Mean Streets

Mean Streets. 1973 Warner Bros. Pictures.
Starring: Harvey Keitel, Robert De Niro, David Proval, Amy Robinson, Richard Romanus, Cesare Danova
Director: Martin Scorsese
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Charlie (Keitel) finds himself increasingly torn between his devout Catholicism and trying to move up in the local mafia run by his uncle Giovanni (Danova), where he collects protection money. It could be argued that Charlie is "too nice" to succeed at what he's doing. He is also feeling hampered by his feeling of responsibility towards his immature and destructive friend Johnny Boy (De Niro). Not only that, but Charlie is having an affair with Johnny Boy's cousin Teresa (Robinson), who sufferes from epilepsy, and who is also looked down upon by Charlie's uncle.

Johnny Boy is also deeply in gambling debt to a local shark named Michael (Romanus), who is not making it a secret that his patience is running short.

Charlie also wants more than anything to run a restaurant controlled by his uncle. When Giovanni offers him control, Charlie struggles with a difficult decision: his mafia ambitions, or his devotion to Teresa while keeping Johnny Boy out of trouble.

A great flick. Scorsese, De Niro and Keitel would reunite three years later to even greater acclaim when they made Taxi Driver. Highly recommended.