| Mean Streets (1973) | |
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Rating: 7.2/10 (119,099 votes) Director: Martin Scorsese Writer: Martin Scorsese, Mardik Martin Stars: Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, David Proval Runtime: 112 min Rated: R Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller Released: 14 Oct 1973 |
| Plot: In New York City's Little Italy, a devoutly Catholic mobster must reconcile his desire for power, his feelings for his epileptic lover, and his devotion to his troublesome friend. | |
Whilst he had two films already under his belt – Who’s That Knocking At The Door, and Boxcar Bertha – this is generally the film which many say launched Scorsese. Indeed, many of the themes and styling a that would come to be seen as a staple of his later films had their origin within this tale. Drawn from events Scorsese witnessed himself growing up in the Little Italy area of New York, the film is a raw edged look at organised crime. Harvey Keitel plays Charlie, a small time gangster wanting to make his mark in the mafia, who is also undergoing a crisis of faith, trying to reconcile his lifestyle with the teachings of his catholic faith. His dedication to Johnny Boy (Robert DeNiro), a kid from the streets who owes money to a few lenders, also poses obstacles for him to be taken seriously by the rest of the community. As Johnny Boy’s antics get more and more serious, Charlie tries to rein him in before things get out of hand.
From the offset it is easy to identify this as a Scorsese work. As mentioned all the things he became known for later on had their roots here. We have a story about the criminal underworld. We have a great soundtrack mix of old hits from the 50s and 60s (something Scorsese was doing well before Tarantino made it cool). We have the early attempts at one take tracking shots, following characters around a room (most notably here during a bar fight scene where the camera smoothly follows one brawl around the edge of the pool hall). In addition we have Scorsese playing with a variety of camera techniques to excellent effect, especially in the ‘Ricochet Biscuit’ scene during which a drunk Keitel swaggers around a room before passing out. By tackling a subject quite personal to him, Scorsese was free to refine his direction style, and created the signature he would be recognized for in years to come.
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Keitel is well cast in the role of Charlie, his face conveying the worry and concern he has for his friend, whilst also hinting at the rising frustration he has. But it is DeNiro who truly stands out in the role of Johnny. From his very first scene, he plays the role with a carefree swagger that makes him instantly likeable, whilst entirely annoying. It is easy to see why Charlie watches out for him, despite his failings, as DeNiro makes him feel like a living, breathing character who just made a few wrong choices, but inside is a good kid. Together Keitel and DeNiro shine on screen, and the rest of the cast around them (many faces who would become familiar in the years to come) ably support the pair as the film progresses.
Mean Streets is a pleasure to revisit from time to time, a sometimes witty, sometimes brutal portrayal of criminal life, it is the marker stone for Scorsese’s work, and whilst it would be bettered by films such as Goodfellas and Casino, it still stands up today as a dramatical slice of life, and should take pride of place in any serious film collection.
