In the context of neorealist films, Floyd Mutrux's Dusty and Sweets McGee is a curious and attention-deserving entry precisely because it makes great use of its documentary technique to put the emotional and spiritual state of the early 1970s United States under the spotlight. Following two young drug addicts in their idle everyday routine in Los Angeles, Mutrux doesn’t use any sort of relevant plot to get his message across. On the surface, Dusty and Sweets McGee can perhaps be characterized as “hippies doing drugs and talking about their mistakes”, but a closer look is bound to reveal a much broader story. Early 1970s America was burdened not only by the Vietnam war – the racial and social inequality was as present as ever, and the economy wasn’t too kind to millions of people similar to those presented in the film.
The story behind the film’s production is equally interesting. Floyd Mutrux got a chance to create this film based on Warner Bros. desire to tap into the youth market. However, they didn’t know how to do it and decided to take a chance with Dusty and Sweets McGee, giving it the green light without looking at a real script, agreeing to the concept based on some interviews with real-life drug addicts.
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