In the early ‘80s, Ralph Macchio went from breaking hearts as the ill-fated Johnny Cade in The Outsiders to making hearts soar as the underdog teenager learning martial arts for self-esteem in The Karate Kid. Though these classics cemented his place in the decade’s pop culture scene, some underrated gems demonstrated the actor’s talents despite his babyface looks. The role of an aspiring blues guitarist in Crossroads took Macchio to a deeper place, unlike anything he has done before or since. Walter Hill’s drama was a sharp departure from his standard action and Western fare. Though he touched upon musical elements with the Bus Boys’ performance in 48 HRS. and the MTV-inspired Streets of Fire, Hill fully leaned on the musical genre with dazzling blues sequences mixed with supernatural elements and an intimate road adventure featuring Macchio and actor/musician Joe Seneca (The Verdict, School Daze). While the concept sounds like a musical version of his most popular movie, Crossroads gave Macchio a spiritual depth that none of the Karate Kid movies ever quite captured.
‘Crossroads’ Was Inspired by a Legendary Myth

As his first screenplay, John Fusco (Young Guns, Thunderheart) based Crossroads on the mythic tale of blues artist Robert Johnson and how he went to the mysterious crossroads of Mississippi to sell his soul to the Devil for his talents. A musician in real life, the writer told Blues Blast Magazine that his interest in “lost bluesmen and lost songs” sparked the tale of Juilliard student guitarist Eugene Martone (Macchio), whose search for Johnson’s missing song leads him to elderly harmonica player-turned-nursing home resident Willie Brown (Seneca). Though not impressed with Eugene’s playing style, Brown convinces the teen to break him out in exchange for a trip from New York to Mississippi, where he knows how to find Johnson’s lost song. The trip down south is not a smooth one, as Eugene constantly falls for Willie’s scams, essentially “hoboing” their way to get to their destination. Along the way, they encounter Philadelphia runaway Frances (Jami Gertz) who gets caught up in the adventure while developing feelings for Eugene. Once Eugene and Willie make it to the infamous crossroads, the old man needs to settle a long-standing score with the devil himself in the form of Scratch (Robert Judd) and his right-hand man (Joe Morton).

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Though Crossroads shares a similar theme to Karate Kid of a teenager finding wisdom through a wise old mentor, the dynamics between Macchio and Seneca are closer to the push-and-pull dynamic of Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte in Hill’s 48 HRS. Seneca’s Willie is a scam artist and far harsher than Karate Kid’s Mr. Miyagi. One scene in Memphis sees Willie scold Eugene for how he plays “with no soul” near train tracks. When Eugene mocks the tale of the old man selling his soul decades earlier, Willie physically strikes the kid and walks off. But there’s one similarity between Willie and Miyagi: the life lessons are taught in subtlety. Where Miyagi taught Daniel karate through waxing cars, Willie taught Eugene the meaning of the blues through the struggle of the road life.
Ralph Macchio Learns the True Meaning of the Blues in ‘Crossroads’

Image via Columbia Pictures

For Macchio, the role of Eugene doesn’t require the same emotional outbursts and need for sympathy as Daniel LaRusso. Crossroads allows the young actor to find maturity through the understanding that the blues is more than something he can learn in a textbook. It’s about the hardship that drives the music. It’s one thing for Macchio’s Eugene to play guitar in his apartment, research stories in the library, and listen to Johnson’s records for hours. It’s another thing to survive the destination with few funds, run-ins with sleazy bar owners, and ruffle the feathers of the locals. The stakes may be less cosmetic than facing a bunch of high school bullies, but it’s Eugene’s internal need to prove himself musically that makes Macchio’s performance more complex than Karate Kid’s Daniel. Crossroads is best remembered for its iconic blues guitar showdown in Scratch’s mystical juke joint, similar to the one seen in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners between Macchio and the legendary Steve Vai as a player who sold his soul previously. Similar to the finale of Karate Kid, Hill perfectly captures the call-and-response improv style of the music, with Macchio doing his best to match his playing ability with dubbing provided by the actor’s guitar choreographer, Arlen Roth. There are no fancy camera tricks or heavy MTV-style editing—the performances appear as natural and grounded as the entire movie up to this moment. For a drama that plays like a love letter to the blues, Crossroads is a whimsical kind of road adventure about how music can penetrate the soul on an emotional level. It was a breath of fresh air for a time when music was becoming increasingly about the style rather than the substance of the recordings. Macchio’s underrated performance represents such a clear understanding of that distinction.