Ed finds a use for a fishing pole.

THE STORY:
In San Francisco, documentary filmmakers Luben Omaiski and Hans Fritz follow around several troubled youths--scavengers of the underbelly in a place called "The Tenderloin." The people they follow (for it seems like a few weeks or, at least, several days) are not actors in the conventional or classical sense of the word, rather, they purport to be real people, and, in places, it appears they do real things. The narration is expertly crafted allegedly by Bulgarian born Omaiski shown to the audience silent movie style (note: this one's a talky with a cool soundtrack of mixes). It is a "Canterbury's Tale" of sorts, various sections of the film are devoted to the daily life of the young street dwellers as we learn about their origins and they belt out their philosophies. Beware the unrated nature of "Raw" for it is truly a raw depiction of drug use, mental illness and its untreated consequences left to roam the streets of the Tenderloin and beyond.

Maz and Ed count their loot and devise a plan.

THE REVIEW:
One's immediate reaction to "Raw" may be disgust with a quick inclination to walk out. The young people in the film are not immediately interesting and maybe they are not intended to be. In time, if one gives the film time, the camera disappears and reality sets in; the characters become more tightly drawn and interest builds. "Raw" is ultimately a documentary about the finer points in life--not every young person grows old and some never want to.

      Three characters take center stage--Dick (who calls himself "The Emperor"), Ed (who is a fisher of men and has it all figured out), and Jason (whose mental problems are compounded by his youth). There are other lesser characters such as Pirate who rants and raves uncontrollably in a drunken and/or drugged state, the youthful damaged Katie, and Maz who like Ed may be the most intelligent and likeable character of the bunch.

Dick in the Daytime

      After watching "Raw," I had a discussion with Rusty White of einsiders.com about movies of the 1970s. It was observed that the 1970s, particularly the early 1970s, produced some of the most sophisticated and best small films ever made. There was a focus in the 70s on the small picture, perhaps, what is talked about in the Presidential debates as "domestic policy." Often, the grainy images from these films delivered powerful messages resonating with the everyman. "Raw's" images and subject matter harkens back to the greatness of small 1970s films like "Panic in Needle Park." What is scary about "Raw" is that the characters appear to be real, Pacino (certainly not an actor in "Raw," but who starred in the great Video Risk "Panic") is not delivering the lines here nor faking the injection of illegal substances through dirty needles into his arm and neck.

Dick in the Nighttime

      I felt bad for Jason. He was in need of medication and counseling. I liked Ed, who had a survival system that appeared to be working. I was disgusted by Dick who had an inflated opinion of himself and did not seem to be long for this world.

      This week in Atlanta, Georgia, on the campus Emory University, a racist and controversial editorial was published in the school newspaper. The editorial made a bigoted comment about African Americans by stating that its claims of white superiority could be proven scientifically. A forum

Jason makes a desparate call for help

was commenced immediately and attended by hundreds of students, there was news coverage, intelligent students of various races were shown making intelligent comments about the ignorance of the editorial. No one liked what was written, but everyone read it and everyone talked about it. Could that have been its purpose?

      If given time, "Raw" can evoke some strong emotions, and maybe you will not like the film. Even if you don't like "Raw," it will give you something to think about. Although I do not have children, yet, the film made me want to more carefully raise the children I do, hopefully, end up having. It is a dangerous world out there and one unkind to youth that fades like a cut rose.

Jonathan W. Hickman, 2000