I've only seen the supposed re-released, re-titles, shortened version of the original release. I would love to find out if the unedited version exists. Regardless, the version that I watched was surprisingly good and offers a unique insight into that critical era of malaise between Altamont and Disco. A period that is often forgotten, as it was bookended by the two much more memorable eras. This is not to say that Pigeons is the only example of this era. More noteworthy are Five Easy Pieces, Midnight Cowboy, Panic in Needle Park, and Last Picture Show.
Many books have covered this subject in depth, such as A Cinema of Loneliness by Robert Kolker and Lost Illusions: American Cinema in the Shadow of Watergate and Vietnam by David A. Cook.
What I particularly like about Pigeons is that the protagonists are mid-20s New Yorkers. As expected, they are aimless and alienated. The film reflects the emotional zeitgeist that took hold in America.
What is particularly interesting to me is the hindsight that disco, fern bars, swinging singles, and the pinnacle of the sexual revolution was lying dormant, ready to explode, wiping away any trace of this malaise. One character is the 24-year-old virgin. Sad as that may be in 1970, his love-life will significantly change once 1973 rolls around.
The movie is chock full of wonderful period set pieces. There is the groovy party, the not so groovy party, the falling-in-love montage, slow-mo joyful Central Park mischief, the intimate dope-smoking session, and even a set piece on petty larceny, similar to the shoplifting sequence in Breakfast at Tiffany's. That alone is going to be worth the price of admission for any passionate early 70s movie fans.
Many of these elements and other classic movie clichés are extremely fulfilling, and in many ways surpass similar sequences in other films. Notable is the groovy party sequence, which is not rushed, but shows the slow build of the party's energy. It features a large number of gay characters. While stereotyped by necessity, it gives the party an honest, mixed gathering. In that sense Pigeons surpasses the more constrained groovy party sequences in Breakfast at Tiffany's and Midnight Cowboy.
A fine example that should be added to the early 70s alienation films cannon.
Many books have covered this subject in depth, such as A Cinema of Loneliness by Robert Kolker and Lost Illusions: American Cinema in the Shadow of Watergate and Vietnam by David A. Cook.
What I particularly like about Pigeons is that the protagonists are mid-20s New Yorkers. As expected, they are aimless and alienated. The film reflects the emotional zeitgeist that took hold in America.
What is particularly interesting to me is the hindsight that disco, fern bars, swinging singles, and the pinnacle of the sexual revolution was lying dormant, ready to explode, wiping away any trace of this malaise. One character is the 24-year-old virgin. Sad as that may be in 1970, his love-life will significantly change once 1973 rolls around.
The movie is chock full of wonderful period set pieces. There is the groovy party, the not so groovy party, the falling-in-love montage, slow-mo joyful Central Park mischief, the intimate dope-smoking session, and even a set piece on petty larceny, similar to the shoplifting sequence in Breakfast at Tiffany's. That alone is going to be worth the price of admission for any passionate early 70s movie fans.
Many of these elements and other classic movie clichés are extremely fulfilling, and in many ways surpass similar sequences in other films. Notable is the groovy party sequence, which is not rushed, but shows the slow build of the party's energy. It features a large number of gay characters. While stereotyped by necessity, it gives the party an honest, mixed gathering. In that sense Pigeons surpasses the more constrained groovy party sequences in Breakfast at Tiffany's and Midnight Cowboy.
A fine example that should be added to the early 70s alienation films cannon.