Review of Romper Stomper (1992) by A A — 20 Feb 2012
Romper Stomper is shocking and mundane at the same time.I found it while looking for films like American History X, but it's still not really a one-to-one comparison. AHX hits harderbut is more melodramatic; RS has a more profound overall impact.
AHX preaches and moralizes while RS does nothing of the sort. Yet, RS gets the message out more profoundly. There's less time spend on the neo-Nazi ideology in RS, and more focus on the relationships between the characters.
I'll confess that the first half of RS was less impressive; it was a lot of shouting and running and fighting with no real story. But once the neo-Nazi gang moves into their new place, the plot gets going and the stakes get higher, as Davey's affection for Hando's girl becomes more apparent.
The last 20 or 30 minutes or so are intense and tragic and more than make up for a slow start. It almost becomes two films at this point: one about the life of the gang, and another about the tragedy of a relationships that comes into conflict with an ideology.
The final scene on the beach is incredibly powerful and makes the film worth watching if nothing else.
This review of Romper Stomper (1992) was written by A A on 20 Feb 2012.
Romper Stomper has generally received positive reviews.
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