In the Street

About the production

Filmed using innovative hidden camera techniques, including cameras concealed in packages or under coats to capture truly candid moments. The production team spent months in the neighborhood building trust with residents. The film was shot on 16mm black and white film stock, which allowed for greater mobility and discretion. Levitt and her collaborators often worked in extreme weather conditions to capture different seasons of street life. The production was a collaborative effort between Levitt's photographic expertise and James Agee's literary sensibility.

Themes

Themes & topics

Historical background

In the Street (1948) reached audiences during postwar cinema, when exhibitors mixed shorts and features on the same program.

Why this film matters

Historians retain In the Street as a record of how filmmakers in 1948 addressed popular genres.

Making of

The making of In the Street was revolutionary for its time due to its innovative approach to capturing candid footage. Levitt, Loeb, and Agee developed sophisticated methods for filming without disrupting natural behavior, including modifying cameras to be more discreet and developing techniques for blending into the neighborhood environment. The filmmakers spent extensive time in Spanish Harlem before shooting, allowing residents to become accustomed to their presence. They often worked in pairs, with one person engaging potential subjects in conversation while the other filmed unnoticed. The editing process was meticulous, with Levitt applying her photographer's eye to select and sequence images that created emotional and narrative resonance. The film's soundtrack, featuring music by Arthur Kleiner, was added in post-production to enhance the mood without overwhelming the natural sounds of the street.

What critics said

Trade coverage from 1948 treated In the Street as program material; later writers evaluate it through preservation and genre context.

Did you know?

• Helen Levitt was primarily known as a street photographer before making the release, bringing her photographic eye to cinema
• The film was co-directed by Janice Loeb and had writer James Agee as a collaborator, though Levitt is most often credited
• Many shots were captured using a right-angle lens attachment, allowing the filmmakers to appear to be shooting in one direction while actually filming another
• The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2006 for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance
• In the Street was one of the first films to use the technique of filming from a low angle to capture children's perspectives
• The original footage was shot over two years, from 1946 to 1948
• Levitt reportedly lost or destroyed much of her early film work, making this surviving piece particularly valuable
• The film's style influenced later documentary filmmakers including the Direct Cinema movement of the 1960s
• Agee's involvement came through his friendship with Levitt and his interest in documenting urban poverty
• The film was initially shown in avant-garde film circles before gaining wider recognition

Awards & recognition

• Selected for preservation in the National Film Registry (2006)
• International Experimental Film Competition, Brussels (1949)
• Film Society of Lincoln Center tribute (1975)

Visual style

The cinematography of In the Street is revolutionary for its time, characterized by its remarkable ability to capture candid moments without disrupting natural behavior. Levitt employed innovative techniques including the use of right-angle lenses, hidden cameras, and modified equipment to achieve unprecedented intimacy with subjects. The black and white 16mm photography exhibits exceptional compositional awareness, reflecting Levitt's background in still photography. The camera work frequently adopts low angles to capture children's perspectives and uses natural lighting to enhance the authentic feel of street scenes. The cinematography achieves a perfect balance between documentary realism and artistic composition, creating images that are both informative and aesthetically compelling. The fluid camera movement and careful framing create a rhythmic quality that gives the film its poetic character.

Innovations

In the Street achieved several technical breakthroughs that would influence documentary filmmaking for decades. The film pioneered the use of hidden camera techniques for capturing truly spontaneous behavior, including custom camera modifications and concealment methods. The filmmakers developed innovative approaches to sound recording that allowed them to capture natural audio while maintaining visual discretion. The editing techniques employed in the film created a rhythmic flow that transformed documentary footage into a cinematic experience. The successful integration of still photography aesthetics into motion pictures represented an important technical and artistic achievement. The film demonstrated the effective use of 16mm film for professional documentary work, helping to establish this format as viable for serious filmmaking. These technical innovations were accomplished with minimal resources, making the achievements even more remarkable.

Music

The film's soundtrack, supervised by Arthur Kleiner, features a carefully selected musical score that enhances the emotional impact without overwhelming the natural street sounds. The music primarily consists of piano compositions and subtle orchestral pieces that complement the visual rhythm of the street scenes. Rather than using continuous narration, the film relies on ambient sounds captured during filming, including children's laughter, street vendors' calls, and the general sounds of urban life. This approach creates an immersive audio experience that reinforces the film's observational style. The musical selections were chosen to evoke the mood and era without being overly sentimental or manipulative. The balance between diegetic sound and musical score demonstrates sophisticated sound design for its time.

Famous quotes

The street is a stage, and everyone is a performer, whether they know it or not - Helen Levitt

I wanted to photograph the children's games, the way they played, their rituals - Helen Levitt

The camera is a tool for seeing what the naked eye might miss - James Agee (writing about the film)

In the street, life is happening all at once, and you just have to be ready to catch it - Helen Levitt

Memorable scenes

• Children playing with broken mirrors on the sidewalk, creating fragmented reflections of themselves and their environment
• A group of boys playing a street game with a bottle cap, showing their intense concentration and joy
• Young girls dancing to imaginary music, their movements creating patterns against the brick walls
• A street vendor pushing his cart through the neighborhood, interacting with residents along his route
• Children gathered around a makeshift stage, performing for each other with dramatic gestures

What audiences thought

Initial audience reception to In the Street was primarily limited to art house cinemas, film societies, and academic venues, where it was appreciated by those interested in avant-garde cinema and documentary art. General audiences had limited exposure to the film due to its short length and non-commercial distribution. However, those who did see it were often deeply moved by its authentic portrayal of urban life. In later years, as the film gained recognition through film festivals and retrospectives, audience appreciation grew significantly. Modern audiences viewing the film often express fascination with its historical documentation of 1940s New York and admiration for its timeless artistic qualities. The film's inclusion in the National Film Registry has brought it to wider attention, and it now receives regular screenings at film archives and museums.

Film connections

Influenced by

• Helen Levitt's own street photography
• The Photo League documentary tradition
• British documentary movement of the 1930s
• Robert Flaherty's humanistic documentaries
• Dorothea Lange's social documentary photography
• Weegee's tabloid photography
• The Federal Art Project's documentary ethos

This film influenced

• The Savage Eye (1959)
• Primary (1960)
• Salesman (1969)
• Grey Gardens (1975)
• Paris Is Burning (1990)
• Hoop Dreams (1994)
• The Street (2007)
• Streetwise (1984)
• Tarnation (2003)
• Man with a Movie Camera (1928) - retrospective influence

Film restoration

In the Street has been preserved by the Museum of Modern Art and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2006. The original 16mm negatives have been carefully restored, and high-quality digital copies exist for archival and screening purposes. The film is considered to be in good preservation condition with no risk of loss. Multiple archives worldwide hold copies, including the Library of Congress, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Anthology Film Archives. The preservation efforts have ensured that this historically significant documentary will remain accessible for future generations.

Where to watch

• The Criterion Channel (streaming)
• Museum of Modern Art film screenings
• Anthology Film Archives (New York)
• Library of Congress screening room
• Film Forum (special screenings)
• Various film festival retrospectives
• University film collections
• Kino Lorber DVD collection 'Avant-Garde Cinema'
• Fandor (streaming platform)
• Mubi (special programming)