Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
like a headache after smoking a stale cigarette..., 13 Oct 2007
Before watching "The Panic in Needle Park" I had lots of lofty expectations due to at least two reasons: First, this is Al Pacino's first feature length film and his performance as an appealing but self-absorbed addict took Coppola's interest and elevated him "Godfather" stardom. "Panic" gave him enough chance to show his charisma, talent and depth as an actor. Second, being a controversial film in its day, this was the first time that an "urban addiction drama" hit the screen. In this sense, "Panic" can be seen as a precursor, or a perfect template later used by more flamboyant, graphic-intensive pictures like "Drugstore Cowboy", "Trainspotting", "Requiem for a Dream" and even "Gia".
The film focuses on the ups and downs of two doomed souls, Bobby and Helen, who wasted their lives in a downward spiral into hell without any realistic thought for tomorrow. The meaning of life is just to score, shoot, and survive, nothing more. The performances of Al Pacino and Kitty Winn are top notch. The role earned Winn the Best Actress Award at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival. But contrary to strong individual performances, I found the romantic chemistry between them weak.
"Panic" has a bittersweet taste of an independent film: improvisational, free-form and razor-sharp realistic. There is no music throughout the film, only dialogues and real life sounds. It tastes like a stale cigarette. Depressive mood and sordidness of Manhattan's Upper West Side are reflected perfectly. Intense and disturbing depiction of heroine shots are almost documentary nature. Thankfully, there are no Hollywood sappiness to undermine the film's effectiveness. Schatzberg did a good job by not cuing viewer's moods, just letting the picture tell the story. The only downside is that it drags along at snails pace, sometimes it bored me a little and some scenes need trimming. The result is that some scenes feel largely extraneous, contributing not very much to the story.
To sum up, although it introduced us Al Pacino, it's moderately worthwhile and falls short of being a classic. Normally the film deserves 3.5 stars, but due to the shoddy nature of the DVD, I'm giving 3 stars.
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41 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
panic in needle park, a forgotten classic of 70's cinema, 13 Oct 2002
By A Customer
This recently re-released film is interesting in that it heralds the arrival on the big screen of Al Pacino, but also in the fact that Schatzberg's film is a pioneer in its depiction of drug addiction, which when seen in context of the time, really is an achievement on every level. This film offers no glamorisation and the escapism of populist 70s drug films, yet it also avoids sensationalism and overt melodrama, with its depiction of a simple relationship torn apart. It is easy to see how Pacino caught the attention of Coppola here, developing the alertness and depth of character which he was to develop under the following film and his subsequent career, yet this is not an easy film to watch. It is at times both gruelling and relentless, but when dealing with the subject that it does, and with such fantastic performances from both its leads, this is a film to grab while you can.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Slow, gritty and painful, 18 Sep 2008
I love this era in New York. Urban decay, cold, shabby flats, depressing neighbourhoods where characters struggle to survive. The lack of music makes the story feel like a documentary. Pacino is playful, charismatic and doomed, Kitty Winn is beautiful, abused and desperate. No redemption, just harrowing times.
Despite the hopelessness of the subject matter, it makes for a moving film. You feel sad that these things go on.
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