In 1970s New York, Bobby (Al Pacino in his first major film role) and Helen (Kitty Winn) are young and in love--and addicted to heroin. Shot in a loose documentary style, and acted with improvisational rawness, the film shows the young couple's increasingly desperate habit go from bad to worse. Written by Joan Didion, the film portrays characters trapped in a bleak urban lifestyle as they strive to maintain their love for each other.