Rumble Fish - Francis Ford Coppola


The Coppola clan seem to really love "Rumble Fish." If you remember, Sofia Coppola put her father’s 1983 film on her Sight and Sound ballot.
On Instagram, when pressed about which of his own films was his favourite, Francis Ford Coppola was initially resistant in answering, but then decided to answer "Rumble Fish"
My best film? That’s like asking someone with 7 kids, who’s the best?" the director said. "I love them all but if I scratched deeper, I might say Rumble Fish.
That is quite the statement given that Coppola has directed four of the greatest films of the 20th century: "The Godfather," "The Godfather Part Two", "The Conversation", and "Apocalypse Now." I don’t know about you, but "Rumble Fish" wouldn’t be the first thing that springs to mind when assessing Coppola’s filmography, far from it.
"Rumble Fish", based on the novel by S.E. Hinton, tells the story of Rusty James (played by Matt Dillon), a troubled and tough young man struggling with the shadow of his older brother amid the harsh realities of a bleak urban landscape. 
The film was shot in this beautiful black-and-white, inspired by German Expressionism. It’s one of the most visually stunning films. Coppola has described it as as "an art film for teenagers."
It also wasn’t that well received upon release, with many citing it as an experimental departure from the director’s more well-known works.
Today, "Rumble Fish" is this cult-ish artifact, and has been regarded by many critics as an overlooked film in Coppola’s extensive filmography. However, Coppola’s best film? Far from it.
Legendary film historian David Thomson has written that Rumble Fish is "maybe the most satisfying film Coppola made after "Apocalypse Now". Well, is it? Some of the better ones released include "Rumble Fish," "Peggy Sue Got Married," "Tucker: The Man and His Dreams," "The Rainmaker," "The Godfather Part III" and "Dracula"
Coppola’s post-‘Apocalype’ work can only be described as frustrating. He’s had a few keepers here and then, but none that have come close to his ‘70s work. Some believe the arduous shoot of "Apocalypse Now" broke and changed the man, and with that, his movies as well.