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.
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.