Mean Streets DVD

Pros

• Raw, intense, personal filmmaking by Martin Scorsese
• Strong performances by Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro
• Fascinating portrait of life of young men in Manhattan's Little Italy

Cons

• Movie not as polished as Scorsese’s later films
• Narrative is subtle and movie may seem plotless to some
• Film deserves more and better bonus materials than this DVD provides

Description

• Special Edition DVD containing drama Mean Streets (1973)
• Film co-written and directed by Martin Scorsese
• Movie stars Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro
• DVD provides audio commentary by Scorsese and actress Amy Robinson (1 hr. 21 min.)
• DVD has a vintage featurette Back on the Block (7 min.)
• Excellent picture (anamorphic widescreen 1.85:1, color)
• Good sound quality (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
• MPAA Rating: R
• Feature run time: 1 hour 52 minutes
• DVD release date: August 17, 2004

Guide Review - Mean Streets DVD

Years ago, I saw Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets in a theater and loved it. As the years went by, Scorsese became famous for his great films Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas, but I consider Mean Streets to be at least as good as any of his movies. His later films are more polished and appeal to a wider audience, but I like the raw, personal feel of Mean Streets.

Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro are the brilliant young stars of Mean Streets, and Scorsese artfully used their talents to tell a story set in the milieu in which he grew up: Manhattan's Little Italy. What really sets Mean Streets apart is the way Scorsese blends influences from American and European cinema to create a style uniquely his own. What I'm thinking of here is that the feel of the movie is like that of an American film noir and the acting style is similar to On the Waterfront, yet the narrative and character arc are subtle like those in Italian and French films circa 1960.

The Special Edition DVD provides an audio track that has commentary on selected scenes by Martin Scorsese and Amy Robinson. The total length of all commentary is about 31 minutes shorter than the film, and scenes for which there is no commentary are automatically skipped over.

I found Scorsese's remarks well worthwhile, and I would like to have heard more from him. You can find out more about the DVD special features and the movie by following the link to the full-length review.