Review of Mean Streets (1973) by Moazzam M — 18 Dec 2009
Martin Scorcese's breakthrough classic is firstly, a story of sin and penance, secondly, a first-hand account of the lives of young Italian-American immigrants and thirdly, a gangster flick. The former is continuously stressed upon brilliantly throughout the film through the contrasting personalities of Charlie and Johnny Boy.
Charlie is obsessed with paying his penance on the "mean streets" by helping Johnny Boy, but Johnny Boy can't tell between right and wrong, walking the streets like a ticking time bomb. Scorcese's direction is fantastic; he bathes the bar in a perpetual red light, signifying the evils that take place there.
The rock soundtrack is perfect and aids in further capturing the zeitgeist. The realism that pervades Mean Streets is what finally makes it a truly great movie.
This review of Mean Streets (1973) was written by Moazzam M on 18 Dec 2009.
Mean Streets has generally received very positive reviews.
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