On M List of Movie Reviews
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Mean Streets (1973)
Rate:
7
Viewed:
7/03, 3/14, 2/25
3/14:
Mean Streets is a long, boring, and plotless Italian street gang movie.
It's all about waiting for Johnny Boy to be killed because he's such a fuckup. My goodness, he's so annoying.
None of the characters is likeable, either. But the acting isn't a problem as everybody has been good.
The silly religion theme has to dominate the show throughout while Harvey Keitel's character is a
pyrophilic. What's the deal with the black cop arguing about a stupid penknife? It's just a freaking
penknife! A nadir is reached by listening to the following amounts: thirty bucks, five bucks, ten bucks,
one buck, and twenty bucks. Oh, come on. Give me a break.
All in all, Mean Streets should be viewed as a launching pad for Martin Scorsese to send a message
to everybody in Hollywood: "See! I can make a film! Now, give me the fucking budget that I need."
2/25:
Mean Streets has aged somewhat well by now.
It's mostly about the atmosphere. There's no story. Some of the
scenes don't connect very well. The exteriors were shot on location around New York City in the shortest amount of
time possible while the interiors were done in Los Angeles to save money. Obviously, the standouts are Harvey
Keitel and Robert De Niro. This is the film, which was privately screened for Francis Ford Coppola,
that got the latter cast in The Godfather Part II without an audition.
Mean Streets and Bang the Drum Slowly were theatrically released
on the same day, offering a first glimpse of Robert De Niro, and people couldn't believe he played two
completely different characters. Today, most don't realize that Robert De Niro had worked for over
ten years, hustling for an acting job here and there with little luck. He studied the part of Johnny Boy meticulously
while picking up Italian street slang and collecting wardrobe to make his character as authentic as possible.
It's been his modus operandi for every film role with increasing seriousness which hit the
pinnacle in Raging Bull.
All in all, the success of Mean Streets mostly rests on the atmosphere and the performances.