The Wanderers, an Italian street gang in the Bronx 1963, preparing for a rumble with rival gang the Del-Bombers, try to enlist other gangs to help their cause. However, as the times are a changing, The Wanderers and all the other gangs of the city must come to terms with pending adulthood, and, the ending of an era.

Directed by Phillip Kaufman, this adaptation of Richard Price's novel stands up as one of the best pictures to deal with gang culture. Laced with crackling adolescent humour, and sublimely sound tracked, The Wanderers triumphs better than most because it captures the time frame perfectly. Encompassing the killing of JFK, and subtly showing (during an hilarious sequence) the enlisting of ignorant youths into the Marines, to be carted off to Vietnam no doubt, The Wanderers has far more to offer than merely angst and high school jinx. The cast are surprisingly strong, Ken Wahl, Karen Allen, Tony Ganios and Erland van Lidth all shine in their respective roles, whilst Kaufman directs with a knowing sense of purpose of the thematics to hand. All of which culminates in a quite eerie final third as the deadly Ducky Boys enter the fray. Not quite as serious as The Warriors, which was released the same year, it's a film that much like this one now feels part of my teen education. The Wanderers is however the smarter picture of the two in terms of substance. The coming together at the finale, the racial harmony bursting out from the screen, is and always should be eternally embraced.

All together now, "I'm the type of guy who will never settle down" 8/10

The Bronx, 1963. The 50's style greaser gang the Wanderers find themselves becoming obsolete as the world changes all around them. The beginning of the Vietnam war and the assassination of President Kennedy signify the end of innocence while these lovably macho and rugged Italian-American lugs deal with gang fights, racial conflicts, finishing high school, and the awkward, yet inevitable transition from adolescence to adulthood. Director/co-writer Philip Kaufman delivers a vivid, funny, moving and sometimes even surreal evocation of a magical period in time; he makes especially inspired use of the authentically gritty urban locations and a fantastic golden oldies soundtrack. The uniformly terrific acting from the top-drawer cast rates as a substantial asset, with especially stand-out work from Ken Wahl as proud, charismatic gang leader Richie, John Friedrich as brash, excitable shrimp Joey, Karen Allen as the sassy Nina, Toni Kalem as Richie's sweet, but overbearing girlfriend Despie Galasso, Alan Rosenberg as the bumbling Turkey, Tony Ganios as the intimidating, but good-hearted and protective Perry, Linda Manz as scrappy tomboy Peewee, Erland van Lidth as fearsome, hulking behemoth Terror, Dolph Sweet as smooth, hearty bowling alley owner Chubby Galasso, William Andrews as Joey's abusive, muscular pop Emilio, and Val Avery as decent, but ineffectual history teacher Mr. Sharp. Among the film's many memorable moments are: the Wanderers hassling attractive women on the street with a raunchy pastime called "elbow t**," a genuinely erotic strip poker game, the Wanderers getting lost in a rival gangs' neighborhood (this particular set piece is very eerie and nightmarish),a football game which degenerates into a savage brawl with the scary and strange gang the Ducky Boys, and the mass a cappella rendition of Dion's classic song "The Wanderers" at Richie's bachelor party. Michael Chapman's slick cinematography gives the picture an attractive bright and glossy look. The dialogue is often profane, yet still eloquent (favorite line: "Don't take no wooden p**sy!"). But what really makes this movie so special and poignant is the extremely touching loyalty and camaraderie the main characters have for each other. A tad uneven in spots, but overall a gloriously rough'n'ready gem.

It's 1963 New York City. Richie Gennaro (Ken Wahl) is the leader of the Wanderers, an Italian-American street gang. Their rivals include the Baldies, a gang where everybody shaves their heads. Perry LaGuardia helps the Wanderers when they get cornered by the Baldies. Richie befriends the classmate who later joins the gang. The school is a mix of Italians, other ethnic gangs, and blacks. There is a clash in class and the Wanderers are challenged to a rumble by the blacks.

This is a weird mix of surrealism, humor, nostalgia, and gritty violence of gangs of New York. I would have preferred a more concentrated focus on the rumble. The most compelling section has Richie scrambling to find allies in the fight. There are other memorable vignettes like the stripe poker and the Baldies signing up for the military. There are some interesting characters and a couple of compelling early performances. This needs a tighter script even though its scattered nature does connect with a coming-of-age story.