Much like the later documentary STYLE WARS, this is a portrait of the blossoming New York hip hop scene of the early 80's, encompassing rap, break dancing, and graffiti art. However, this film weaves in a fictional plot line about a tagger (real graffiti artist "Lee" Quinones) struggling with his persona and his art and its place in society. As a film, the word that comes to mind is "amateurish". The cast consists mostly of real personalities from the scene, and none of them are particularly good at acting. The photography is lackluster and the editing is sloppy, and the low budget is obvious (a scene of people frolicking in a pile of money takes on an unintended comic edge when it turns out to be all $1 bills). But as a celebration of artistic expression, it's a joy. If the dramatic scenes aren't exactly Oscar-caliber, they're at least heartfelt, and serve well enough as the glue between the performances, which are electrifying. Featuring Grand Master Flash, Busy Bee, Lisa Lee, Double Trouble, Rock Steady Crew and more, and culminating in a dynamite outdoor amphitheater show, it's a showcase for a lot of great talent. Not the best filmmaking in the world, but a hell of a party.
Review of Wild Style
