MEAN STREETS

US, 1973, 110 minutes, Colour.
Harvey Keitel, Robert de Niro, David Proval, Richard Romanus, Amy Robinson.
Directed by Martin Scorsese.

Mean Streets is an early film by Martin Scorsese. Scorsese became famous with Taxi Driver and Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore and it is fair to look at some of his earlier work in retrospect. This film is most reminiscent of Taxi Driver, the same squalid New York streets, although this time in Scorsese's familiar ground of Little Italy. Much is made also of the Catholic upbringing and conscience faced with an environment of violence, corruption and exploitation. Harvey Keitel and Robert de Niro (pre-Taxi Driver) are two of the young men spawned by this world to scrounge and survive on the mean streets. Unrelenting in its presentation, and hard work to watch and appreciate, this is one of the most effectively grim pictures of the ugly side of New York.

1. The overall impact of the film? Plot, atmosphere, characters, themes? The immersion of the audience in the man streets?

2. The film in the perspective of the complete works of Martin Scorsese? His interests, background, themes? The autobiographical nature of the film? Reflection, condemnation, exorcism? Was there any affection for this way of life in New York?

3. The technical contribution: editing, tracking sequences? The importance of the lighting, colour, emphasis of tones especially red and black? The importance of close-ups and profiles? Improvisation? The significance and symbolism of the home movie behind the credits?

4. The contribution of the musical score? The continuous music and the selection of songs and themes? Contemporary music, disco and nightclub music contrasting with Italian songs and hymns?

5. The contribution of the acting - casting, interpretation of roles, improvisation (and the recording of the dialogue and natural sounds)? The discussion sequences, the fighting and the brawling? How authentic? The imagination behind the acting?

6. The film's purpose: observation, understanding, sympathy, empathy, exorcism? For an American audience, for non-Americans? For a non-New York audience?

7. The significance of the Italian background, the use of the Italian language and subtitles? The Italians in New York and their heritage, making this part of New York their home? The overtones of Catholicism and its pervading attitudes and beliefs - even when these were rejected verbally? Customs? The importance of the religious language. theological concepts, stern spirituality? The dominance of the Italian male and the macho attitudes? The traditions of the Mafia and the hold of the family, the disorder of breaking the appearances of family loyalty? The pervading of Italian attitudes of the characters and their situations, their rebellion?

8. The focus on the four men and the introduction to them - their symbolic action highlighting their personality and character? How well did the film portray them as persons, as types, as symbols? Symbolising attitudes? The film's focus on their interaction and making the plot out of this? How well did the audience get to know them, sympathise with them, feel and understand?

9. The contribution of the plot? the drifting of the four men through their mean streets, the development of their characters in action, in their work, in their relationships? Seeing them in the nights of the man streets? The plot thread about Johnny Boy owing Michael money and Charlie's wanting to save him? The final presentation of the main characters at the end and the Italian comment and the buona notte, goodnight?

10. Charlie as the central character: Harvey Keitel's appearance, interpretation? His waking, looking at the man streets, his room? Prospects? His way of talking, talking to himself and to the audience? Prayer, the visit to the church, the discussion about sin, guilt. repentance and forgiveness, penance and his holding his finger over the candle? Memories of Hell? The restaurant scenes, the dancing with the black go-go dancer? The drifting way of life through the bars, his preoccupation with sex and the religious background to this? The encounter with Oscar, with his uncle and his hopes for the restaurant ? Friendship with Johnny Boy and trying to protect him? Irritated with him yet continually going out of his way to help? Tony and his restaurant, Michael and his demanding money? His relationship with Theresa, the scenes in the apartment, the emphasis on sexuality, their communication? The motivation behind what he did. his kindly attitudes towards people? The argument scenes.. the fights and the brawls? The trying to help Johnny Boy with his shooting? The encounter with Theresa and her fit? The final ride and the violence suffered?

11. The contrast with Johnny Boy and his exploding the mail box. his way of talking, strutting? Shooting at the Empire State Building? The man about town. arguing, betting the money and his long descriptions of his use of money? The efforts to evade Michael? The final confrontation? The drive and the shooting?

12. Michael and his having emerged with some kind of authority from this atmosphere? On his way to becoming a Mafia hood? The irony of the false deal with the Japanese parts? A man of anger, well dressed, spoken, the spiv around town, visiting his friends, the capacity for violence? The chase and his authorising of the shooting and his watching it?

13. Tony and his throwing out the drug addict at the beginning, his restaurant, the lion in the cage downstairs as a symbol of himself? His friendliness. his life within the restaurant walls?

14. The portrait of Theresa and her relationship to Johnny Boy, her love for Charlie, the sexual relationship, the arguments? The importance of the sequence at the beach and its letting in air and light? Her liking of the beach and the water. Charlie's reaction against it? Her reaction to Michael after the shopping? Her wanting to be at the ride and her being a victim of the shooting?

15. The older generation? the uncle and his influence, Oscar and his inability to cope? The Mafia background, obligations? The assassin in the restaurant and his being sent to Miami - to be eliminated? The authorising of executions and violence? The religious background? The final look ? especially at the uncle watching the television counterpointing the shooting?

16. The importance of the presentation of violence, verbal, brawling, fist fights, the final bullets? The irony of the fountain of water flowing over the blood bespattered victims?

17. The language used - swearing, foul-mouthed? As part of the atmosphere? Symbolic of the dead-end routines and seemingly pointless existence?

18. Religious themes of sin, forgiveness, guilt and responsibility? Discussions of Hell and the symbolic visual equivalents in lurid and dark colours? The pervasiveness of Italian religion, the festival and its lights. processions, crowds? The religious icons and statues and their symbolism?

19. The tone of the ending? The audience watching each of the characters? what future? Would the fountain of water reach or touch or purify any of them?