Mean Streets

Name: Mean Streets
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime
Released: October 14, 1973
Duration: 112 min
Rating: 96
Cast: Amy Robinson, Cesare Danova, David Proval, George Memmoli, Harvey Keitel

1973

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 11 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 85 Ratings

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7.3

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7.3	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 85 Ratings

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Mean Streets

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Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. | Release Date: October 14, 1973 | R

Starring: Amy Robinson, Cesare Danova, David Proval, George Memmoli, Harvey Keitel, Jeannie Bell, Lenny Scaletta, Richard Romanus, Robert De Niro, Victor Argo

Summary: Charlie (Harvey Keitel) is working his way up the ranks of a local mob. Teresa (Amy Robinson) is the girlfriend his family deems unsuitable because of her epilepsy. Johnny Boy (Robert De Niro) is a small-time gambler in big-time debt to loan sharks. This is a story Martin Scorsese lived, a semi-biographical tale of the first-generation sonsCharlie (Harvey Keitel) is working his way up the ranks of a local mob. Teresa (Amy Robinson) is the girlfriend his family deems unsuitable because of her epilepsy. Johnny Boy (Robert De Niro) is a small-time gambler in big-time debt to loan sharks. This is a story Martin Scorsese lived, a semi-biographical tale of the first-generation sons and daughters of New York's Little Italy. [Warner Bros.]… Expand

Director: Martin Scorsese

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 112 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Vincent Canby

No matter how bleak the milieu, no matter how heartbreaking the narrative, some films are so thoroughly, beautifully realized they have a kind of tonic effect that has no relation to the subject matter. Such a film is Mean Streets. Read full review

100

Pauline Kael

Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets is a true original of our period, a triumph of personal filmmaking. It has its own hallucinatory look; the characters live in the darkness of bars, with lighting and color just this side of lurid. It has its own unsettling, episodic rhythm and a high-charged emotional range that is dizzyingly sensual. Read full review

100

Roger Ebert

Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets isn’t so much a gangster movie as a perceptive, sympathetic, finally tragic story about how it is to grow up in a gangster environment. Read full review

100

Kevin Thomas

Mean Streets is a jazzy riff of a movie, zigging and zagging as if to the beat of snapping fingers. Its greatness lies in its leanness, with nary a word, a move, a gesture that's nonessential. Read full review

100

The Guardian Peter Bradshaw

The movie's blazing energy is still astounding; the vérité street-scenes are terrific and Scorsese's pioneering use of popular music is genuinely thrilling. Read full review

100

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

Mean Streets is a brilliantly made film--terrifically acted, sharply photographed and crisply edited. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

Scorsese is exceptionally good at guiding his largely unknown cast to near-flawless recreations of types. Outstanding in this regard is De Niro. Read full review

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User Reviews

SDFisme

Apr 6, 2021

Everybody loves New York, but New York loves nobody. The film gives more importance to character than to plot. Characters are incredibly portrayed and the contrast between the characters is clearly visible. Considering that the film was made in 1973, a few technical errors can be forgivenEverybody loves New York, but New York loves nobody. The film gives more importance to character than to plot. Characters are incredibly portrayed and the contrast between the characters is clearly visible. Considering that the film was made in 1973, a few technical errors can be forgiven but overall an incredibly well-made and fun film.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

Mahmus

Aug 22, 2019

Stylish, well acted and classic Scorsese. There's a sense that the characters have lived in this world for a long time.

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

OlivierPiel

Dec 15, 2019

Interesting to see this film for the first time, year of my birth, after having grown up with Scorcese movies. It is far more realistic and touching than his latest works, even though the cinematography is indeed very rough to say the least compared to Goodfellas or Casino and so on. TheInteresting to see this film for the first time, year of my birth, after having grown up with Scorcese movies. It is far more realistic and touching than his latest works, even though the cinematography is indeed very rough to say the least compared to Goodfellas or Casino and so on. The messy script might be a turn off but I think it cleverly fits with the bestial , irrational pulsions that he displays so vividly, naturalistically one might say.
Also, I was surprised that Keitel's character resembles more the Jesuits priests in the movie "Silence" in a way. It is very satisfying as a way of "closing the loop" on his life's work.… Expand

3 of 6 users found this helpful33

smurose

Aug 10, 2020

Wow! This movie was a complete hot mess and very entertaining. The acting was authentic and funny. I think it did a great job capturing Italian Americans in that era in Little Italy. It reminded me a little of Saturday Night Fever but mafia-ish. I would watch it again.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

beamyapple

Sep 10, 2020

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. this movie is good. martin scorsese is pretty good. There are **** Some guys die. Idk watch??… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

Andremax

Nov 19, 2018

Exquisite and natural actings inside a inconsistent plot. It's far from the best Scorcese moments.

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

thefruitman

Jan 23, 2021

General Review:
Another movie I had never heard of and wasn’t sure what to expect. Have heard of a lot of Martin Scorsese movies but haven’t seen many (if any) before. The acting, cinematography and music were all fine in this movie but for some reason it barely held my interest. Might beGeneral Review:
Another movie I had never heard of and wasn’t sure what to expect. Have heard of a lot of Martin Scorsese movies but haven’t seen many (if any) before. The acting, cinematography and music were all fine in this movie but for some reason it barely held my interest. Might be my sleep depraved state I was in when watching it but I just didn’t find myself caring about any of the characters and nothing really seemed to happen. I know there were different mob-type people, a few fights and a restaurant involved but characters just seemed to come and go and nothing really seemed to happen. The Good:
The music – a great mixture of different styles or music which perfectly matched the different scenes and moods of the movie.
The editing and cinematography – the scenes and angles all seemed to add to different scenes, hardly noticed any cuts within scenes which usually suggests they were well done. Small touches like the shaky camera in running scenes also added another dimension of immersion.

The Bad:
The plot and characters – not if this was the movie/plots fault or my own but both the characters and plot didn’t draw me in and I found myself bored at times.
Final Thoughts:
Although there was nothing noticeably bad with the movie it just never really floated my boat and was a bit luck luster for myself. Score:
6 out of 10 pineapples!… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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