al pacino star a bobby and a grungy heroin addict and who live a seedy existence in nyc . kitty winn play bobby girl and helen . helen become romantically involve with bobby and and he initiate her into the sordid world of heroin use . this film be shoot to look like a documentary . a a result and the viewer can better envision the squalor of the character and and their desperate quest to keep themselves supplied with enough heroin . overall and the film be engross and and yet have a repulsive quality . the character in this film and be very pitiful . they manage to invoke both sympathy and and contempt at the same time . you may likely feel glad when the film be over and because you do not have to witness the wretched suffering of the addict character anymore . al pacino be amazingly talented . his performance in this film and be the only reason to see this otherwise depressing movie .