Downtown 81
October 3rd, 2009 | By
Downtown 81 is an urban fairy-tale set in New York that tracks a day in the life of a young artist named Jean (played by Jean-Michel Basquiat, then 19). In a Homeric, yet open ended styling, Jean has a rollercoaster ride of a day filled with different characters, obstacles and scenarios. Through the course of his odyssey Jean’s travels span Manhattan from the Upper East Side to the financial district, however most of his time is spent “Downtown” (SoHo,LES,Tribeca). The day is peppered with cameos, performances (notabley Kid Creole and the Coconuts) and locales that paint an amazing scene of downtown in 1981.
“Downtown” geographically is the brilliance of downtown 81. The film itself isn’t particularly good for films sake, but the documentation of the rugged and raw essence of what downtown once was makes this a must see for any creative or interested individual. The Dark alleys, pushers, streets, artists, squats, musicians, designers, models, clubs, graffiti… Downtown 81 feels authentic, like a real snapshot of an exciting and important time in Gotham history. Imagine all of this culture jammed into an 80 minute film set to a dope soundtrack and starring JMB…… exactly.
I had forgotten that once upon a time there was a elevated highway running along the lower west side until I saw the closing shot of Downtown 81, which made the entire film for me. We miss you.
