The Panic in Needle Park
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| The Panic In Needle Park | |
|---|---|
 Original poster (with Ontario Censor Board classification) |
|
| Directed by | Jerry Schatzberg |
| Produced by | Dominick Dunne |
| Written by | James Mills (book) Joan Didion John Gregory Dunne |
| Starring | Al Pacino Kitty Winn Alan Vint Richard Bright Raúl Juliá Kiel Martin Paul Sorvino |
| Cinematography | Adam Holender |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | May 9, 1971 |
| Running time | 110 mins |
| Language | English |
The Panic in Needle Park is a 1971 American film directed by Jerry Schatzberg and starring Al Pacino in his second film appearance.[1] The screenplay was written by Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne, adapted from the book by James Mills.[2]
The film is a stark portrayal of life among a group of heroin addicts who hang out in "Needle Park" (Sherman Square) in New York City.[3] To set the atmosphere, no music was used in the film. The film's reality-like aura, shot with fuzzy, unfocused techniques, inspired future documentaries "Black Tar Heroin: The Dark End of the Street," "Shooting Up In San Francisco" and HBO's "The Corner," the latter investigating the plight of addicts living around West Baltimore's open-air drug markets. Panic' is believed to have been the first mainstream film to show, in graphic close-ups, actual drug injection. [4]
Played against this setting is a love story between Bobby (Pacino), a young addict and small-time hustler, and Helen (Kitty Winn), a restless woman who finds Bobby charismatic. The Panic In Needle Park, photographed in moving cinéma vérité-style, depicted a tender story of two young lovers trapped in heroin's ironclad grip. The movie trailers cried, “God help Bobby and Helen. They’re in love in Needle Park.” [5] She becomes an addict, and life goes downhill for them both as their addictions worsen, eventually leading to a series of betrayals. For her portrayal of Helen, Winn won the Best Actress Award at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival.[6]
Contents |
[edit] Cast
- Al Pacino - Bobby
- Kitty Winn - Helen
- Alan Vint - Narcotics Detective Hotch
- Richard Bright - Hank
- Kiel Martin - Chico
- Michael McClanathan - Sonny
- Warren Finnerty - Sammy
- Marcia Jean Kurtz - Marcie
- Raúl Juliá - Marco
- Angie Ortega - Irene
- Larry Marshall - Mickey
- Paul Mace - Whitey
- Nancy MacKay - Penny
- Gil Rogers - Robins
- Joe Santos - Detective DiBono
- Paul Sorvino - Samuels
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Ciment, Michel. "Biography". Jerry Schatzberg's Official Website. http://www.jerryschatzberg.com/bio.html.
- ^ Cocks, Jay (1971-08-02). "Straight Shooters". TIME. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,878447,00.html.
- ^ Greenspun, Roger (1971-07-14). "Screen: Schatzberg's 'The Panic in Needle Park'; Drug Addicts Trapped on Upper West Side Kitty Winn and Pacino Are Ill-Fated Lovers". The New York Times. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10616FA395C1A7493C6A8178CD85F458785F9. Filmmuseum Berlin - Deutsche Kinemathek
- ^ Furek, Maxim W. (July/August 2007). “Heroin in the Cinema: The Glorification of the Junkie.” Counselor Magazine,The Magazine for Addiction Professionals.
- ^ "The Death Proclamation of Generation X: A Self-Fulfilling Prophesy of Goth, Grunge and Heroin" by Maxim W. Furek. i-Universe, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-595-46319-0
- ^ "Festival de Cannes: The Panic in Needle Park". festival-cannes.com. http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/2400/year/1971.html. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
