Customer Reviews

Years later, the aftermath Review by Salvador

Music
Attitude
Fun

Today New York still has a gang problem with Latin Kings, some California based derivative Crips & Bloods but in the 1950's the urban NYC gang problem was so pervasive, with hundreds of different crews that the city, and eventually the country began the crime statistics counts. Many neihborhoods & areas were safe and then you had the others.

The movie is tough & realistic for then and in some instances now. Styles come and go, and then some come back again. Today, for example if you see someone with a black leather jacket it may be that they merely like the always cool look of it. Or with a hoodie it can keep you pretty warm, or they could be into punk rock, heavy metal, the rebel, old school street thug look, the biker look, early 80's rapper look, or even the fetish of those into s&m or even some gays.

But back in the 50's you were automatically thought of as a rebel at the least and hoods at the worst, about to start trouble. The Thunderbirds in The Young Savages were examples of the later. There's even more sociologically that can be seen in this film, but that would take even longer. (Posted on 4/18/15)

Art imitates real life Review by Salvador

Music
Attitude
Fun

It may be hard for many people today to realize that the conditions in this movie used to be very common. Slums, gangs, crime, drugs are not new as some want to think and those who think the 1950's & early 60's were all calm are naive. Depending on where you lived you could be in Leave It To Beaver land, or in West Side Story w/out the jazz dancing.

After the murder in The Young Savages takes place, the D.A., (Burt Lancaster), assisted by police detective Gunnerson, pre-70's Kojack (Telly Savalas) investigate the areas, suspects & witnesses and thru a series of witness flashbacks & statements as well as personal danger to Lancaster & his wife, it is seen thru recollections of gangfights, beatdowns, & other urban ills that those who are thought of as innocent, as well as who are thought of as guilty are completely surprising, as things are brought to light in the courtroom.

Compared to things years ago, many things today are tame. This movie should be required viewing. (Posted on 3/30/15)