Style Wars

I've just been browsing the comments of the Old skool hip hop classics like Beat Street, Wildstyle etc when I thought I would take a look at this one. Which is by far the best. I was surprised at the lack of comments as this really is a great in depth look at New York, at a time when the city was an exciting bubbling cauldron of sub culture. All before it was turned into a mass marketed commercial fabrication cashed in on by various corporations.

The likes of Seen, Skeme, IztheWiz, kase2 amongst others give memorable dialogue and insights to their experiences. All of which very well pitched up against Mayor Koch and various Subway transit authority representatives pitching their political and social prerogatives against the Graffiti writers exploits. The cornerstone to this documentary ever being made was Henry Chalfant whom befriended and sympathetically documented the writer's work for many years. I recall that the documentary actually won an award of some description but looking over the box sleeve I can't find the details of this. Also worth noting is that the recent release contains an extra 10 minutes of previously unseen footage.

I noticed that there are no links on this site to purchase it but it is easily acquired. I recommend a trip to a local comic shop or the like and pick up one of many Graffiti art magazine publications. You will find it for sale in any one of those. If you are particularly keen on this subject matter you might also want to hunt down a book by 'Craig Castleman' called 'Getting up' for a more in depth if not visual account. The fourth coming release of Downtown '81 might also be worth a look for the real fans of this genre.

Through various publications I have read of many of the featured writers in Style Wars, still around and making their mark in the world of Graffiti. The one writer that I haven't personally heard about since' is Skeme. For me his contribution to the documentary invoked a lot of admiration, due to his blunt honesty and purist ethics. I have read that Henry Chalfont has no intentions to make any follow up documentary on the basis that home grown publications and videos are already achieving this. Personally and i am sure many agree with me, this is a story that many would like to see continued and whom better to tell it than Henry himself.

"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

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.

In 1983; director Tony Silver, and producer Henry Chalfant dropped this bomb upon the unsuspecting (except for those lucky enough to live in NYC at the time) populous via PBS. The world was exposed to true urban art, and it's unlikely Picasso's- the bombers and taggers of NYC's resilient subway system...

Not only that, but also to 'acrobatic body dances like breaking', and to rocking the mic. This is so much more than just a documentary about the evolution of graffiti. It is truly a time capsule, full of unforgettable characters, stuffy bureaucrats, and the chaotic urban landscape of early 80's NYC...

There are so many memorable lines and incredible characters indelibly etched in my brain from this film. Just writing this review makes me want to run over to the DVD player and watch it over and over again...

I would gladly pay the price of admission (approximately $25) just for the film. However, our good friends at Plexifilm have once again delivered the goods, including a staggering 3.5 hours of bonus footage to accompany this one-of-kind historical document...

The bonus footage includes 32 artist galleries, interviews, trains, and ultra-rare photos from the best-of-the best, including: Skeme, Seen, Frosty Freeze, Dondi, Blade, Rammellzee, and many others...

This is a must have document for Hip-Hop heads, historians, social anthropologists, and cool people. Buy this now and support good art...