Stephen J. Szklarski's documentary Union Square is a raw, hypnotic journey into the world of seven barely surviving New York City heroin addicts, who live on the sidewalks and in subway stations, and resort to panhandling, prostitution, and petty crime in order to buy their drugs, which they shoot up in filthy public lavatories. The heroin chase has wrecked their lives with brutal efficiency, leading to the loss of homes, child custody, jobs, and self-respect, all of which is tragically related in an articulate and cogent manner by the subjects, who seem to be somewhere in their twenties or early thirties. No one here blames outside forces for their own problems--all acknowledge the self-destructive nature of their behavior. The fact that these are otherwise smart people, who've willingly imprisoned themselves into lives of squalor and misery, makes this a heartbreaking film to watch, and while the rough language and close-up focus on the preparation and injection of heroin may turn off some audiences, Union Square's unflinching honesty results in one of the most chilling and accurate pictures of drug addiction in America today. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
Union Square
(2004) 95 min. DVD: $19 ($169.95 w/PPR). National Film Network. Color cover. ISBN: 0-8026-0102-2. Volume 20, Issue 2
Union Square
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