Mean Streets is a gritty and raw American classic that features the breakthrough performances of master thespians Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel, and gave its writer/director Martin Scorsese the launching pad for a career that would see him become one of the silver screen’s most revered and popular filmmakers.
A semi-auto biographical crime tale, Keitel stars as Scorsese’s alter-ego Charlie, a young gangster driven by Catholic guilt and plagued by the threat of eternal hellfire. When his best friend Johnny Boy (Robert De Niro) faces danger after he refuses to make his payments to his varied creditors, Charlie takes it upon himself to save Johnny from certain death.
Keitel is magnetic as the sad soul of the streets torn by feelings of loyalty to his friends, his family, the Church, and the streets. Equally stunning in a scene stealing supporting role is a young Robert De Niro who is simply electrifying in the most animated turn of his career. The lively exchanges between Keitel and De Niro feature these now legendary actors at their most raw and lively.
Mean Streets marks the first time that Scorsese would forego a traditional film score in favour of a vast array of music ranging from rock to classical. This in turn heightens several key scenes such as Johnny Boy strutting to the Rolling Stones’ Jumping Jack Flash, and a drunken party at the local bar which features Scorsese at his innovative best.
Scorsese also manages to effectively convey the sights and sounds of New York’s Little Italy despite the fact that the majority of the film was shot in Los Angeles.
The predecessor to Goodfellas, Mean Streets is essential viewing for crime movie buffs and general lovers of cinema.