Mean Streets Blu-ray review

I think it was Oscar Wilde who said, “Memory is the diary that we all carry with us.”

Life in the late 1900’s was tough I can tell you. Phones where still tied to the wall of your house, they only made calls, and the internet never existed. Most cinemas still only had a single screen and only a couple of films got released each Friday, with a queue around the block to see the more popular ones. Getting hold of anything you’d heard about was a lot harder, if you had a niche hobby or collection you really had to work to add to it, sending off for printed catalogues, posting a cheque or postal order back then sitting for up to a month hoping you’s actually receive what you paid for. 

So what does that have to do with Mean Streets? Well, this lack of tech meant that if you wanted to get hold of an older, maybe more genre film, then it was often impossible. If your local video shop didn’t have it then you were pretty much knackered. 

Illegal copies of VHS tapes were passed around schools, colleges and workplaces after discussions that would now have people heading to Twitter to cry “spoiler alert”.

Mean Streets was one of the films that was talked about in my college, two lads reciting the whole “Mook? What’s a mook” scene piqued the interest of others and the film was passed around. 

That scene, and those words came flooding back to me when I heard that the fantastic bunch at Second Sight Films were doing one of their naughty little special edition Blu Ray releases of Mean Streets

Directed by Martin Scorsese and released in 1973 Mean Streets is a gritty, raw exploration of life on the mean streets (see what they did there?) of New York’s Little Italy. 

This film is one of Scorsese’s seminal works and is as you may expect, one of the greats in the genre of crime cinema.

The film revolves around Charlie (The phenomenal Harvey Keitel), a small-time hood, as he fairly reluctantly bumbles around the landscape of organised crime, all the while grappling with his own moral dilemmas. 

Charlie is caught between his loyalty to his reckless, unpredictable and frankly extremely annoying  friend Johnny Boy (played as beautifully as you’d expect by Robert De Niro), and his desire to rise above the criminal life. The film delves into themes of guilt, redemption, and the consequences of one’s actions.

Scorsese captures the essence of the streets with unparalleled realism, immersing the audience in the seedy, dangerous world inhabited by the characters. 

The fantastic visuals and a soundtrack featuring music from artists like The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and The Ronettes  contributes to the film’s visceral and intense atmosphere.

The performances in Mean Streets are exceptional, with Harvey Keitel delivering a powerful portrayal of a conflicted man torn between duty and morality. 

Robert De Niro’s electrifying performance as Johnny Boy showcases his early talent and foreshadows the greatness that would define his career. The chemistry between Keitel and De Niro is palpable, adding depth to their characters’ complex friendship.

Scorsese’s signature directorial style is evident throughout this, his third film, with innovative camera work and a kinetic energy that propels the narrative forward. 

Mean Streets served as a blueprint for many subsequent films exploring the criminal underworld and laid the groundwork for the director’s future masterpieces, such as Goodfellas and Casino.

Mean Streets remains a timeless classic that is still completely captivating.

Scorsese’s masterful direction, coupled with stellar performances from Keitel and De Niro, cements this film as a pivotal moment in the history of cinema.

Second Sight, as usual, don’t let us down with the extras on this Blu-Ray

The film is presented in a new 4K restoration that has been supervised and approved by the director himself along with collaborator Thelma Schoonmaker. The Limited Edition box set comes in a rigid slipcase with original artwork and presented as a dual format edition. The UHD and Blu-ray both include the main feature and bonus features and the UHD is presented in Dolby Vision HDR with restored original mono audio. There’s a new audio commentary by Demetrios Matheou and David Thompson, scene specific audio commentary with Martin Scorsese and actor Amy Robinson plus interviews. There’s also a feature-length documentary, a 178-page book featuring new essays and much more.

Special Features 

• Dual format edition including both UHD and Blu-ray with main feature and bonus features on both discs
  
• New 4K restoration supervised and approved by director Martin Scorsese and collaborator Thelma Schoonmaker
  
• UHD presented in Dolby Vision HDR
  
• Restored original mono audio
  
• New audio commentary by Demetrios Matheou (author of BFI Classics Mean Streets)
  and David Thompson (Co-Editor of Scorsese on Scorsese)
  Great commentary, these two know their onions.
• Scene specific audio commentary with Martin Scorsese and actor Amy Robinson
  Interesting insight into the film without the waffle that creeps into some full film commentary.
• Keep Moving Forward: a new interview with producer Jonathan T Taplin
  I love this interview, Jonathan is very likeable and offers a fun insight.
• Saints and Sinners: Dr Catherine Wheatley on Mean Streets
  only about 12 minutes long, feels like a parent reading a bedtime story. Might make you see another side of the film.
• 2011 Film at Lincoln Center screening introduction, interview and Q&A with Martin
  Scorsese
  Decent Q&A from 2011, clear video and decent sound on this one. Really good. It’s Scorsese!
• Mardik: Baghdad to Hollywood feature-length documentary
  A 75 minute documentary about the late Mardik Martin, co writer of the film as well as New York, New York and Raging Bull among others. Great (visually very dated) documentary
• Archive featurette: Back on the Block
  A quick “TV Spot” type featurette.
• Archive featurette: Home Movies
  The home movies used in the beginning of the movie.
• Trailer
  

Limited Edition Contents
Rigid slipcase with original artwork 

8 collectors’ art cards

178-page book with new essays by Mark Asch, Daniel Bird, Charles Bramesco, Lillian Crawford, Elena Lazic, Manuela Lazić, Christina Newland and Extract from Scorsese on Scorsese 

Fantastic as always from Second Sight Films, releasing on 15th Jan 2024 and available to pre-order now. Go get it ya mook!