Broadway Express

A Historic Portrait of New York City

Shot in 1959, Michael Blackwood's first film, Broadway Express, is a portrait of the people of New York City, as experienced in the city's lively subways. Blackwood's camera captures the beautiful and chaotic choreography of the commuters.

Accompanied by a sparse musical score driven by punchy snare drums and rumbling piano notes that emulate the rhythmic, pacing pounding of the subway cars, this short film pulses with a frenetic energy that builds to a crescendo before collapsing into the collective weariness of New York City at days end. The subway's cars and platforms empty out in preparation for another day, when the dance will happen all over again.