Panic In Needle Park (DVD)

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.