Style Wars

'They call themselves writers because that's what they do. They write their names among other things everywhere. Names they've been given or have chosen for themselves. Most of all they write in and on subway trains, which carry their names from one end of the city to the other. It's called bombing. And it has equally assertive counterparts in rap music and break dancing'. According to Tony Silver, the maker of this documentary film on graffiti and hip hop culture.

Back in the days when many neighborhoods in New York were still a crumbling wasteland, Major Koch (of course!) and the city workers responsible for the city's clean-up provide most of the laughs. One tormented Transport Authority official keeps complaining that the substance used to remove the paint also fogs the windows. A difficult choice. Either not getting a view from the windows because of the graffiti or because of the cleaning substance that fogs the windows.

And what about that cheesy ad campaign with Hector Camacho and Alex Ramos? 'Take it from the champs, graffiti is for chumps. Make your mark in society, not on society'.

And then in the press conference preceding the campaign.

'Mr mayor, are those posters graffiti proof?'

'Time will tell!'

Camacho and Ramos must be scratching the back of their heads by now. Many of the writers they agitated against have become legends by now but who remembers these two chumps?

It's hard to imagine the airwaves this caused when it first reached Europe. I think it was in 1985 when it first aired in the Netherlands and France and many other countries as well. Literally within months after this documentary was shown, cities like Amsterdam and Paris where bombed in a way they've never experienced before. Graffiti had made its mark, mostly by early pioneers that had their roots in the punk-scene, but after STYLE WARS the scene literally exploded and saw the beginning of hip hop culture in Europe as well. I think it's important to realize this film was much more influential in Europe. In the States it was the first major documentary on graffiti, but of a phenomenon that had existed for quite some time there, but in Europe - besides the early punk scene - it was unknown in 1983 and caused a huge stir. I've seen it many times now, but it never bores me. It remains just as vivid today as the first I saw it and it's subsequent historical significance just adds to the flavour when watching it again.

The film is packed with so many memorable moments, it's hard to pick one out. One of the most mesmerizing scenes is when three writers hang around at a subway station on the platform and start rapping on the rhymes from "The Message", by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. After 30 seconds the actual song starts on the background just as the train rolls in. An amazing shot and a fantastic piece of editing, a wonderful scene! If there's anything like THE quintessential shot of New York City subcultures in 1982, this is it.

Now the much needed DVD-release is there, given the deluxe treatment by Public Art Films with two discs and lots of extras. I could have done without the interview with Tony Silver, not the most charismatic person around but most of the other stuff is OK with lost of artist galleries, tributes to DONDI and SHY 147 and lots of guest interviews with Fab 5 Freddy, Goldie, Guru, DJ Red Alert and photographer Martha Cooper.

Camera Obscura --- 9/10

I was curious to see how this film played for me because to some degree I am target audience while also not being target audience. I love hip hop (and no, 50 Cent does not fit that category for me so much as Black Star, for example, would) and I like the culture around it of break-dancing and graffiti writing. However on the flip side I do see graffiti on public property (or others' property) as being a nuisance and part of dragging areas down by giving the impression of lawlessness and a lack of safety. Whether it is true that it does encourage crime, it is of little doubt that the clean and well-lit subway stations of modern New York feel a lot less threatening than the ones that you see in this film.

The film does a good job of showing both sides of argument and, although the focus is the cultural side, it doesn't play down the fact that the graffiti is both creative and a nuisance and that it is possible to see it both ways at the same time. Here we see some great pieces on trains and walls but we also see idiots like Cap who literally spray their names on top of other peoples' work, the former producing some imaginative work that does make the "art" claim fly, the latter very much demonstrating the criminal damage side of it. The contributions from the bombers or taggers are mostly good, with plenty of typically Noo Yark characters of all ages and races talking with an energy and passion on the subject as it was happening.

The link to break-dancing and hip hop is not as strongly made as I would have liked and it doesn't manage to explore the birth of this street culture as well as I would have hoped. That said though it is still interesting to see a documentary about the graffiti trend and have captured it as it was in its heyday before it was stamped out. The film doesn't pander to either side but clearly sides with those being creative and allows the quality of the work to shine through, mostly ignoring those who would just seek to quickly spray their names on a train with nothing else to offer.

Not as culturally important as I would have liked it to have been but nonetheless interesting and cool at the same time and well worth seeing for the real heads.

This documentary on subway grafitti in New York City in the early 1980s had it all: it was beautifully shot, had a great soundtrack, and captured the essence of what was going on in the city after the 70s and under the regime of Mayor Kotch. The best thing about this documentary is how it can be studied on so many levels- it makes you realize why "bombing" is done and what it accomplishes. It helps you understand the psychological reasoning behind it, and how it plays on human character traits such as territorial rights, pursuit and the need for recognition. It shows how graffitti had a strong impact on society, and how it tore some homes apart. A must see- plus a great representation of early hip hop music and style. Love those TWAs! (Teeny Weeny Afros!) 9 out of 10.

"Style Wars" is a certified classic that kept viewers intrigued for more than 20 years. The documentary is beautifully honest, exceptionally gritty, intensely fair, and wonderfully lively. While many hip-hop films will be forgotten, "Style Wars" remains the essential document for graffiti and hip-hop. True lovers of hip-hop must respect these artists who paved the way. This film educates us of a time and place when hip-hop inspired creativity, created peace within a dangerous atmosphere, connected races, and established the birth of a youthful urban culture. The movement's futility is a fascinating aspect. An artist's work could last forever on a canvas, but they choose to paint trains that may be washed or painted over within days. With little or no profit, the graffiti movement remains a vital aspect of hip-hop. If you don't believe me, ask Krs-One. There is something inside these revolutionary artists that transcends all cultural and societal limits. What makes these artists risk their lives (third rail, beef) or their freedom (police) to paint on a train that will be washed or painted over? Regardless of how futile their effort may be, their need to express themselves is the main element which empowers the culture. "Style Wars" is the classic definitive film that poignantly captures the birth of hip-hop. Ignore the toys! This Sunday evening, put on your gloves and your hoody, bring a couple of cans of Krylon, and go bombing for the fame!

Review by Todd E. Jones - toddejones AT yahoo DOT com

It is a shame so few people have seen the 1982 PBS documentary "Style Wars". It is not listed in either Lenny Maltin's or Videohound's giant books. This story of NYC graffiti writers fighting transit cops, their parents, and each other is still the definitive word on graffiti and early hip hop culture in the days before it became commercialized. This was probably the 1st film anywhere to examine break dancing and hip hop in any depth well before either became mainstream. For that reason alone it is an important part of hip hop history, to see what it was all about before corruption by cash and fame.

Some standout personalities in this film include one armed Case, former NYC mayor Ed Koch, graffiti "villan" Cap, and Skeme and his mom. On the 2nd DVD many of the still living graffiti writers are interviewed in 2001, and although Skeme is now a major in the US army, his (now) little old lady mom is still afraid someone's kid is going to get hurt in the subway tunnel. Some of the kids from Style Wars are dead like Shy and Dondi (both have tributes),and some went to prison like Min. Some are successful 40 and even 50 somethings today. One or two even go paint the occasional subway car still.

The 1st DVD contains outtakes from Style Wars, some of which could have been removed originally to make the filmmakers look better. The transit authority cop says he thinks the film will encourage others to commit vandalism. It is also apparent when watching this DVD that Cap was made out to seem worse than he was thru creative editing. The 2nd DVD contains a great short film from 1976 (I think) called Classic hits by Tracy 168 (from Wild Style).

Overall this film tries to look at graffiti from the perspectives of the writers themselves, citizens of New York, and the establishment. Even the artists saw the end of the golden age coming with barbed wire fences and eventually even dogs being employed to keep them out of the train yards. It's just unfortunate that such an original art form was so unrecognized by mainstream society. Maybe it had to be that way anyway, when the art community did notice and galleries did start showing the art on canvas, it tended to become fossilized. The scene in the gallery is funny because the artists who are planning to cash in on graffiti try to convince themselves that "getting up" can be be done on canvas as well as trains. A young Swedish woman at the art gallery correctly observes its not the same on canvas, that is an art form that belonged on the trains, not on a gallery wall.

The definitive book to go along with Style wars is "Subway Art" by Henry Chalfant who also produced style Wars. He and Martha Cooper spent a huge amount of time photographing NYC subways, and their hard work is well documented on the 2nd DVD which contains 32 artist galleries and a 30 minute loop of train photos.

If all you have ever seen about graffiti is "Wild Style" or "Beat Street", pick up Style Wars. If you can find it. Stylewars.com