Product: Mean Streets (1973)
Rating: 5.0
Mean Streets-American cinema at its best
Mean Streets is notable because it marks the first collaboration between director Martin Scorsese and actor Robert De Niro but it's worth watching for many reasons.There is no comparable movie that- on an obvious shoestring budget- conveys such power, intensity and vision to its audience. This movie dazzles with its technical virtuosity and its incredible heart. This movie is REAL, in that it conveys the director's singular vision with such clarity and passion that you find yourself being sucked into this grimy world of hoodlums and hangers-on from the very first scene. Mean Streets keeps you on the edge: the violence hits you with the impact of a closed fist and the gritty dialogue bounces through your mind long after the credits have rolled.On a side note, the use of music in this movie is the best I've ever seen or heard. It doesn't seem added-on or give you the impression of music video in the middle of the movie. It's central to the film and its adds power to the images and grace to the characters. If the sound of 'Be my baby' floating over the opening credits doesn't grip you, nothing will.Mean Streets is a movie of exceptional intenisty and impact. It may not be Scorsese's best but it is one of his seminal works and the closest he has come to making an 'auteur' film. It's a must for any fan of great movie-making