Review of A Bronx Tale (1993) by Kia M — 01 Mar 2014

It takes a lot of effort to transition from an actor to a director, even if you are one of the greatest actors out there, and Robert De Niro's directional debut proves that will full force and vigor.

Based on a play by Chazz Palminteri who wrote the screenplay and co-stars alongside De Niro, A Bronx Tale captures the racial tension in Bronx, New York in the 1960's and with it spins a coming-of-age drama with a distinctively gangster movie flavor.

An Italian-American growing up on the streets of the Bronx is lured into the neighborhood mob led by the smooth, confident Sonny (Palminteri) who teaches the kid, Calogero how to survive the harsh environment of the neighborhood and a few life lessons that led him to success.

The kid's father, Lorenzo (De Niro) heavily opposes the mob lifestyle, warning his son to keep away from the bar where the gangsters hang out, though the kid doesn't listen and for almost a decade continues to strengthen bonds with Sonny.

As a teenager, Calogero and his circle of friends make their own mob of sorts, but Sonny tells "C" to stay away from them because they'll get him into trouble. C's tries to keep his association with the mob a secret from Lorenzo while attempting to spark a relationship with an African-American girl even though his neighborhood is hostile toward blacks.

Teaming with timely music and clever and emotionally charged writing, A Bronx Tale shows off the directing talent of De Niro and that he really learned a thing or two from Scorsese after working with him for two prosperous decades.