This film begins with a small-time thief named "Bobby" (Al Pacino) living in New York City and having to steal in order to feed his increasing heroin addiction. He subsequently meets a sick and emotionally frail young woman from Indiana named "Helen" (Kitty Winn) and they fall madly in love. She soon becomes addicted to heroin as well and when the supply of the illegal drug becomes more scarce they each become more even more desperate. And it's then that they descend into a nightmare world and test the limits of the law by committing acts they never would have contemplated otherwise. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a realistic and depressing film which captures the plight of those suffering from addiction only too well. I especially liked the performances of the aforementioned Al Pacino and Kitty Winn with the latter winning the award of "Best Actress" at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival. Again though, it's a depressing film and one which can certainly be appreciated but is not easy to enjoy. Slightly above average.
Review of The Panic in Needle Park
