Where the sky stayed the color of grey, like heron
From the various books such as Requiem for a Dream and The Basketball Diaries, as well as films such as Trainspotting and Requiem for a Dream, and as well as the greatest television show The Wire. I came to understand 1 thing regarding heroin: It is a hell of a drug.
what a novel
I haven't tried it since I never hung around the type of crowd that endeavored anything beyond marijuana though there have been rumblings about certain individuals that I am acquainted with in having partaken but from what I remember from the last point of contact with them, they seem to be more on the tweaking side with meth than something like heroin but I digress.
Heroin and its story within the United States has always been a fascinating piece of history for me to learn about. From such beginnings where it became a part of this seedy underworld image with the likes of opium dens during the gold rush in the 19th century. So much of a striking image that it would be backdrop for various yellow peril tales featuring offensively racist characters such as Dr. Fu-Manchu.
Jumping forward in time and reading about manufactured heroin being smuggled into the USA during the Vietnam war was also a high point for Heroin in the United States. US Soldiers rotating back to the states were hooked on the stuff and with age old theory of supply following demand, capitalists at the right place and right time wanted to spread the joy to the rest of the United States. Then seeing the various footage on how it completely decimated neighbors and communities as the years rolled on alongside the complete failure of the War on Drugs that did absolutely nothing to stop the drug trade.
The clashing between brutal and violent capitalistic ventures of drugs on the street against the bureaucratic failure of the United States Government being unable to take control of the situation has always fascinated me. As it should with any American having to wake up to the hell we live in.
So a slice of life that focuses around an addict like the film The Story of a Junkie offered at first glance a film that I found immensely fascinating but as the credits rolled, there was something troubling in seeing the construction of the film.
The Film
The film follows the trials and tribulations of one John 'Gringo' Spacely as he goes about his day to day life as a guy with a habit in the Lower East Side of New York City. This being the late 1980's New York that hadn't yet sold it's soul to real estate investors and was instead churning itself in the last moments of its shallow grave with a terrible drug trade destroying its city and landlords firebombing their own places for the insurance money. This was the time before it became all Disneyland.
The Greatest Newspaper Headline
We follow the highs and lows of Gringo as he goes around the town looking to score, getting mugged, and talking to the camera to get a couple of internal feelings and thoughts across but mostly the camera plays like a fly on the wall. Leaving the world to pass by to keep it as untouched and real as possible.
A Documentation of Sorts
The feeling and presentation of the film falls under the style known as: Cinéma vérité. A sort of follow along without any coordinated effort to try and present some sort of voice over or flow of a narrative. Showcasing the characters interactions throughout his days to create a collection of images that then could be edited when its all said and done to present a story.
Truly the best part about the film is that not a moment throughout it feels as though judgement is being placed on the guy. It really is just showing his life on the streets as he tries to fuel his habit. What film also accomplishes looking it now to the world around was in documenting the possible future of addiction and if anything should have been seen a warning to what was coming to all of America but that's another rant for another place beyond that of a film blog.
The film goes along and nearing the end, Gringo shows himself in the early stages of getting clean and talks about the sickness (withdrawal) and the proper steps to get off the drugs instead of going cold turkey. Its during the end of the film where the audience is presented with a pivotal moment that has affected me in a way that I believe will stir within me for a good part of my life.
The scene being about Gringo's reason to entering this life. He's just talking and there's no voice asking or replying back to him with any questions or anything so he's just talking out loud for anyone to listen. He talks about this girl he married years ago and how she had gotten pregnant but the kid didn't make it. She had some issues or something and the baby had come out of her at like 3 months and he talks about the experience of it all with a tinge of sadness but it comes out so matter of fact.
the scene in question
You ever hear a story from somebody that has been through some terrible event and when you hear them tell this tale it just gets sadder and sadder and by the end you have a tear in your eye but the orator telling you the story is so matter of fact about it that it just seemed to be like he was telling you his grocery list?
It's the same type of storytelling you get when hearing this guy talk all throughout this film but listening to him having to toss out his 3 month baby into the trash and having nightmares from the sight and such and needing an escape. Its a short brutal story and gives insight on how anyone would have gotten their start with heroin.
Feelings of Uncertainty
It's certainly a movie that succeeds but there are a few moments where I felt uncertain of the film riding the line of genuine curiosity to exploitative. These feelings of exploitation coming from the fact that the promotional materials that Troma made in releasing the film, just see the poster earlier in the blog, and the fucking logo in the beginning of the film just doesn't feel right with me. Which leads me uncertain as a whole as to the complete authenticity of the film as Troma has been known to make editorial decisions of their own free will.
Alongside this sense of uncertainty, there were some scenes of the film that felt staged though these moments are too scattered around and ultimately inconsequential from the primary observational eye of the camera so I can say that it succeeds more-so than fails in presenting this guys story as amoral as possible but with an asterisk.
There is also a moment in the film, possibly the weakest, when the movie turns into music video of sorts as Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five song The Message is playing as images of the rundown streets and Gringo just living life pass by.
It is tough to tell if my point to criticize this particular scene at this moment of time is justified as this lifestyle at that time wasn't widespread knowledge. It must be understood that my opinion right now is that of a modern asshole giving an opinion on a moment of time that coincides and clashes alongside so much more information about this particular time of the American Drug Trade. All that existed then and what I can only assume was the point of the scene was to showcase something new for people that had no clue while having a fairly popular song that details in genius rhyming scheme the trials and tribulations of drug ridden New York.
Regardless, seeing this movie now I can only see this moment being so out of place to the rest of the film. It's just a showcase of more images of Gringo just doing the day to day rituals like combing your hair, cleaning your shoes, and walking around. It's a great song but playing against these images just doesn't work for me. Especially with Chuck Kentis's fantastic score playing all throughout the film. And it certainly doesn't feel like a proper build up to that extraordinarily sobering scene in the film.
The movie playing out as amorally as possible but this part felt like a public service announcement of the lowest order. These grievances aside, as they are my own issues with the film, the overall impact of the film does far more good than bad.
The ending though is just perfect. No notes or anything. The song Since I Don't Have You by Don McLean plays alongside the image of Gringo just riding around on his skateboard. A bittersweet sensations as you watch him coast along and feel some hope for the guy as the screen fades to black and credits start to roll.
Bittersweet in that this documentary is about a guy who unfortunately didn't get a chance to come out clean the other side. John Spacely would die of AIDS in 1993. Most likely from sharing needles during this time as he had tried to go clean after this movie was made and strive for an acting career of sorts.
The End
A film that succeeds more so than falters in showcasing a external world that no longer exists as the neighborhoods of New York get cleaned up, for the most part, but internally to every person out there needing to escape as the successes of the old world around them seem to get farther and farther from their grasp, it seems like a road paved in blood waiting for them to travel down. It only takes a critical life event to make that road seem far appealing to travel down. Just look at John 'Gringo' Spacely.
If I had seen this back in the day, watching him ride this skateboard would give me a sense of childish hope that he would make it out but seeing it 41 years later, it hurts to accept my first reaction that its no surprise the guy didn't make it. Hardly any American today ever do.