Crossroads (1986 film)
- Ralph Macchio: Eugene Martone
- Joe Seneca: Willie Brown
- Jami Gertz: Frances
- Joe Morton: Scratch 's Assistant
- Steve Vai: Jack Butler
- Harry Carey Jr.: Bartender
- Tim Russ: Robert Johnson
Crossroads - Pact with the Devil is an American road movie from 1986, by Walter Hill. The main roles are to see Ralph Macchio as Eugene Martone and Joe Seneca as Willie Brown.
Action
The young White Eugene studied classical guitar, but his heart belongs to the blues of the 30s and 40s. Through research, he finds an old blues musicians this time, the black blues harp player Willie Brown, who is in a nursing home for prisoners. Eugene takes a job as a cleaner to get in touch with Willie. He wants help from him in the search for a lost song by blues legend Robert Johnson. Willie agrees under the condition that Eugene gets him out of the home and travels to Mississippi with him. He wants to go back to the crossroads where he sold his youth his soul to the devil to learn from him the blues. This journey, partly by train, partly as a hitchhiker and partly on foot, for the two a trip back to the roots of the blues. Eugene bought his first electric guitar with small amplifier and are together with Willie small street concerts and also a common appearance in a Bluespub where traffic is limited African Americans. Eugene manages to entrain the audience with his excellent playing. They meet on their way, the young runaway Frances, who accompanied her part of the way and begins a relationship with Eugene. After they separated without leave of the two, Eugene experienced for the first time the Blues and his feelings begins with his guitar to express. Eugene and Willie finally get to the crossroads, where they meet a man named Legba (a name of a deity in the voodoo mythology). Willie asks Legba that he does cancel the contract so that he can save his soul. This offers him a contest: Eugene is with another guitarist, a "head -cutting duel " (a duel in which two guitarists musical compete against each other ) contest. Should Eugene win the contract with Willie goes out; he should lose, he also loses his soul to the devil. In a fascinating duel Eugene defeated the guitarist Jack Butler with the interpretation of a classical piece ( Caprice No. 5 by Niccolò Paganini ). Legba tears the contract - Eugene has saved Willie's soul. Both decide to have a time to stay together, to then go their own way.
Music
The guitarist Steve Vai played for the soundtrack of a both guitar parts of the duel, only the slide guitar part was recorded by Ry Cooder. Although the actor Macchio is also a guitarist and played during filming the previously recorded pieces after his recordings were not used.
The play, at the end wins the duel against the guitarist of the devil with the Eugene has become known as Eugene's Trick Bag. It is known especially the bending in the pitch of an imaginary 29 Federal a guitar.
Criticism
Roger Ebert awarded 3 ½ stars and wrote: "Crossroads Recalls and uses in so many other films that one is surprised at the end how effectively and independently of the film is the same. "
The lexicon of the International film said: " The mix of road movie, story of initiation and folktales is straight forward and dramatic masterfully staged, populated by characters and refreshing voices backed by excellent music. "