Xiaomin Kusano, Cruel Street

Alden 2021-12-08 08:01:44

Starting from "New York Gangs", watching Scorsese's movies now is like watching an old friend. Streets, vulgar words and gangs are elements that Scorsese can't live without. After so many years of shooting, only a few films of "The Age of Innocence" and "New York, New York" have left these things. From those swear words and long shots, Scorsese's flavor is so strong that you know it.
You haven’t read a book about American society and culture systematically, so go and watch Scorsese’s movies. At least you can feel the atmosphere immersively, even the remoteness of gang life. It seems very familiar.
Scorsese rarely shoots legends. In my opinion, his films are life-like, and impatient audiences will feel very bored, but he will always play tricks to shock your spirit. The most common thing is that the owner in the foreground is just talking in the camera, and a group of people in the depth of field start to fight. Or just come to a passionate rock music, the kind of moving that accompanied the sudden arrival of the camera reminds you of Jia Zhangke's soundtrack.
Scorsese rarely photographs the "hero" in that concept, even "The Last Temptation of Christ" is no exception. Christ is also an ordinary person struggling in real life, from "Taxi Driver" to "Angry "Bull" is not the case. To understand Scorsese and to read his films, it is necessary to understand the cultural context in which he lives. But for people who don't understand Western history and culture, it doesn't matter at all. Just watching his story is equally exciting. Looking at the interview with Scorsese, I realized that the 1960s was an age of brewing transition, a watershed between classical and modern films, and the film concept of young European directors became clear in the 1960s.
Watching "Poor Streets and Back Alleys", I not only smiled when I saw Scorsese's jerky, the photography was good, the recording effect was too poor, and the structure was too random. But from the last set of shots of the film, we can already see the young director's genius potential for creating scenes and emotional orgasms.

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Extended Reading
  • Lela 2021-12-08 08:01:44

    You don't make up for your sins in church. You do it in the streets. The rest is bullshit and you know it. Martin) "Youth with nowhere to put". Slow motion, editing, and composing are all too cool

  • Cathryn 2022-04-21 09:02:07

    It was also in 1973 that Lucas shot "American Style Painting". Like the old horse, the camera was aimed at the young American people who were roaming the streets. The same light narrative and heavy atmosphere can see the influence of the new wave on them. , and since the beginning of this film, the old horse has also established his own motif, the anxiety of immigrants, the fate of the gang, and the cooperation with De Niro spanning half a century, the billiard hall chasing long shots is also a very old horse label.

Mean Streets quotes

  • Johnny Boy: Y'know Joey Clams...

    Charlie: Yeah.

    Johnny Boy: ...Joey Scala, yeah.

    Charlie: I know him too, yeah.

    Johnny Boy: ...yeah. No. No, Joey Scala is Joey Clams.

    Charlie: Right.

    Johnny Boy: Right.

    Charlie: ...they're the same person!

    Johnny Boy: Yeah!

    Charlie: 'ey!

    Johnny Boy: 'ey...

  • Johnny Boy: You see, I borrow money all over this neighborhood, left and right from every BODY, I never pay them back. So, I can't borrow no money from nobody no more, right? So, who would that leave me to borrow money from but you? I borrow money from you, because you're the only jerk-off around here who I can borrow money from without payin' back, right? You know, 'cause that's what you are, that's what I think of you: a jerk-off.