On The Bowery

(1956 d. Lionel Rogosin)

7.5 out of 10

My film knowledge increased today. I confess I had never heard of Rogosin or this movie.
It's ostensibly a documentary covering 3 days in the life of some residents of New York's skid row.
And in three main areas it's a fascinating experience.

First, it's a completely mesmerizing study in human physiognomy (Rogosin's idea was to emulate Rembrandt's self-portraits - closer to poetry and sculpture than traditional film). The beautfiul and rich black-and-white photography of the tired and weather faces of these derelict men is fantastic. I'm sure anyone with a deeper interest in the history of New York would find the milieu extra fascinating.

Second, it's a study of the mind of an alcoholic. There was a making-of doc after the film and hearing that almost all of the people involved in the film died of problems relating to alcohol lends much more weight to the struggles and seriousness of these people. The attempts at staying sober, the "friends" who clear out as soon as the bottle's empty, the lengths some will go just to get enough for 1 more drink. Observant without being judgemental.

And finally, (and most interestingly) it's worthy fodder in the discussion of fiction vs. reality in film. The characters in the story are not actors. The histories they recount are factual circumstances. The locations and other people in the scene are completely authentic. But the "plot" of the movie is a re-creation, a basic script was followed and the improvised dialogue had to be coaxed out of the "actors." Does this make it any less powerful, emotional, and moving? Not at all. But can it still rightfully claim to be a documentary? Is any documentary every truly objective? What is the camera not revealing? Does a director's strong stance on a social issue influence him to shoot and edit the film to produce a certain effect? Could a completely fictional film contain as much "truth" as a supposed documentary?

Thanks to Milestone films for releasing this great restoration. I'm always looking to discover films previously unknown to me, and it's a rare treat to find that the international critical praise was truly warranted.

On The Bowery