University of Virginia Library

CINEMA

Shooting-Up In 'Needle Park'

By PAUL CHAPLIN

"The Panic In Needle Park" is a
film that tries to do two things at
once. It attempts to scare us with
the evils of hard core drugs and also
present a true image of the society
which thrives on the needle. It
succeeds on the first count, and
while it comes close to achieving
the second goal, the film is not
outstanding.

The script by Joan Didion and
John Gregory Dunne is serviceable,
if somewhat lacking in inspiration.
The authors could quite easily have
tightened the story for a smoother
and shorter film. Director Jerry
Schatzberg's pace could then have
been quicker.

In the starring roles of Bobby
and Helen are two unknowns, Al
Pacino and Kitty Winn.
"Unknowns" is a bad choice of
words since Pacino has already
distinguished himself in the Lincoln
Center production of "Camino
Real" and Miss Winn was awarded
the Best Actress award at the '71
Cames Festival. Unfortunately,
Pacino has done better, and Miss
Winn's performance, while being
very powerful and moving, is hardly
the best of 1971. Let's call her
"Most Promising Actress." Worst
honors go to Alan Vint as Hotch,
the narc, in a performance that
rivals some of the worst moments
of "Mod Squad."

"The Panic In Needle Park" is
simply not the type of film that I
would normally find myself going
to; not even if I wanted to be a
masochist. The length and pacing of
the film make it boring. The
honesty of the script, however,
helps the film save face, and
distinguishes it from something like
"The People Next Door," which
was a laughable attempt to make
people aware of the grass and pep
pill problem in suburbia.

Pacino And Winn: Thriving On The Needle

As for shock value, "Needle
Park" could be a great propaganda
film to show in your local high
school. Like "Trash," there are
continually scenes of people
"shooting-up" in gigantic close-ups.
There's not much you can do about
it but close your eyes and hope that
when you open them the scene will
be over. And isn't that what we
tend to do with the problem of
hard core drugs? Better to open
your eyes and see.

(Now at the University)

***

The Barracks Road Theatre has
brought back two of 1970's most
popular films in a great double bill
this week. They are "Midnight
Cowboy," featuring Dustin
Hoffman and Jon Voight, and
Arthur Penn's "Alice's Restaurant."