Mean Streets (1973)

Generally consider director Martin Scorsese's first significant film, Mean Streets sets the precedence for much of what would come later in the directors canon, including setting, themes, mode, subject matter, and even cast, with future Scorsese regulars Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro featuring in important roles in the film.

The story is about Charlie (Keitel) a young low level operative in his uncles organized crime syndicate, who aspires to work his way up to be a mid-level operative in said syndicate and run a restaurant or club for his uncle. Charlie has a number of friends who exist in the same seamy underworld as he does, most notably 'Johnny Boy' (De Niro) a two bit hood and lousy gambler who is perpetually in debt, but my finally have run up a tab that he can't pay and with the wrong people to boot. Charlie does what he can to keep Johnny Boy alive, in part because he is his friend, in part because he has religious scruples which make it so that Charlie's never quite comfortable in doing what he does for a living, and in part because he is in a secret romantic relationship with Johnny Boy's cousin Teresa (Amy Robinson) who suffers from epilepsy and who Charlie's uncle does not approve as a romantic interest for his nephew.

The film was a lot less violent then I'd expected, but still has everything you'd come to expect from this great directors later work. There are a few moment in this film that strongly foreshadow better known moments form Scorsese's later films, for example the scene where Charlie is strutting his way through his friends club is rather similar to a famous scene from Goodfellas where Ray Liotta struts his way through a club. An important film for true Scorsese fans to see, and a rather good one besides. ***1/2