Review of Mean Streets (1973) by Kenneth L — 24 Jun 2011
An excellent first gangster effort from Scorsese is noticeably more scattershot than his precise later efforts, but it gives a heady whiff of the gangster lifestyle. Presented as a cluster of vignettes that move some semblance of a plot forward, the different visual anecdotes add their own bit of spice and pizzazz to the feel of the movie.
It's rare to see De Niro so wholly dissolute and unlikeable a character, which made his death decidedly less impactful than Scorsese was attempting to make it; Harvey Keitel's character gets all the sympathy for his more socially constructive gangster (if such a gradient can be measured in criminals).
The handheld camerawork gives the film a gritty, immersive feel; this combined with deeply personal themes of Catholic guilt and failed redemption make the movie quite intimate and involving, especially when compared with the biopic, docudrama feel of Scorsese's two gangster epics Goodfellas and Casino.
The contemplative nature of Keitel's struggles with romance and mafia machismo are akin to the brooding French New Wave films. It's quite apparent Scorsese was setting the blueprint for his stylistic tendencies and the thematic grab-bag he returns to time and again in his future crime movies.
This review of Mean Streets (1973) was written by Kenneth L on 24 Jun 2011.
Mean Streets has generally received very positive reviews.
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