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Mean Streets

205 statements
39 feature instances
13 referencing feature instances

Mean Streets	type	TVTItem
Mean Streets	label	Mean Streets
Mean Streets	page	MeanStreets
Mean Streets	comment	Mean Streets is a 1973 film directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Harvey Keitel as Charlie, a morally and spiritually conflicted young mobster, and Robert De Niro as Johnny Boy, his immature and irresponsible best friend. Charlie has his hands full keeping the reckless Johnny Boy on the straight and narrow. At the same time, Charlie is having an affair with Johnny's cousin, Teresa, but keeping it secret because Teresa is an epileptic and the community shuns her for this.The film was Scorsese's Breakthrough Hit, establishing him as a major talent, and proved to be DeNiro's Star-Making Role. It was seen as the counterpart to The Godfather as it took a gritty, down-to-earth approach to the Italian American mob, showing them without the Affably Evil stylizations of Coppola's film. Much of what came to be Scorsese's Signature Style is visible in this film, including stylized camera movements, sudden violence, troubling religious iconography and use of popular music as scores.It was also the first of Scorsese's films to deal with the mob, a subject he returned to with GoodFellas and Casino, later noting that all three films represent an informal trilogy of the Italian American mob from low-level hoodlums to power brokers.
Mean Streets	fetched	2023-08-26T00:15:06Z
Mean Streets	parsed	2023-08-26T00:15:06Z
Mean Streets	processingComment	Dropped link to IVitelloni: Not a Feature - ITEM
Mean Streets	processingComment	Dropped link to MissionFromGod: Not a Feature - ITEM
Mean Streets	isPartOf	DBTropes
Mean Streets / int_104c62cd	type	Facecam
Mean Streets / int_104c62cd	comment	Facecam: Used during Charlie's aforementioned Binge Montage. Arguably the Trope Maker for "Facecam = intoxicated."
Mean Streets / int_104c62cd	featureApplicability	1.0
Mean Streets / int_104c62cd	featureConfidence	1.0
Mean Streets	hasFeature	Mean Streets / int_104c62cd
Mean Streets / int_121476bd	type	The Millstone
Mean Streets / int_121476bd	comment	The Millstone: Johnny. When they finally get to collect a debt after a pool hall brawl, Johnny re-ignites the brawl gratuitously. On another occasion, even when Charlie's trying to help him, Johnny spends the money Charlie loaned him to pay Michael just out of spite. He then insults Michael, threatens him, behaves like an idiot. In the end Charlie is probably going to get into trouble for disobeying his uncle and helping Johnny.
Mean Streets / int_121476bd	featureApplicability	1.0
Mean Streets / int_121476bd	featureConfidence	1.0
Mean Streets	hasFeature	Mean Streets / int_121476bd
Mean Streets / int_127fc252	type	Creator Cameo
Mean Streets / int_127fc252	comment	Creator Cameo: Martin Scorsese plays hood Jimmy Shorts, the one who takes the shots at Johnny Boy at the end. He's also the voice of the priest when Charlie goes to pray in church at the start.
Mean Streets / int_127fc252	featureApplicability	1.0
Mean Streets / int_127fc252	featureConfidence	1.0
Mean Streets	hasFeature	Mean Streets / int_127fc252
Mean Streets / int_19f527df	type	Blowing Smoke Rings
Mean Streets / int_19f527df	comment	Blowing Smoke Rings: At the party for the returning soldier, Michael sits and calmly blows smoke rings while the others get louder and drunker, showing how he's somewhat removed from their circle.
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Mean Streets / int_19f527df	featureConfidence	1.0
Mean Streets	hasFeature	Mean Streets / int_19f527df
Mean Streets / int_2bdb6280	type	The Big Rotten Apple
Mean Streets / int_2bdb6280	comment	The Big Rotten Apple: New York looks rotten, filthy, awful. About thirty seconds in there's a shot of a guy shooting up in a bar bathroom.
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Mean Streets / int_2bdb6280	featureConfidence	1.0
Mean Streets	hasFeature	Mean Streets / int_2bdb6280
Mean Streets / int_2dc0d2bf	type	Hidden Depths
Mean Streets / int_2dc0d2bf	comment	Hidden Depths: Tony the Mook is apparently familiar with William Blake poetry, as evidenced by a throwaway comment about how he wanted to buy a tiger.
Mean Streets / int_2dc0d2bf	featureApplicability	1.0
Mean Streets / int_2dc0d2bf	featureConfidence	1.0
Mean Streets	hasFeature	Mean Streets / int_2dc0d2bf
Mean Streets / int_34dcfc96	type	Kick the Dog
Mean Streets / int_34dcfc96	comment	Kick the Dog: Johnny Boy coldly abandoning Charlie and Teresa while she has an epileptic seizure due to their fight not caring if she'll make it. And just before that mock hers and Charlie's relationship by asking if she has seizures when she climaxes.
Mean Streets / int_34dcfc96	featureApplicability	1.0
Mean Streets / int_34dcfc96	featureConfidence	1.0
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Mean Streets / int_3fe2b13f	type	Ungrateful Bastard
Mean Streets / int_3fe2b13f	comment	Ungrateful Bastard: Johnny Boy. Charlie manages to get his debt reduced by a thousand dollars and negotiates with Michael to lay off him until they can all negotiate a settlement, but not only does he do everything he can to not pay Michael back, by the time they meet face-to-face, he gives him a meager ten dollars (after spending most of his cash on drinks), then threatens Michael with a gun. All of this earns him a bullet to the neck, his survival unclear.
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Mean Streets / int_4968ed35	type	Door-Closes Ending
Mean Streets / int_4968ed35	comment	Door-Closes Ending: Sort of. The very last shot shows some of the windows of the apartment building. The old lady (played by Martin Scorsese's mother) in the far right window lowers her blinds. Smash to Black.
Mean Streets / int_4968ed35	featureApplicability	1.0
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Mean Streets / int_56240281	type	Country Matters
Mean Streets / int_56240281	comment	Country Matters: While Charlie is in bed with Teresa early in the movie, he calls her a cunt. She does not take it well.
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Mean Streets / int_5f54a67b	type	Enter Stage Window
Mean Streets / int_5f54a67b	comment	Enter Stage Window: Johnny Boy does this to get into Charlie’s apartment, finds Teresa and Charlie embracing, and finds out about their affair.
Mean Streets / int_5f54a67b	featureApplicability	1.0
Mean Streets / int_5f54a67b	featureConfidence	1.0
Mean Streets	hasFeature	Mean Streets / int_5f54a67b
Mean Streets / int_65bc92fc	type	Four-Temperament Ensemble
Mean Streets / int_65bc92fc	comment	Four-Temperament Ensemble: Johnny Boy=Sanguine (Teresa also counts), Charlie=Phlegmatic, Tony=Choleric, Michael=Melancholic.
Mean Streets / int_65bc92fc	featureApplicability	1.0
Mean Streets / int_65bc92fc	featureConfidence	1.0
Mean Streets	hasFeature	Mean Streets / int_65bc92fc
Mean Streets / int_66755d29	type	Author Avatar
Mean Streets / int_66755d29	comment	Author Avatar: Charlie is at least partly one for Martin Scorsese. His last name is even Scorsese's mother's maiden name (Cappa).
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Mean Streets / int_6bf93fc7	type	FanService
Mean Streets / int_6bf93fc7	comment	Fanservice: Even with pasties on, the topless dancers at the bar merit a lot of the camera’s attention. Later on, the bedroom scenes with Teresa show full frontal nudity (though not from Harvey Keitel).
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Mean Streets / int_716d9138	type	Bar Brawl
Mean Streets / int_716d9138	comment	Bar Brawl: One breaks out when Charlie goes to collect a payment from a pool hall owner, the pool hall owner is reluctant to pay, and a brawl breaks out.
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Mean Streets / int_786d6cf6	type	You Wouldn't Shoot Me
Mean Streets / int_786d6cf6	comment	You Wouldn't Shoot Me: "You don't have the guts" — followed by the target fleeing the premises sharpish, only to set up a drive-by in revenge.
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Mean Streets / int_7e081ea0	type	Slice of Life
Mean Streets / int_7e081ea0	comment	Slice of Life: There isn't much of a plot, although Charlie's efforts to keep Johnny Boy from fucking up form a theme of sorts. It's basically a study of the lives of some mooks over a few days. Very much like the film's inspiration, I Vitelloni.
Mean Streets / int_7e081ea0	featureApplicability	1.0
Mean Streets / int_7e081ea0	featureConfidence	1.0
Mean Streets	hasFeature	Mean Streets / int_7e081ea0
Mean Streets / int_7eb73553	type	Bullying a Dragon
Mean Streets / int_7eb73553	comment	Bullying a Dragon: After Charlie has gone out of his way to rectify Johnny Boy's debt situation with a neighborhood mobster, Johnny Boy not only refuses to pay but also insults the mobster to his face and threatens him with a gun. Not a wise move.
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Mean Streets / int_7eb73553	featureConfidence	1.0
Mean Streets	hasFeature	Mean Streets / int_7eb73553
Mean Streets / int_7febc23b	type	Establishing Character Moment
Mean Streets / int_7febc23b	comment	Establishing Character Moment: In the opening scenes, Charlie is shown leaving confession in a church, while Johnny Boy is shown blowing up a mailbox For the Evulz.
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Mean Streets / int_8fd7af48	type	Sir Swears-a-Lot
Mean Streets / int_8fd7af48	comment	Sir Swears-a-Lot: Johnny Boy.
Mean Streets / int_8fd7af48	featureApplicability	1.0
Mean Streets / int_8fd7af48	featureConfidence	1.0
Mean Streets	hasFeature	Mean Streets / int_8fd7af48
Mean Streets / int_962ffef6	type	ISO-Standard Urban Groceries
Mean Streets / int_962ffef6	comment	ISO-Standard Urban Groceries: Does Teresa have a long French bread roll sticking out of the grocery bag she carries home? Is there a quart of milk in there? Yes and yes.
Mean Streets / int_962ffef6	featureApplicability	1.0
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Mean Streets	hasFeature	Mean Streets / int_962ffef6
Mean Streets / int_9d17b859	type	Made of Iron
Mean Streets / int_9d17b859	comment	Made of Iron: The drunk played by David Carradine, who gets shot three times, turns and grabs his assailant and drags him out of the bathroom, gets shot a fourth time, grabs his assailant again, and appears to be winning the fight by the time they roll out into the street and he collapses. The gang marvels at this, and comparisons to Rasputin are made.
Mean Streets / int_9d17b859	featureApplicability	1.0
Mean Streets / int_9d17b859	featureConfidence	1.0
Mean Streets	hasFeature	Mean Streets / int_9d17b859
Mean Streets / int_a861560f	type	The Friend Nobody Likes
Mean Streets / int_a861560f	comment	The Friend Nobody Likes: Johnny Boy seems to be this. Charlie is the only one he has a close bond with, everyone else regards him as a loose cannon, and it's implied that Charlie's Supervision of him is what's keeping Johnny Boy in their circle.
Mean Streets / int_a861560f	featureApplicability	1.0
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Mean Streets / int_b0a529cb	type	Extreme Doormat
Mean Streets / int_b0a529cb	comment	Extreme Doormat: Both Charlie and Michael are unusually patient and lenient by mobster standards, but it works against them. Charlie is too attached to Johnny and goes out of his way to help his situation despite the fact that Johnny does nothing to help himself, putting himself in danger by merely associating with a loser like him. Michael is lenient enough to lower Johnny's debt by a full $1000 but he can't intimidate Johnny enough to get him to pay even that.
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Mean Streets / int_b58b4e3c	type	Too Dumb to Live
Mean Streets / int_b58b4e3c	comment	Too Dumb to Live: Johnny Boy (especially after he insults and threatens a mobster he's heavily indebted to).
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Mean Streets / int_b58b4e3c	featureConfidence	1.0
Mean Streets	hasFeature	Mean Streets / int_b58b4e3c
Mean Streets / int_bf75c797	type	Binge Montage
Mean Streets / int_bf75c797	comment	Binge Montage: The scene where there's a Face Cam in front of a very tipsy Charlie at a party is a textbook example.
Mean Streets / int_bf75c797	featureApplicability	1.0
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Mean Streets / int_c36cba70	type	Mooks
Mean Streets / int_c36cba70	comment	Mooks: One of the earliest known uses of the term thereby making the film a Trope Namer. The whole movie, in fact, is about the day-to-day life of low-level mooks.
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Mean Streets / int_c49935fa	type	20 Minutes into the Past
Mean Streets / int_c49935fa	comment	20 Minutes into the Past: Set in the latter part of The '60s, with September 1968 likely being the specific time frame (since that's the month the San Gennaro festival takes place and it's also around the time "Jumpin' Jack Flash" was peaking on the charts).
Mean Streets / int_c49935fa	featureApplicability	1.0
Mean Streets / int_c49935fa	featureConfidence	1.0
Mean Streets	hasFeature	Mean Streets / int_c49935fa
Mean Streets / int_c75df49a	type	Shout-Out
Mean Streets / int_c75df49a	comment	Shout-Out: There are many movie references even this early in Scorsese's oeuvre: The film Charlie, Johnny Boy and Teresa go to is Ligeia by Roger Corman (producer and Scorsese's old boss). The film is Scorsese's personal favorite of Corman's Poe films. One of the posters at the theater is for Husbands, directed by John Cassavetes, whose work was obviously an influence on this film, but also a tip-of-the-hat because Cassavetes personally encouraged Scorsese to put more of his life experiences into his films, which led to the creation of Mean Streets. The finale, the montage of Johnny Boy's mooks friends and associates in their own life, intercut with Johnny and Charlie in the aftermath of the attack is structured like the end of I Vitelloni only with the opposite ending, the hero leaves the town in Federico Fellini's film but Scorsese's hero fails.
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Mean Streets / int_cdad4b25	type	Toxic Friend Influence
Mean Streets / int_cdad4b25	comment	Toxic Friend Influence: Johnny Boy is so much of this to Charlie that even Charlie's Mob superior—his uncle—warns him to stay away. Subverted in the end, it turns out that it's Charlie who's this to Johnny Boy, at least from Scorsese's perspective, who believes that Charlie was using Johnny Boy for his own selfish moral conflict.
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Mean Streets / int_d46a809e	type	Gangland Drive-By
Mean Streets / int_d46a809e	comment	Gangland Drive-By: Michael and Jimmy Shorts spray the car that Johnny is in full of lead at the end of the movie, after Johnny Boy goes way, way, way too far with antagonizing Michael. Apparently Charlie, Johnny Boy, and Teresa all survive, although it's not completely clear.
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Mean Streets / int_e150c4c7	type	Manchild
Mean Streets / int_e150c4c7	comment	Manchild: Johnny Boy. Although, given his penchant for blowing up mailboxes, starting bar brawls, and sticking (unloaded) guns in the faces of mobsters he owes money to, it can be argued he's closer to a Psychopathic Man Child. In either case, he still has the emotional, intellectual, and mental maturity of a young—and rather dim—adolescent.
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Mean Streets / int_e5421161	type	Expy
Mean Streets / int_e5421161	comment	Expy: I Vitelloni is used more as a point of reference than a blueprint for Mean Streets, but you can make a case for Moraldo/Charlie and Fausto/Johnny Boy.
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Mean Streets / int_ea2e9f2d	type	No Ending
Mean Streets / int_ea2e9f2d	comment	No Ending: Michael, having been pushed way too far by Johnny Boy, stages a drive-by assault as Charlie is driving Johnny to Brooklyn with Teresa tagging along. After Jimmy Shorts pumps bullets into their car, Charlie crashes. Johnny is shot in the neck but apparently not fatally, as he stumbles away from the car. Charlie exits the car, shot in the hand. Teresa is also able to walk away, helped out by the EMTs after suffering a cut on the scalp. There's a quick montage of other characters from the film. Then the film ends.
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Mean Streets / int_eb251937	type	Dirty Cop
Mean Streets / int_eb251937	comment	Dirty Cop: The cop who breaks up the Bar Brawl then casually accepts "car fare" to Philadelphia—that is, a bribe.
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Mean Streets / int_ecc8b108	type	Damn, It Feels Good to Be a Gangster!
Mean Streets / int_ecc8b108	comment	Damn, It Feels Good to Be a Gangster!: Played With. The guys certainly think they have a good life, but as the film goes on we see they're not in a great position. The older Mafia leaders (like Charlie's uncle Giovanni) hold all the power and use the mooks like pawns. They really don't have much of a life outside of hanging out in bars and restaurants and getting drunk, and for all the fun they have they also have their associates (like Michael) who see organized crime as Serious Business, with dangerous consequences.
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Mean Streets / int_fb3576b2	type	The Dog Bites Back
Mean Streets / int_fb3576b2	comment	The Dog Bites Back: Pushed to the limits of his patience throughout the film, Michael eventually acts on his threats after Johnny not only refuses to cough up the money but threatens Michael with a gun.
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Mean Streets / int_fdbd6162	type	With Friends Like These...
Mean Streets / int_fdbd6162	comment	With Friends Like These...: It's really hard to see why Charlie remains friends with Johnny Boy, not even causing Teresa to have a seizure makes Charlie turn on him or Johnny throwing all his hard effort to make things right with Michael into his face.
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Mean Streets / int_name	type	ItemName
Mean Streets / int_name	comment
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The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

Mean Streets	hasFeature	Bait-and-Switch / int_9cf7191
Mean Streets	hasFeature	Binge Montage / int_9cf7191
Mean Streets	hasFeature	Creator Cameo / int_9cf7191
Mean Streets	hasFeature	Facecam / int_9cf7191
Mean Streets	hasFeature	Gangster Fiction / int_9cf7191
HarveyKeitel	seeAlso	Mean Streets
Mean Streets	hasFeature	Literary Allusion Title / int_9cf7191
Mean Streets	hasFeature	Loan Shark / int_9cf7191
Mean Streets	hasFeature	Poisonous Friend / int_9cf7191
Mean Streets	hasFeature	The Big Rotten Apple / int_9cf7191
Mean Streets	hasFeature	The Foreign Subtitle / int_9cf7191
Mean Streets	hasFeature	Thematic Series / int_9cf7191
Mean Streets	hasFeature	You Wouldn't Shoot Me / int_9cf7191

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