The introductory scene of Martin Bell’s documentary “Streetwise” depicts a child jumping off a bridge. The boy, who the audience will soon come to know as Rat, fearlessly falls through the air with no visible destination until, moments later, he hits the water below, disappearing beneath the current with a splash. The aforementioned imagery, which captures both a childish desire for adventure and the undeniable reality of real-world danger, constructs the groundwork for what remains of “Streetwise,” a documentary that chronicles the irrefutably bleak realities of homelessness and the aftermath of forsaken youth.
Building upon a Life magazine article published in 1983, “Streetwise” was originally released in 1984, and chronicles the day-to-day escapades of homeless Seattle teenagers as they scrounge through dumpsters or sell their bodies to survive. Focusing primarily on three kids—Dewayne Pomeroy, Rat, and Erin “Tiny” Blackwell—“Streetwise” sews together its triptych-like narrative via uncomfortably honest voiceovers and grainy camerawork, both of which work in unison to create one of the most disturbingly authentic films you will ever stumble across.
Commendably, “Streetwise” does not sugarcoat its seedy subject matter. Drug use, underage prostitution, and criminal activity are casually discussed by the film’s teenage leads, although these revelations never accumulate into a judgmental cautionary tale created by the hands of the documentary’s adult filmmakers. In fact, “Streetwise” never overtly champions nor condemns the behavior of the youth, a respectable decision that creates a perceptible sense of empathy that exists between the individuals on both sides of the camera. In place of judgment, understanding takes control as the film merely reports events instead of distorting facts for the sake of shock value or entertainment.
Nevertheless, the inescapable reality of the documentary’s topics, in addition to the ever-nagging reminder that everything that occurs on screen is unsimulated, lends itself to creating a near-nauseating cinematic experience. While this comment may come across as disparaging, in all honesty, the fact that “Streetwise” prompts such an emotional reaction testifies to the effectiveness of its craft and timelessness of its topics.
Relatedly, consequences—and on a deeper level, how the consequences of a parent’s actions affect their children—operates as the essential takeaway from “Streetwise.” Scenes that portray the indifference of Erin’s mother to her daughter’s decision to prostitute herself, as well as Dewayne’s incarcerated father warning his son to escape the street life to avoid imprisonment, clearly speak to this ever-present theme. On the whole, the question of nature versus nurture, when applied to the events of the film, is an inquiry that remains open-ended for audience interpretation but contributes to the success of the documentary’s artistic virtue.
With regards to failures, “Streetwise” comes out unscathed. At times, the narrative distracts itself with useless tangents, and the information relayed to the audience occasionally turns repetitive as the documentary figuratively walks in circles to pad out its runtime. However, to be truthful, these criticisms are skimpy nitpicks.
As a poignant, nonfictional experience that boldly challenges the merits of most fictitious films that discuss the same issues, “Streetwise” beautifully documents bittersweet stories of human survival in a city rampant with lost children. By capturing an unflattering aspect of the American dream with style and class, the documentary succeeds on all accounts, allowing “Streetwise” to become an ageless film that should never be lost to time. [A]
A brand-new restoration of “Streetwise” is now playing at Metrograph in New York City.
