DESPERATE SOULS, DARK CITY AND THE LEGEND OF MIDNIGHT COWBOY -- The Impact of MIDNIGHT COWBOY is Real and Still Has a Place in History

Review by Dan Skip Allen

Midnight Cowboy was a film that came out in 1979. It was the first X-rated film to ever win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. It stars Jon Voight as Joe Buck, a Texas cowboy, and Dustin Hoffman as Ratso Rizzo. It's directed by John Schlesinger and written for the screen by Waldo Salt and James Leo Herlihy. It is about two unlikely friends who meet in New York City. Desperate Souls, Dark City, and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy is a documentary written/directed by Nancy Buirsky about that film and the impact it had on society in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.

In the film, Buisky discusses how Midnight Cowboy affected filmmaking and how movies would be made starting in the ‘70s. A bunch of new voices like Martin Scorsese, William Friedkin, and Steven Spielberg would come out of this era in the film industry. Midnight Cowboy was a groundbreaking film in more ways than can be imagined.

It had one of the most popular quotes in movie history, "I'm walkin here!" a popular quote from Ratso Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman), which was completely ad libbed. The film also dealt with some very touchy subject matter. Voight's character was a male prostitute, and Hoffman's character was a drug addict. These topics weren't touched on to this level in any film before this. So, people were upset that this was the time for it, but in reality, it was perfect.

The documentary, like many others, has many things that make up the film: a screen test of Jon Voight, archival footage from Vietnam, and a lot of talking heads from people in the film, like Bob Balaban. It also has a lot of voice-over narration from the director, Schlesinger himself, and others. Some are activists and film historians who have their own take on what this movie means to various communities it's trying to talk to. 

The documentary talks about all the graphic and dirty stuff in New York City. The main characters are a male prostitute and a street hustler, and they don't shy away from sex and intravenous drug abuse. This footage of the city is eye-opening. New York City was a very dirty place at the time. All the voice-over narration from various people alive and dead delved into what a horrible place New York City was. The filmmaker didn't mess around with this documentary. She didn't edit too much out. These people spoke very candidly. 

Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy is a film that sheds light on how difficult it was to make the eponymous Best Picture winner. Getting the script written and getting the actors cast is only half the story. There is plenty of information for viewers to come to their own conclusion regarding that film and its impact on society and the city it's focused on. Any fans of film and this era of movies should see this eye-opening film. 

​Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy hits theaters on June 23.

Rating: 3.5/5