star-studded cast. Dianne Lane balances sweetness and sass as Soc beauty Cherry. Matt Dillon brings bravado and charisma to his turn as bad boy Dallas. Patrick Swayze aptly capture's Darryl's struggle to be both brother and parent to his orphaned siblings. Rob Lowe infuses Sodapop with boy next door charm. Leif Garret makes for a menacing villain as vicious Soc, Bob. Ralph Macchio turns in one of the best performances of his career as balances Johnny's scrappy exterior and inner decency. C. Thomas Howell makes for an ideal everyman as he conveys Ponyboy's yearning for a better life.

While the world has drastically changed since Ponyboy stepped out into the bright sunlight his experiences as an outsider remain startlingly relevant. Few films capture the gold time of youth and the bittersweetness of growing up with the power of The Outsiders. The film's script brings the classic novel to visceral, aching, life. The superb work of the cast transports viewers to the gritty streets of 1960's Tulsa. Find your place with The Outsiders.

Classics: A Review of Scarlet Street By Lauren Ennis

 How far would you go to be somebody? That is the question that lies at the heart of Fritz Lang's 1945 drama Scarlet Street. The film follows three misfits on a doomed quest to become big shots in a portrait of the American Dream gone horribly wrong. Take a walk on the dark side down Scarlet Street.

The story begins at a party marking clerk Chris Cross' twenty-five years of service at a local bank. While Chris should be the center of attention his colleagues are more interested in ogling his boss' young mistress. He fares little better upon returning home to his nagging wife, Adele. When he tries to unwind with his one passion, painting, Adele informs him that he is only allowed to paint in their apartment's bathroom. His dull, repressed, life takes a dramatic turn when he stumbles upon a woman being attacked in the street. He attacks the assailant and the woman introduces herself as Kitty. Flattered by the young and attractive woman's seeming gratitude he takes Kitty out to dinner and tells her about his passion for art. When she assumes that he is a successful artist he fails to correct her. Similarly, when he assumes that she is a model she does not correct him. Eager for a piece of Chris' supposed fortune she embarks upon an affair with him. In order to fund her desired lifestyle he begins stealing from his wife and his employer. Unbeknownst to Chris, however, Kitty is not actually a model but instead a prostitute and her pimp is none other than the man who was attacking her in the street, Johnny. Desperate to pay off his debts, Johnny steaks several of Chris' paintings and sells them under Kitty's name. Chris agrees to go along with the scheme under the assumption that Kitty will marry him and the pair will share the proceeds. What follows is a nightmarish journey to rock bottom in an American Dream gone irreparably awry.

Scarlet Street stands as one of the bleakest and most haunting films in all of noir. The film is so unflinching in its portrayal of its characters' descent into despair that it was actually banned in several cities upon initial release. The film particularly stands out for its portrayal of milquetoast dreamer turned anti-hero, Chris. Chris could not be farther removed from the world weary, cynical, and resourceful heroes that populate noir. He is instead unassuming, repressed, and yet somehow remains optimistic; in short he is not so different from us. In its depiction of his willing descent into a hell of his own making the film serves as an apt reminder of how easily any of us could be similarly led astray. The film also proves to be surprisingly modern in its blunt portrayal of the world of vice, violence, and desperation that its deeply flawed cast inhabit. Perhaps its greatest strength lies in its gut-wrenching ending in which Chris thinks that he has escaped punishment only to find himself trapped within a prison built by his own conscience. At once a gritty crime drama and a nuanced character study Scarlet Street remains as harrowing and resonant now as it was upon its initially release eighty years ago.

It's hard out here for a pimp

The film comes to haunting life thanks to the work of its star-studded cast. Rosalind Ivan is one of the shrillest shrews ever put to celluloid as Chris' abrasive wife, Adele. Dan Duryea is sleaze personified as callous pimp Johnny. Joan Bennett makes for one of the most fatale femmes in all of noir as the conniving, crass, and charming Kitty. Edward. G Robinson turns in one of the most complex performances of his career in his haunting turn as Chris. As the unassuming clerk he captures a vulnerability, desperation, and anxiety that mark a stark contrast from the cocky heavies he built his career playing. 

Scarlet Street is a criminally underrated noir. The twisting plot and razor-sharp dialogue place the script at the top of the genre. The performances bring each of the characters to visceral life in all of their amoral, desperate, glory. Take a walk on the wild side down Scarlet Street.