Back in 1957, a guy by the name of Lionel Rogosin took his movie camera to the seediest section of New York City – The Bowery – to try and tell the story of the men and women who struggled every day to stay alive and, for most of them, drunk. He had no experience as a filmmaker to speak of, and that’s a good thing because without a set of established rules to guide him, Rogosin followed his heart and made one of the best documentaries you will ever see. Some may hem and haw over the way he mixes documentary footage with obviously scripted scenes, but such criticism misses the point. Like all great documentaries – and all great films for that matter – The Bowery takes you to a place you’ve probably never been before, to see something most of us can only imagine. It’s a fascinating journey to a devastating destination.
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