The east 90's of Manhattan were a far cry in the early 1960's then they are today, a dank, dismal area of the city under construction, with lots of rat infested sites which created rat infested apartments for the poor people who lived there. For a newly arrived Puerto Rican family, it's barely more liveable than what they had before, and they find themselves treated like pariahs, with the hardworking Robert Gentile changing from nice young man to an angry one after being bullied every day on the job, first by his boss then by gangs who harass him daily, and sister Rosita De Triano finding that she likes the nice gifts that come with giving something away in return. Parents Camilo Delgado and Greta Margos (who reminded me of Anna Magnani) are afraid of the changes they see with Margos taking a major risk after learning the harsh truth about what's going on.
Some fabulous location shots of New York and the early 1960s shows what was going on during the time when the East Side Highway was being put in (historically significant because it greatly changed upper Manhattan and displaced many people), and indicate how much it has remained the same. A very jazzy musical score aids this cheaply made but riveting film in its successful view of the toughness of the Big Apple outside of the touristy parts. It's very depressing at times, almost unwatchable for that aspect, but if you can take it, you'll definitely find it brilliant. There was some great Independent films made about parts of New York City not often shown during the '60s, and this is definitely one of the best. I certainly couldn't turn my eyes away from it. The crudeness of the filmmaking only makes it all the more real.
Some fabulous location shots of New York and the early 1960s shows what was going on during the time when the East Side Highway was being put in (historically significant because it greatly changed upper Manhattan and displaced many people), and indicate how much it has remained the same. A very jazzy musical score aids this cheaply made but riveting film in its successful view of the toughness of the Big Apple outside of the touristy parts. It's very depressing at times, almost unwatchable for that aspect, but if you can take it, you'll definitely find it brilliant. There was some great Independent films made about parts of New York City not often shown during the '60s, and this is definitely one of the best. I certainly couldn't turn my eyes away from it. The crudeness of the filmmaking only makes it all the more real.