Mean Streets is a raw film which would raised at the time eyebrows and heckles in equal measures and showed off the embryonic talents of then rising director Martin Scorsese. He borrows his filmmaking influences such as Powell & Pressburger's Black Narcissus but as Michael Powell once remarked to him, 'there is just too much red lighting dear boy!'
However I first watched this film almost twenty years after its release and found the film hard going. Its nice to see a young Keitel and De Niro showing off their acting chops but the film felt boring and its style had been copied by other directors since that time.
Seeing the film again recently I can appreciate Scorsese trying to being a new energy to New York set films in a way that young British film makers did in the early 1960s with the kitchen sink dramas showing a rawness and verve to working class Britain.
Here is tale of low life hoods in little Italy. Keitel's Charlie mixes religious guilt with working for his Uncle who is a mobster and looking after his friend, Johnny Boy (De Niro) who is both psychotic and an idiot. Keitel has a girlfriend, Teresa who is Johnny's cousin and an epileptic but his relationship with her is furtive because his uncle disapproves of her because of her epilepsy. At one point he wants to date a black woman and again loses his nerve because of what people might think.
De Niro is a live-wire as Johnny Boy, pulling stupid stunts, getting involve in fights and generally being a jerk. He and Al Pacino were playing these kind of characters in theatres off Broadway for many years so they had a grounding on these New York street kids.
Richard Romanus and David Proval round up the main players who are more astute, determined and likely to succeed as they know Johnny Boy will just drag everybody down but Charlie does not see it.
Things come to a head because Johnny Boy owes money and is unable to pay it back and unwilling to pay it back. That is very much it plot wise. Until then its a slice of life drama as we see a microcosm of Little Italy society. Its a film that dazzles with its technical style which is typically Scorsese. However it also lacks heart which in my opinion something Scorsese will show in his later films as it leaves you cold.
However I first watched this film almost twenty years after its release and found the film hard going. Its nice to see a young Keitel and De Niro showing off their acting chops but the film felt boring and its style had been copied by other directors since that time.
Seeing the film again recently I can appreciate Scorsese trying to being a new energy to New York set films in a way that young British film makers did in the early 1960s with the kitchen sink dramas showing a rawness and verve to working class Britain.
Here is tale of low life hoods in little Italy. Keitel's Charlie mixes religious guilt with working for his Uncle who is a mobster and looking after his friend, Johnny Boy (De Niro) who is both psychotic and an idiot. Keitel has a girlfriend, Teresa who is Johnny's cousin and an epileptic but his relationship with her is furtive because his uncle disapproves of her because of her epilepsy. At one point he wants to date a black woman and again loses his nerve because of what people might think.
De Niro is a live-wire as Johnny Boy, pulling stupid stunts, getting involve in fights and generally being a jerk. He and Al Pacino were playing these kind of characters in theatres off Broadway for many years so they had a grounding on these New York street kids.
Richard Romanus and David Proval round up the main players who are more astute, determined and likely to succeed as they know Johnny Boy will just drag everybody down but Charlie does not see it.
Things come to a head because Johnny Boy owes money and is unable to pay it back and unwilling to pay it back. That is very much it plot wise. Until then its a slice of life drama as we see a microcosm of Little Italy society. Its a film that dazzles with its technical style which is typically Scorsese. However it also lacks heart which in my opinion something Scorsese will show in his later films as it leaves you cold.