Lionel Rogosin's On the Bowery is similar to The Exiles (see my previous post) in some respects. Both are gritty, low budget black-and-white films shot on location with nonprofessional actors and loose plots; they seem like scripted documentaries that feel simultaneously authentic and staged. Also, both films provide insight and empathy toward a marginalized social group and a detailed portrait of a particular neighborhood at a particular point in time. In this case, the film explores the lives of the alcoholics and other lost souls who lived in flophouses or on the streets of New York City's impoverished Bowery neighborhood.
However, the films are also dissimilar in some respects. On the Bowery has very few female characters (I assume this reflects real-life demographics), the nonprofessional acting seems more natural and unselfconscious, and the movie has a distinct lead character: Ray Sayler (the name of both the actor and the character). He arrives in the Bowery with his suitcase, interacts with the locals, drinks, interacts more with the locals, drinks more...you get the idea. Actually, there is more to the plot, but not that much more, since this isn’t a plot-driven film. But the movie is well crafted, considering its constraints, and it contains several striking images and scenes. Also, Rogosin had the good sense (or lack of funds) to keep this 65-minute film short enough to avoid overstaying its welcome. Overall, On the Bowery is worth seeing.