The Corner

I first watched this when it came out years ago, but following my recent discovery of/obsession with The Wire, I thought it would be worth tracking this down and watching it again.

In a lot of ways, I think it might be better than The Wire. It is definitely on common ground - it's produced by David Simon, and based on a book he co-wrote with Ed Burns. The setting is Baltimore, but in this 6-episode mini-series, the camera is planted firmly on the corner of Fayette and Monroe, instead of wandering throughout Charm City. The focus of The Corner is on Gary and Fran, and their son DeAndre.

Gary used to be the neighbourhood success story, but now he's a dope fiend full time. He's lost his wife, his son, and his home. Fran is also a junkie. DeAndre is not even 16 yet, but he's starting to creep out on the corner and sell the drugs that have destroyed his family and his community.

As the show progresses, we move beyond these three main characters to meet the other dope fiends, dealers, and denizens of the community. All of the characters are based upon real people, and the show does not flinch from the gritty reality of life on the pipe or the needle.

Like The Wire, this is a very political piece of film-making, but it is a quiet act of protest, reminding us that people live this way, and challenging us to do something about it.