Style Wars

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Tony Silver directs. Burleigh Wartes behind the camera. Sam Pollard cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 1Tight 70-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
• 242 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
• 3Directed by Tony Silver, shot by Burleigh Wartes. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 4Editor Sam Pollard shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 5Cap and Daze and Dondi carry the top of the cast.
• 6IMDB entry: tt0177262 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
• 7Only 64 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
• 8Classified under 8 themes, including "new york city", "hip-hop", "graffiti", "subculture".

The technical file

Cinematography

Burleigh Wartes

Editing

Sam Pollard

Sound

Emil Neroda

Runtime

70 min · 1h 10m

Aspect ratio (typical)

1.37:1 (Academy)

Status

Released

Original language

EN

IMDB

Style Wars (1984) ↗

Rotten Tomatoes

80% 🍅 Fresh

IMDB rating

8/10 · 3,378 votes

MPAA

Not Rated

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  Style Wars (Trailer)

  Trailer

Production companies

Who made it

• PU

  Public Art Films

Key crew

• Still PhotographerMartha Cooper
• ProducerTony Silver
• Still PhotographerHenry Chalfant
• Coordinating ProducerLinda Habib
• ProducerHenry Chalfant
• Sound Re-Recording MixerEmil Neroda
• Assistant CameraStephen Wartes
• Co-EditorMary Alfieri
• Additional Director of PhotographyJames Szalapski
• GafferNed Hallick
• Assistant CameraRick Palin
• Assistant CameraDavid Wartes
• GafferBrian O'Connell
• Assistant Sound EditorMargaret Noble
• Additional Sound Re-RecordistPaul Bang
• Sound RecordistLarry Scharf
• Supervising EditorVictor Kanefsky
• Assistant CameraJeffrey Victor
• GafferJonathan Lumley
• Digital Intermediate ColoristChris F. Woods
• ColoristJohn Dowdell
• Assistant CameraStephen A. White
• Sound RecordistRichard Patterson
• GafferMark H. Weingartner

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• new york city
• hip-hop
• graffiti
• subculture
• new york subway
• youth culture
• subway train
• breakdancing

Release history · US

When it landed

• Theatrical (limited)1984-01-23· US Film and Video Festival
• TV1983-01-01

Also known as

International titles

• Style Wars: The Origin of Hip HopAU
• Style Wars: Guerra de Estilos [Style Wars: The Origin of Hip Hop]ES
• Graffiti-háborúHU
• Войны стиляRU
• Konst på stickspårSE