Movie Review– Style Wars
Tony Silver and Henry Chalfant
PBS-Released 1984

The documentary, Style Wars, continues to be a timeless classic in the realm of the graffiti subculture.  Orginally released in 1984 on PBS in an one hour abridged version, this documentary, some 25 plus years later, continues to capture just how timeless graffiti truly is.

Style Wars is set in New York city in the late seventies and early eighties and follows graffiti writers and crews as graffiti and hip hop were evolving.  Filmmakers Tony Silver and Henry Chalfant explore the newly emergent graffiti world and examine how influential and intertwined hip hop music, break dancing, and graffiti were during this time period.  They also look at how your average citizens and New York politicians, primarily Mayor Ed Koch, viewed these mediums.   The opinions of the residents and bureaucrats alone make this an entertaining watch.

Although this is movie has many years behind it, it’s still incredibly relevant.  Although the modern day graffiti movement continues to grow and morph into what we see today, at the core is still the same ambiguity.  One thing that stuck me watching the directors’ commentary on the DVD extras was something director Tony Silver said.  He stated, “There are so many paradox’s associated with graffiti.  Whether is good or bad for society, good or bad for kids who do it.  It’s a tangle that can never be untangled or reconciled.  And that to me, those paradoxes are the most fascinating about this whole project.   That finally there is no judgement that can be made, it just is,the isness of it, it’s poetry, it’s beautiful.”  This statement rings true even in today’s environment.  Often times with graffiti art in particular, I feel people tend to be incredibly judgemental, and hold defined opinions about it.  Maybe that’s something we as people naturally want to do.  And that’s fine, but also know that at the end of the day art is just that… art.  Often times it’s meant to be controversial.  It’s meant to be discussed and prompt thought.  And I for one think that’s fabulous.  If you haven’t seen this classic, do so, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.