The outsiders film

The Outsiders : Family Solidarity and Class Warfare

Francis Ford Coppola 's The Outsiders may at first glance seem to be a jarring departure from his critically acclaimed Godfather films of the 1970s , but a closer examination proves that this little movie is consistent with many of the themes forwarded in those two blockbusters While The Outsiders is clearly inferior to those two movies , it remains evident that Coppola was still concerned with the theme of the importance of family as protection during class warfare

The vast chasm that exists between the privileged

socs and the greasers is made concrete through their contrasting physical differences Subtlety is throw to the wind as both sides in this social struggle are made manifestly obvious through their choice of clothing and hair style The rejection of ambiguity or shading between the opposing classes sacrifices individuality between the characters , but strengthens them as archetypes . What The Outsiders reveals about class struggle is that when it turns to open warfare , those on the wrong end of elitist entitlement must look to those who share their misery for protection and security If the story were placed into contemporary times , the greasers could just as easily become dispossessed black teens living in a ghetto

Although set during a specific time and place , Coppola is intent on giving the story a timeless and universal feel . His decision may have been influenced by the peculiarities of his source material the substitution of nicknames for proper names for so many of...