The Pruitt-Igoe Myth

Chad Freidrichs's haunting documentary raises broad issues about U.S. public housing policy by focusing on the compelling history of one example: the Pruitt-Igoe project in St. Louis. Hailed as a model project when the high-rise cluster was completed in 1956, less than two decades later Pruitt-Igoe had devolved into an eyesore plagued by crime and poverty—and was demolished in 1972, leaving a barren, overgrown field in its place. The documentary begins with a visit to the present site before artfully employing archival footage to outline the historical context behind the construction of Pruitt-Igoe and similar projects in other cities—which arose after blacks fled the South into northern ghettos during the late 1940s, leading to a call for safe, clean accommodations. Many observers contended that modernist architecture and administrative incompetence were to blame for Pruitt-Igoe's fall, but Freidrichs includes extensive interviews with researchers and ex-residents who affectionately recall the early years and argue that an inability to adequately maintain the properties led to their demise—stemming, in part, from demographic changes that led to decreasing urban population and a shift in government policies that encouraged the growth of suburbs. The interviews also paint a poignant portrait of life in the projects during the years of decline. Exploding the simplistic, generally-accepted but politically-motivated criticism of public-housing initiatives, while also skillfully evoking the experiences of residents, The Pruitt-Igoe Myth is a deeply thought-provoking documentary. DVD extras include an audio commentary by the director, a site tour, interview outtakes, the 1970 featurette “More Than One Thing” (about a young man growing up in the projects), and a text director's bio. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)