I am a recovering heroin addict. I am still an opiate addict. Unfortunately.
I watch lots of movies dealing with addiction....and this one hit me right in the chest.
It was sure hard to watch. That first scene with the male addict and the close-up of the bloody needle -- eeeeek! Had me squirming.
shareyea they did a killer job of they're portrayal
"You are the imagination of yourself"-bill hicks
I would agree with you that this film is a masterpiece that portrays heroin addict extremely accurately; the only film that I'd say does it better is Christiane F. This is coming from a recovered addict as well, just so you know that I'm not spouting nonsense, haha.
shareI agree, in that the film doesn't romanticize heroin addiction, nor does it engage in ham-fisted moralizing about the subject matter. Panic in Needle Park is almost documentary-like: it approaches its characters as case studies.
A lot of people compare this film to Requiem for a Dream, where the film-maker's camera tricks and artistry make addiction seem stylized and abstract rather than gritty. Both are good films, but this one is probably more honest.
I am an opiate addict and I can't relate to Requiem at all. Panic hit home though.
share