ROOFTOPS

US, 1989, 98 minutes, Colour.
Jason Gedrick.
Directed by Robert Wise.

Rooftops seems a minor, latter day Westside Story. In fact, it has the director in common with Westside Story, Robert Wise, making a film 10 years after his final film, Star Trek. The production is stylish, produced by director Taylor Hackford (Officer and a Gentleman, White Nights, Against All Odds). However, it ultimately seems just another variation on alienated youth in the big city, also a variation on the popular dance films of the 80s which ranged from Breakdance to Beat Street to Salsa and Lambada.

Jason Gedric, who starred in a number of films including Promised Land, Heavenly Kid, Iron Eagle, is the tough hero. On the whole, the film has its entertaining moments, but seems quite contrived.

1. Entertaining film? Youth? New York? Music? martial arts and dancing?

2. A film by Robert Wise - and his experience, especially with West Side Story? The camera work, the aerial sequences above New York City? The atmosphere of Alphabet City? Special effects and stunts? Choreography? The musical score and the atmosphere of New York?

3. The title, its focus, the homeless kids, the homes, the drug dealers? Danger and violence?

4. T as the central character: His age, living in the city, his rooftop home, the water tower, his possession and style? On the streets with his friends? Tough? The friendship with Amber, with Squeak and his graffiti? The meeting with Jackie Sky, Kadim? The meeting with Allana and attracted to her? The way of life and details of life on the blocks? The crack dealers, the meeting with Lobo? His not knowing the truth about Allana? The setting up of the crack house? The clash with T? His being thrown out, his home being wrecked? The contact with Rivera and the police? The brutality against T? The escape? The Brazilian dancers? Squeak introduction? Training in the combat dancing? The nightclub? The bashing by Lobo and his gang? T and his relationship with Allana, the story about his parents, his mother's death, his father's killing himself? His concern about the others in the group? The new crack house, the fight with Squeak and Squeak's death? The rounding up of the group? The confrontation of Lobo's gang? The martial arts dancing? T and the confrontation with Lobo and his death? A future for T and Allana or not?

5. Lobo as the villain, part of Alphabet city, wealth, crack deals? His use of Alana? Her succumbing to him because of her invalid father? His brutality, deals? Evading the police? The new crack house? The clash with T and ousting Him? The fires, the fights? The new house, Squeak's death, the police? The final confrontation and his death?

6. Squeak, his age, graffiti? His attitude towards life? Friendship with T, the night party, the dancing, the martial arts? Introducing T and training him? His life in the town? Friendships? The relationship with his mother, her lover, the clash, going to the Rooftop, finding Lobo, the fight and his death?

7. Jackie Skye and his handicaps, Kadim and his strength, non-violent? The sequence with his ex-boxer father? Understanding Kadim? Their sharing the life of Alphabet City with T and the others? The details of their life? Being rounded up by Allana, the final confrontation?

8. Allana, the pressure of Lobo? Her care for her father, the hard life, the lookout? Warning Lobo against the police? The meeting with T, friendship, falling in love, sharing and talking? Her getting the group together to fight Lobo? A future with T or not?

9. Amber, one time prostitute, her place in Alphabet City, the hard life? With the group?

10. Rivera with the police, the hard time, under cover? The kindly attitude toward T and the others? Enlisting their help? Following the drug dealers?

11. The parent generation, absent, deaf, sick, weak? The effect on their deprived children?

12. The musical background, the choreography? The touch of the musical? The youth film The formula material on this kind of story of deprived children and their making good?