"Style Wars".

The video "Style Wars", directed by Tony Silver is a 1982 documentary on graffiti and hip-hop as subcultures of New York City. The film looks at different perspectives and response to the issue.  It captured the impact graffiti had, the government campaign against it, the writers' view of what it represented as opposed to other citizens and the sense of accomplishment gained.  This documentary shows the essence of what life was like in the 70s to 80s when the subway system was seen as an area to write on and fill with graffiti and hip-hop as a means of entertainment.

In my opinion, this film is a "must see".  It gives the audience a chance to develop one's own perspective on the topic based on others' views.  It helps one to understand the reason behind graffiti and what it symbolized to the "writers". According to the film it was more than just randomly writing their names on the trains or buildings. To the graffiti writers, it included a thought process of outlining the design, filling it in, organizing, creating the best style and adding color.  One particular writer referred to the next that he could eventually be another "Picasso".  This shows how highly they thought of themselves, the constant trying to better their work and compete for that spot.

On the other hand, the view of then New York City under the regime of Mayor Koch formulated a campaign against it by implementing penalties for those who were caught since the masses viewed graffiti as a "violation, disgust to sight and misplaced values of the minority population". Eventually this era came to an end. However, it is simply magnificent that this documentary was able to capture such a golden age especially at a time when art galleries displayed graffiti on canvas once as a hot commodity. It shows how society as a whole values shift as capital comes into play and the need to make more. Overall "Style Wars” to me, is an unbiased film. It reveals psychological reasoning behind graffiti for various groups in New York City at that time.  Therefore, I think it is indeed a great and enlightening documentary.