THE PANIC IN NEEDLE PARK is a powerful movie, one of the first in a wave of films from the early 1970s that attempted to shed the artifice of Hollywood in order to tell authentic stories populated by real people. The film is essentially a love story and follows the relationship of Bobby (Al Pacino), a small-time crook and heroin addict, and Helen (Kitty Winn), a naïve young woman. These two are flawed and ambiguous beings and the film achieves its strength through its truthful portrait of two people struggling with the circumstance of their lives. Although the story deals with drug addiction, THE PANIC IN NEEDLE PARK is neither a "message" film nor a documentary. However, it is a very stark portrayal of the life of heroin addicts who live in New York City’s "Needle Park". The panic is caused by an interruption of the heroin supply to this group of users. Al Pacino, in his first major screen role, delivers an enormously sensitive and moving performance detailing his character’s addiction and the resulting problems. His love interest is Helen, played by Kitty Winn, who matches Pacino’s intensity and, in fact, would win Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival that year. The affection that the two feel for each other is inspiring given their life circumstance. Bobby’s upbeat, bright attitude helps lift Helen our of her naturally despondent state. When Helen becomes addicted to heroin as well, life starts to fall apart for our pair. Even a series of betrayals can’t destroy their love for each other and, in spite of it all, the relationship between Bobby and Helen endures.