when the movie ended I expected a big reveal of a conspiracy, collusion actually of maybe one of the warriors and Luther to kill Cyrus, but nothing. so who did he keep phoning in and explaining the details of the night?
shareMy in-Universe theory is that Luther was an informant to the cops who told them of the meeting in the Bronx and was either pressured to kill Cyrus and frame another gang for the killing.
This ties into my other theory is that he's supposed to represent Mithridates from the historical account of The Ten Thousand the Warriors is based on.
Mithridates actually killed Cyrus (the king's brother and leader of the revolt in Persia) in the Battle of Cunaxa, but was paid off by the king, Artaxerxes, to deny it and let the king claim he killed Cyrus. He was goaded into bragging he actually did it and killed for it.
If you follow the kind of tortured logic of the Warriors being a retelling of the Ten Thousand, the cops represent the king of Persia, Artaxerxes, and Cyrus the revolutionary trying to overthrow his brother Artaxerxes is the Cyrus in the movie. Mithridates is Luther, the actual killer of Cyrus, and if he had just kept his mouth shut about the killing he'd be alive.
Seen this film god knows how many times. Watched it last night and it's the first time I wondered who he was talking to on the phone!
Come on here and there's a thread about it!
Was it a millionaire who said "Imagine no possessions"?
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No Idea At All Who It Was, But I Always Thought It Would Make A Great Premise For The Next Warriors Movie (15 Years Later Guy On Phone Making A Political Move And Has To Erase His Past Kinda Thing) .....
shareI thought about it right after seeing this thread,although it works as a mystery and,as my numerous viewings of the movie prove,it works quite alright.I agree with the other users that the person on the other side of the line must have been someone that Luther respected or felt he had to report to for his actions.Since I have not read the book(but I heard that Luther's character was created by the filmmakers)I can only guess that Cyrus'killer surely was looking after some sort of power.I am not sure over what territory-I always had a funny feeling through the years I've been watching the film that the Rogues were also a Coney gang who wanted Warriors out of the way,since they bothered to follow them all the way to the ocean.Now I am thinking I was maybe wrong,they were not necessarily from Coney,but surely Luther had something personal for them(maybe during the killing he was led to entrap the Warriors because he was seen by one of them,but later on the phone he says that ''they deserved it'').So who was that person on the phone?Well,he could very well be a gun salesman or a gang member who also benefited from Luther's deeds.We'll never know how much and in what way he could benefit.Surely,Luther didn't at the end.But I keep wondering what impact would the film have if it considered some vital details like that or remain more faithful to the novel.Just the same,Hill made a picture that became part of million people's lives,including me.
shareGressos Luther only blamed The Warriors because Fox was the first person he saw immediately after shooting Cyrus.
shareTo OP, So many theories...
My preferred is that it is Luther's contact who had put him up shooting Cyrus. Trouble with that theory, is who is the contact? somebody in the police department or somebody within the Mob? Or could be someone who works for both. The motive for having Cyrus shot is clear - neither the police nor the Mob would want all the gangs to unite. The reason for having the telephone updates is because they are anxious - they want to know that the Warriors (the witnesses) are killed off. Would have been good to find out who the 'contact' was, also guess that they would have eventually killed Luther afterwards - but all that would have been a different 'story' to the movie.
I don't know. I think that Luther seemed vicious and aggressive enough so that he was quite capable of acting alone, and being a leader, when he shot Cyrus.
shareI always assumed it was the cops/ DA/ the mob.... Mayor's office etc...
I always figured Luther was reporting in to the Riffs. He's polite because he's speaking to a liaison of the most powerful gang in the city. I figure Luther thinks the Nomads are "set" because they're the ones who initially fingered the Warriors as the killers of Cyrus....
"We all have it coming kid."
If anything the Cops/ the authorities would make more sense as he'd be the one to tip them off about the meeting.
shareThere are a lot of theories along these lines but there is nothing in the film to suggest this.
Luther had no idea he was going to blame the shooting on The Warriors or likely any other gang. He happened to see Fox(?) standing there so fingered him.
While the cops and mob would have reasons to want Cyrus dead this would be a dangerous place to have it done. Also, his message already got out. They also would probably want all the Riffs not just Cyrus dead as his second in charge could still try to see the plan through.
It would seem, to a rational person, to be a suicide mission, to kill Cyrus in front of all those people.
I have always maintained Luther is talking to his probation officer. It was very common at the time for gang members to have probation officers with whom they would have to check in with. Luther acts tough but still has to answer to this authority figure.
The conversation, what we hear of it doesn't sound like he is checking in with who put him up to it. It is a little more matter of fact. "That Cyrus had an accident."
Most likely probation officer or just another gang member. I think it is a probation officer who is a little shady and is giving Luther some information.
While the cops and mob would have reasons to want Cyrus dead this would be a dangerous place to have it done. Also, his message already got out. They also would probably want all the Riffs not just Cyrus dead as his second in charge could still try to see the plan through.
It would seem, to a rational person, to be a suicide mission, to kill Cyrus in front of all those people.
Luther had no idea he was going to blame the shooting on The Warriors or likely any other gang. He happened to see Fox(?) standing there so fingered him.
David Patrick Kelly himself said in his mind It was a mentor to Luthor who was on the phone
shareMy theory is that Luther was paid by the Mafia to kill Cyrus and pin it on someone else, and he chose The Warriors so his gang could walk free and also take out one of their main rivals as well.
Cyrus mentioned that if the gangs were all united, they could easily muscle out the mob and I'd assume that someone high up in organized crime caught wind of this and needed Cyrus killed. It's possible that the Nomads were allied with one of the Mafia families in New York and decided to use Luther's gang as a way to stop Cyrus's plot, and by framing it on a whole different gang like the Warriors, there would be no blowback on the mob or any gangs allied with them.
I agree that it was the Mafia.
share