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from New York, NY
Age:65 or over
Gender:Male
Goes to the movies:once every few months
Dialogue
5/ 5
Art Direction
5/ 5
Acting
5/ 5
Story
5/ 5
Camerawork
5/ 5
This movie captures a moment in New York City and indeed American history where a drug-fueled subculture was choking on itself, and yet showed a kind of life -- a kind of defiance -- that resonated, illegal though its activities were. You could judge the people in this story if you liked, but you'd miss the point: they were scratching out an existence in an environment where they could find and make no place for themselves. If you withhold judgment, you can look at their pain, and the actors here superbly dig it up and spit or snarl it out. It's not pretty. But it's a moment when some people couldn't find answers for themselves, and eased their unease with drugs. You must take people sometimes as you find them. And this superbly shot (in black and white) and acted movie lets people be who they are, and shows the price they're paying for their folly and their inability to come to grips with it. What you take away is more than a slice of life; it's a picture of human struggle. A losing struggle for nearly everyone in this story. But you can't take your eyes off the screen. The characters get under your skin because all the performances are committed and raw. Shirley Clarke's direction is amazing because she clearly could stir up the actors but she then lets them shape their performances, find their own rhythms to express their characters' drug-craving, drug-fueled anguish. Jack Gelber's script, from his play, captures a moment in New York history that should never be lost; in language that still sears. This kind of pain takes new forms, but never goes away, including in our own day -- the need to "connect". These characters may or may not make it, but it's a transforming experience watching them try. Brace yourself, and go.
Pros well paced, great story, great actors, beautifully shot, terrific jazz
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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