Wild Style and the Art of Authenticity

I can distinctly remember the day that it happened. It must’ve been a Friday night, the one day of the week when my mother let me stay up past nine p.m. To my eight-year-old self, this was a moment of tremendous celebration; I had survived yet another treacherous week of third grade, and now was my chance to relax and unwind. I typically spent these late night breaks playing video games or drawing in my sketchbook, but tonight was different. My father wanted to show me something, something he promised would change my perception of the city forever. I threw myself onto the couch as the DVD player began its metallic whirring, and in a few seconds, a man dressed entirely in black appeared on the screen. I watched as he leaped over barbed wire fences, metal gates, and brick walls before silently approaching a subway car. He pulled out a bag of rattling spray cans and began making seemingly random marks on the train, marks that eventually began to form the face of a masked bandit. As colorful animated graphics and vibrant hip-hop beats faded in, large block letters informed me that I was watching “Wild Style,” a movie that would later become one of my favorite films of all time.

Released in 1983, “Wild Style” is a glimpse into life as a graffiti writer in New York City. As one of the first movies to represent graffiti culture in mainstream media, it quickly became central to the street art movement, acting as a point of reference for every copycat film that came after. It was revolutionary at the time to depict vandalism as artistic or creative; during the 70s, it was viewed as a criminal act, associated with the vicious world of gang violence and drug dealers. “Wild Style” was created when the art world was starting to take the street art scene seriously; in fact, this shift in ethos is central to the film. Graffiti writers were finally starting to be treated as legitimate artists rather than lawless vandals. Street art was being featured in small, locally-run art galleries throughout the city, and many writers were starting to see the potential for a career in what was once just a fun side hobby. However, the rich white art collectors and gallery critics raised questions about the integrity of the artform and what requirements a piece had to meet in order to be considered “graffiti.” Many argued that the illegal and risky nature of graffiti was one of its core values, and that its physical removal would also remove the very essence of the artform. Others saw graffiti’s acceptance into the art world as a sign of progress and pushed for other forms of hip-hop culture—such as breakdancing and rap music—to be welcomed into mainstream media as well.

At the center of these diverging paths is the protagonist of “Wild Style,” a young Puerto Rican graffiti artist named Raymond living in the Bronx. Under the pseudonym “Zoro”, Raymond uses a combination of his artistic skills and New York street smarts to create colorful masterpieces on the sides of subway cars. His creativity and imaginative style earn him the reputation as one of the neighborhood’s most esteemed writers, and despite numerous recruitment offers from street art gangs, Raymond insists on working alone, rejecting companionship with any other writers that could get in his way. He’d much rather pursue fame, popularity, and social status on his own. But when a white reporter comes to the neighborhood in search of hidden talent, Raymond is encouraged by his friends to seize the opportunity. He is faced with a tough decision; to sell out to a white world that doesn't understand his art and gain a career or stick to the streets and die a nobody. 

It is important to acknowledge that this “plot” is more of a loose narrative than a central component of the film. In fact, Raymond and the supporting cast are absent for the majority of the scenes. Despite what it leads the viewer to believe, “Wild Style” is secretly a documentary in disguise; it contains scenes of real parties, showcases authentic graffiti, and even features iconic hip-hop legends such as Fab 5 Freddy, Grandmaster Flash, and Crazy Legs. Raymond himself is played by the legendary Lee Quiñones, an incredibly influential graffiti artist, and his girlfriend Rose is played by the equally influential Lady Pink, one of the few prominent females in the male-dominated street art scene. While the film’s acting is relatively subpar in terms of facilitating the main story, it shines when you hear Lee speak genuine truths through his character that could only come from the mind of an experienced writer. “Wild Style” is not just a speculative recreation of the hip-hop scene. but rather a bona-fide time capsule jam packed with the movement's main contributors, featuring genuine artists, rappers, break-dancers, and singers from across New York.

Following the widespread success of “Wild Style,” the floodgates for graffiti-centric films had officially been opened, and many other movies attempted to profit off the growing trend. Films like “Beat Street,” “Style Wars,” and “Breakin” all attempted to recreate the spark of creativity and authenticity that their predecessor had captivated its audiences with. While these films were more flashy and relatable to general audiences, their mainstream appeal was also their undoing. Their outlandish characters, cheesy dialogue, and excessive presentation feels more like a caricature of the 80s rather than a realistic depiction. The fact that nothing really happens for the majority of “Wild Style” feels less like faulty writing and more of a stylistic choice. It is meant to depict the daily life of an actual graffiti writer, and it succeeds in doing so; their days generally consisted of being out on the streets, tagging up trains, partying in abandoned buildings, and flirting with girls at parties. Zoro’s story of self-discovery does not feel like a hero’s journey, but rather a commentary on the true meaning of graffiti. He realizes that his art was never meant to garner fame or income; its sole purpose was to bring together a fun and inclusive community of artists, musicians, and everyday New Yorkers during a time of bleakness and poverty. “Wild Style” is a celebration of this community, while “Beat Street” and its cheap knockoff companions are just a mockery. The film ends with a physical manifestation of this celebration, with the entire cast joining together to host a music festival at an abandoned amphitheater, which had been repainted and decorated by the one and only Zoro. As break-dancers, freestylers, DJs, and rappers take the stage, the final minutes of “Wild Style” fill its viewers with inspiration, optimism, and creativity. My eight-year-old self took those morals to heart and never let go, and I carry them with me to this day.