Christopher Walken is completely captivating as Frank White, a recently paroled drug dealer who is using violence to get his way on the streets even as he tries to position himself as a possible political force in the city.

Filled with now classic rap tunes, the film is gritty, violent and features a stellar cast and Frank claws his way to the throne of King of New York. He’s pursued by a pair of cops, Dennis Gilley (David Caruso) and Thomas Flanigan (Wesley Snipes) who aren’t above committing some violence of their own to take White down.

Protecting White is Raye (Theresa Randle) and amongst his crew is Jimmy Jump (Laurence Fishburne, and Lance (Giancarlo Esposito).

And when violence erupts, it’s brutal, violent and gritty. The film doesn’t hold back from its dark tone, something that seems commonplace now, but at the time was considered almost too much for some viewers and critics.

Now, years later, the film shines not only for the dark tone but also for the fantastic performances. The language, the brutality would go on to influence countless filmmakers and damn if this film doesn’t look stunning and impressive almost thirty-five years later.

Stories about criminal figures, even when they are set up as anti-heroes have never really resonated with me. But maybe, I’ve changed with time, and while Frank White is no one to be emulated or idolized, the film is stunning and the performances are and powerful.

The film met so much pushback when it was first released that it was given an X rating, something the production fought, finally scoring a hard R. And it lives up to that R in a huge way. There’s a lot language, a lot of violence and it plays out fantastically on the screen.

I love that Walken gets his dancing in, and that no one in this film is completely innocent. Sure there are a lot of baddies, but even the lone cop, Bishop (Victor Argo), who tries to do things by the book gets pulled into walking the dark side to stop Frank.

Kinetically shot, the film is a gut-punch that takes us into Frank’s world where rules don’t apply, morals can be bought, and ethics is just a word.

Is there a karmic justice for Frank at the end? Does he realize his faults and want to redeem himself? or is he who he is through and through? Was he trying to change things in his burrow because he thought it would actually help or was it to garner political power?

And will the violence that has haunted him for so long even let him be more than he is?

I love to watch Christopher Walken act, and as the film rolls towards its inescapable climax your eyes don’t leave him for a moment. A fantastic, if dark and violent film.