I first learned of this movie from exposure to other Ry Cooder soundtracks, notably "Paris, Texas." This score somehow echoes that older film, even though it's different with more instrumentation. There is nothing else quite like this music and it holds up long after the movie is forgotten.
The film itself has strong moments but it could have been great with different pacing and more character detail. Some of the supporting actors are too campy to make it realistic. The Henriksen role seemed cartoonish and the bad guys/girls are too outwardly evil, which makes for less realism. It's ironic that today's Rourke is almost as unrecognizable as his pre-surgery look in the film.
The film itself has strong moments but it could have been great with different pacing and more character detail. Some of the supporting actors are too campy to make it realistic. The Henriksen role seemed cartoonish and the bad guys/girls are too outwardly evil, which makes for less realism. It's ironic that today's Rourke is almost as unrecognizable as his pre-surgery look in the film.