Mean Streets
1973
Martin Scorsese's electrifying drama tells the story of Charlie (Harvey Keitel), a charming 27-year-old who is supported by his devoutly Catholic mother. He spends his days wandering the streets of New York City and nights hanging out drinking with his good friend Johnny Boy (Robert De Niro), a loose cannon who can't seem to .. Read more
| Starring | Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, David Proval, Richard Romanus |
|---|---|
| Director | Martin Scorsese |
| Genres | Drama |
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Mean Streets
Martin Scorsese's electrifying drama tells the story of Charlie (Harvey Keitel), a charming 27-year-old who is supported by his devoutly Catholic mother. He spends his days wandering the streets of New York City and nights hanging out drinking with his good friend Johnny Boy (Robert De Niro), a loose cannon who can't seem to crawl out of debt. Charlie's extreme affability makes him the middle man between his mob-tied uncle Giovanni (Cesare Danova) and various clients, as well as between Johnny Boy and Michael (Richard Romanus), a bookie who has become fed up with Johnny Boy's constant dodging. As the city's San Gennaro Festival takes over the streets of Little Italy, Michael seeks revenge on Johnny Boy once and for all.
MEAN STREETS is a perfect example of Scorsese's distinct vision, which has grown to become one of the most mimicked in the history of modern cinema. Using a nostalgic pop music soundtrack to introduce almost every scene, employing long one-takes and handheld cameras to add even greater tension to the proceedings, and coaxing brutally realistic performances out of his actors (most notably De Niro and Keitel), the director proves with MEAN STREETS that while others may try to imitate, there is only one original.
| Starring | Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, David Proval, Richard Romanus, Cesare Danova, Jeanne Bell |
|---|---|
| Director | Martin Scorsese |
| Studio | UNIVERSAL PICTURES UK |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 43 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | English |
| Released | DVD: 01 Jan 2001 Production year: 1973 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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After a low-budget apprenticeship served under B-movie king Roger Corman, Mean Streets was director Martin Scorsese's breakthrough film. Drawing on his upbringing in New York's Little Italy, the semi-autobiographical story concerns two friends — Charlie (Harvey Keitel), the older of the two and a debt-collector for the Mob, and tearaway hoodlum Johnny Boy (Robert De Niro), who's in hock to loan sharks and a drain on Charlie's patience and reputation. Opening with a home movie-style, 8mm montage set to the Ronettes' Be My Baby, this explicitly European-influenced film establishes Scorsese's masterful use of music, mixing a 1960s pop soundtrack with grubby pool-hall violence. Mean Streets hinges on the power of its lead performances; Keitel exhibits simmering anguish as he struggles to reconcile his religion and lifestyle while dating the epileptic Teresa (Amy Robinson) against his boss's wishes, while the freewheeling De Niro is full of edgy humour, life and barely concealed danger. The result is a keystone of 1970s American cinema.
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Relentlessly sordid melodrama with a good eye for realistic detail. The first film in which Scorsese announced himself as a major talent and discovered the subject matter that has served him so well.
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Most helpful member's review
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12 out of 14 people found this review helpful
One Mean Film!!
Robert Deniro's introduction into the world of Martin Scorecese is a classic. Johnny Boy showed the kind of talent that was to come from one of the world's leading actors. The casting is brilliant and the characters and story line completely believable for this New York set story. One of the coolest movies ever made. A must for any Scorcese fan!!
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Most recent members' review
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3 out of 4 people found this review helpful
Not the best example of Scorcese
Watching this makes me conclude that Martin Scorcese has directed better films in his time.
For the first half an hour or so, there vaguely seemed to be some kind of a plot but it quickly deteriorated into a random sequence of offender hits victim, victim hits offender back, fight happens, more people hit each other, woman gets hurt, people start shooting each other, etc.
This is fine if you find this kind of thing interesting, in which I recommend you rent this or Gangs of New York.. However, if you are looking examples of Scorcese’s most interesting and intelligent work, then Taxi Driver is a far better example. -
News and features
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I'm not difficult, says De Niro
- 24 Jun 2008
Robert De Niro has refuted suggestions that he is difficult to work with, claiming that the process of filmmaking is tricky enough without adding to it with such behaviour. The legendary star of classics such as Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter, Godfather II and Goodfellas, says he is easy to work with compared to some working inside the industry. "Difficult? Me? I don't think I am difficult compared to other people. It is hard to make a movie at the best of times, so you don't want to give... Read more
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Martin Scorsese's electrifying drama tells the story of Charlie (Harvey Keitel), a charming 27-year-old who is supported by his devoutly Catholic mother. He spends his days wandering the streets of ... -