Rats:
Vermin may have you squirmin'

In James Felter's documentary, "RATS," everybody agrees that the rat problem in Washington, D.C. is bad. The only question is how bad. As Felter trains his camera on Willard Street around the clock, he proves that the rodents are out there. At regular intervals, Felter films them working the ally and a particular dumpster, squeaking, gnawing, scurrying, endlessly coming back for more. One talking head (human) says there are 14 rats for every person in the District, but who's counting? And how do you count? The talking heads range from beleaguered public works officials to environmentalists to vector control analysts who give you a capsule course containing more than you want to know about the things to be learned from examining rat excrement, to, predictably, two guys who seemed pleased that the rats give them an excuse to stand on their fire escape taking pot shots at them with a pellet gun. A few of the interviews state the obvious, namely there wouldn't be so many rats if people didn't dispose of their garbage so carelessly. Social issues are examined in depth. They range from one property owner suggesting the answer is turning rental units into condos, whose owners would presumable take greater pains in keeping them clean, to an activist asking Marion Barry embarrassing questions about the money allocated for DC's recycling program. A lot of outside garbage is dumped in DC, too, the film says, since its laws are less strict than those of surrounding communities. In the end the biggest impact is made by the people who spend most of their time in the alley where the rats live: the garbage collectors, remarkably stoic and even-tempered, but careful and armed with sticks, and a pair of homeless philosophical scavengers who matter-of-factly weave larger issues into accounts of how they learned the hard way not to fall asleep outdoors clutching food.

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