Style Wars Revisited (DVD)
Directed by: Tony Silver, Henry Chalfant

Long before Mark Ecko “tagged” Air Force One in a hoax video on the internet, before hip-hop music exploded into the mainstream and took the Billboard charts by storm, it all started as a very powerful and vital underground movement in the late 70′s and early 80′s in New York City. There was a massive flood of creativity and self-expression coming from the streets, from music to dance to visual art, all these elements intertwined to create a completely new and necessary subculture.

Style Wars is the 1983 landmark film directed by Henry Chalfant and Tony Silver, documenting much of hip-hop culture just as it was starting to pick up steam. It originally aired on PBS and remains perhaps the single most honest and authentic look at the birth of all these urban activities.

The movie is not so much concerned with the music (although it does feature a soundtrack with songs from some of the early pioneers like The Sugar Hill Gang and Grandmaster Flash), but focuses mostly on graffiti art and breakdancing. Graffiti writers have long been misunderstood, blamed for vandalizing public property and producing pesky symbols of urban decay, but as this movie shows, many of these taggers are truly talented artists with a unique voice and a vision. We also hear from both disapproving parents, disgruntled subway riders, and unforgiving authority figures (New York mayer Ed Koch, for example), as they struggle for control of New York’s train cars.

The title Style Wars is appropriate, if a little misleading. Everything to do with hip-hop seems to revolve around competition, getting your voice heard and gaining respect among your peers. All of the high-profile beefs among rappers surely have their roots in this mentality. There is not, however, much in the way of violence depicted in the film (with the exception of the extreme hostilities that arise when rival taggers begin painting over top of each other’s work). Although graffiti was often seen by outsiders as disrespectful and valueless, it did in fact give many kids a positive outlet for their frustration and aggression. There are many parallels between Style Wars and David LaChappelle’s 2005 documentary Rize about the krumping movement in L.A.

The film definitely looks dated, from the grainy film stock to the PBS style presentation. However, the images and stories contained within the movie are perhaps even more eye-catching and impressive today than they were back then. Some of the artwork is staggering both in terms of scale and complexity, while the b-boy dance moves are unbelievable (forget So You Think You Can Dance, many of the people in this movie are true innovators of the form).

This is a re-release of Style Wars on DVD, and although the movie itself is just as strong and essential as ever, the one disappointing thing is this release actually seems to contain less bonus material than the original 2-disc release.

The most prominent feature is “Style Wars Revisited”, a half-hour mini-documentary combining old unused footage and more recent interviews that take a fascinating look at where many of the artists are today (the military, radio DJ, in prison, etc.). As I understand it, however, all of this footage was previously available as separate interviews on the original DVD. Editing it together does make it a little easier to digest though, and this retrospective helped flesh out the original film even more.

The only truly new features are 4 new interviews with Crash, Daze, Pink and Tracy 168 Wildstyle. Also included are some old interviews with the directors and editors, the “Destroy All Lines” showcase of some of the best graffiti art, and an Aesop Rock music video. Thankfully it does also include the original audio commentary track with the filmmakers, even though it’s not mentioned on the package. The commentary is extremely insightful, giving not just technical information but also interesting stories about gaining the trust of the subjects and shooting on location.

Style Wars is probably one of the most important documentaries ever made, and any self-respecting fan of hip-hop should definitely watch this to truly appreciate the roots of the culture. The only real qualm I have with this DVD is that it’s a double dip, and one that doesn’t really improve on the original 2-disc release that’s already available. Still, this is a classic if not downright legendary film, and must been seen to be believed. — Sean