The relationship between Michael and Teresa is another strong point of the film. This might have been his best performance, even though it was essentially in a supporting role. De Niro’s portrayal of the reckless Johnny Boy is the most memorable of all. Tony, the bar owner, is more laid-back, but this is primarily because he has to maintain smooth relations with this volatile crowd, and even he occasionally erupts violently when the equanimity of his bar is threatened. These characterological issues of guilt and self-doubt are supported by superb acting portrayals of various people under stress.įor example, the Michael character is a particularly well-drawn image of this machismo anxiety, and he is perpetually revealing uptight insecurity over his perceived image in front of others. They don’t really have the inner self-confidence that they try to project towards others. The entire social milieu of Mean Streets shows macho-oriented men all suffering from the extreme anxiety of self-doubt. A second and related theme is associated with pride and respect. Guilt, of course, is a central concern in Roman Catholicism, and it would clearly be difficult for one to reconcile life as a mafioso with the strict sacraments of Catholicism. One of them revolves around the religious concerns of Charlie and his obsessions about guilt. In particular, there are two additional themes in Mean Streets that stand out in comparison to As Tears Go By. Both of these films are worthy, but you could say that Mean Streets covers a wider spectrum. While Mean Streets has some concern for the group milieu, this aspect is largely ignored in As Tears Go By, which focuses on the lonely individual and the existential tension he feels between group-oriented gangland obligations, and individual feelings of personal love. There are significant differences between the two films, though. It’s interesting to compare Mean Streets with Wong Kar Wai’s As Tears Go By (1988), whose plot was reputedly inspired by Mean Streets. The final section of the film involves the increasingly intense standoff between Michael and Johnny Boy, with Charlie in the middle, trying to defend his errant and self-destructive friend and head off a violent confrontation. Although this is the big city, prejudices and clannish traditions prevail in these circles. Similarly in another scene later, Michael feels repugnance when he learns that a girl he likes has kissed a black man. But his community-influenced prejudice against blacks prevents him from following up on his inclinations in that direction. Charlie has other amorous intentions, though, and he finds himself attracted to a black go-go dancer at the bar. There is also a gangland murder at Tony’s bar (involving a brief appearance of Keith Carradine), because of what was perceived to be an insult to some senior Mafia member.Īfter we have been introduced to the various social tensions, the film delves into the relationship between Charlie and Teresa during the second phase of the film. Early on Charlie, Tony, Johnny Boy, and friends go to a pool hall to collect a debt, whereupon a violent fight breaks erupts over the payment and some perceived disrespect. In particular, Johnny Boy owes several thousand dollars to Michael, whose business it is to collect his money from deadbeats by any means, fair or foul. The first third of the film focuses on the semi-violent social milieu of Charlie’s Little Italy world, and it also introduces us to Charlie’s special problem: the terminally feckless Johnny Boy. But Charlie is attracted to other women, too, including a glamorous black go-go dancer. Like most young men, Charlie avoids making any commitments, but his feelings for her are genuine. Charlie is having a secret love affair with Johnny Boy’s cousin, Teresa (Amy Ronbinson), a comely girl who offers him true love. Charlie is close friends with Johnny Boy and tries to look after him, not only for moral reasons related to some obscure family connections, but also out of genuine friendship. On several occasions Charlie prays in the cathedral and wonders about the eternal horrors from God’s punishment of Hell fire that await the guilty sinner after death. Although part of an organization that operates by its own, questionable rules, Charlie is a Roman Catholic and deeply concerned about the consequences of sin. Charlie works as a loan collector for the Mafia and wants to be a respected member an organization that places a great emphasis on dignity and “honor”, as they define it.
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