Review of Mean Streets (1973) by Peter F — 08 Jul 2016

Martin Scorsese's first masterpiece, and one of the most influential crime films ever made. Mean Streets added a sense of grit and realism to the genre, but watching Mean Streets now it's even a bit surprising to find that it's probably the director's most surreal work.

Tricky camera work, unpredictable cuts, and eerie use of voice-overs give the film a dreamy quality, that subtlety transgress any of the gangster tropes that audience members might otherwise find pedestrian.

Hell, the film might even feature the best dynamics for pop-songs in any Scorsese movie, as here they feel more organic rather than a John Hancock of the director's. Gangster cinema was never quite the same after Mean Streets, and rarely would it be anywhere near as powerful.