Celebrating Movie Milestones: Fiftieth Anniversary of <i>Mean Streets</i> (1973)

These four short reflections on Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets (1973) originated in the Italian American Studies Association's webinar on the 50th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather on Monday, March 14, 2022. The webinar led several participants to suggest celebrating the 50th anniversary of Mean Streets in 2023. Thus, we are planning another webinar on the 50th anniversary of The Godfather Part II (1974) in the fall of 2024. Revisiting films with a rich history of academic scholarship, such as Coppola's The Godfather and Scorsese's Mean Streets, offers scholars and enthusiasts a valuable opportunity for continued exploration and deeper understanding. These iconic directors and films provide a robust foundation for applying evolving theoretical frameworks and perspectives extensively studied by scholars across disciplines. Returning to these cinematic classics allows for a reexamination of established interpretations, opening avenues for integrating newer critical lenses, including affect, crip, disability, and trauma theory. Additionally, the benefit lies in uncovering layers of meaning and cultural significance that may not have been fully appreciated in earlier analyses. Scholars can engage with these films through a contemporary lens, addressing current sociocultural contexts and expanding the discourse surrounding these cinematic masterpieces. Revisiting such films becomes a dynamic and iterative process, ensuring that academic inquiry remains relevant and responsive to evolving intellectual paradigms.With a career spanning several decades, John Paul Russo has made significant contributions to several fields through his research, publications, and academic leadership. He has mentored numerous students, fostering a deep appreciation for Italian and Italian American studies. Russo's work often explores the intersections of literature, philosophy, and the arts, providing valuable insights into the cultural fabric of Italy. His passion for fostering cross-cultural understanding and his commitment to academic excellence have solidified his reputation as a respected figure in the academic community. During my time at the University of Miami, Russo published extensively on Don DeLillo's Underworld (1997), culminating in a chapter in his 2006 book, The Future without a Past: The Humanities in a Technological Society. At the same time, Robert Casillo finished his opus Gangster Priest: The Italian American Cinema of Martin Scorsese (2006). During our numerous meetings in his office, I remember the three-by-five cards on the wall above his desk as he completed his manuscript. Besides our interludes on Bob Dylan, we discussed Scorsese as an auteur, and I referred to his publications on Cape Fear (1991) and Kundun (1997), engaging in a deeper understanding of the director.During our conversations about scheduling an interactive presentation for the 50th anniversary of The Godfather, Russo suggested Jacqueline Reich and Dana Renga for the panel. Although familiar with Reich's Beyond the Latin Lover: Marcello Mastroianni, Masculinity and Italian Cinema (2004) and The Maciste Films of Italian Silent Cinema (2015) and Renga's Unfinished Business: Screening the Italian Mafia in the New Millennium (2013) and the edited volume Mafia Movies: A Reader (2nd ed., 2019), I did not know these authors personally. I organized both webinars alphabetically, starting with Casillo, then Reich and Renga, and culminating with Russo. We had 90 attendees for The Godfather and 45 for the Mean Streets webinars.For Casillo, Scorsese's Mean Streets explores its thematic elements, stylistic influences, and moral conflicts. The film serves as a precursor to many of Scorsese's later works, sharing stylistic elements with films like Goodfellas (1990) and Taxi Driver (1976). The narrative of Mean Streets revolves around the inherent conflict between Catholic morality and the secular and criminal worlds, embodied in the protagonist, Charlie Cappa. This conflict is a recurring theme in Scorsese's films, addressing issues of faith, loyalty, rivalry, and betrayal within isolated and threatened communities.Charlie Cappa's character professes devotion to Christianity, emphasizing practical morality and acts of benevolence outside the formal church setting. However, his involvement in criminal activities, such as running numbers and aspiring to join the Mafia, creates a moral quandary. Casillo delves into the psychological aspects of this conflict, exploring Charlie's ability to compartmentalize incompatible ideas and deceive his conscience. He suggests that Charlie's moral struggles mirror the broader themes of Scorsese's films, where characters grapple with the clash between Catholic morality and the temptations of the criminal underworld.Casillo then extends beyond Mean Streets to examine the broader cultural and ethical implications of menefreghismo and lontananza—Italian concepts reflecting an apathetic remoteness and disdain for societal norms. He suggests that these behaviors are not exclusive to Italian or Italian American criminals but are pervasive in dedicated criminals across various ethnic backgrounds. He also touches upon the historical context of Italy, specifically Southern Italy, highlighting the impact of impaired socialization on the development of such attitudes. In the final section, Casillo compares the personas of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, both seen as epitomes of “cool,” drawing connections between their behaviors and the Mafia culture and exploring the limits of their menefreghismo and lontananza in certain situations of moral, ethical, and cultural conflict.Reich argues that Scorsese's Mean Streets (1973) contrasts sharply with Coppola and Mario Puzo's The Godfather by offering a gritty and unromanticized portrayal of life in Little Italy. The film's realistic depiction of New York's neighborhoods, blending welcoming and ominous elements, reflects the shifting concepts of safe and dangerous spaces. The intertwined stories of characters like Charlie, Johnny Boy, and Teresa explore themes of religion, class, and race. Her work on the Bronx Italian American History Initiative shapes Reich's interpretation of Mean Streets. This project collects and analyzes the personal memories of Italians and Italian Americans, examining how urban spaces like neighborhood blocks and churches serve as sites of social and racial tension.Reich acknowledges that scholars studying Italian and Italian American ethnic identities often focus on the relationship between immigrants and their new urban environments, known historically as “Little Italies.” Though mixed with other urban populations, these spaces maintained connections to the immigrants’ homelands. The term Little Italy first appeared in an 1886 New York Times article, originally describing East Harlem. The idea of “safe danger” was popularized by urban explorers who visited these ethnic enclaves, simultaneously creating a spectacle of Italians while highlighting the poverty and moral decay of these neighborhoods.In Mean Streets, the concept of “safe danger” is internalized, with threats to characters’ identities emerging inside and outside their community. According to Reich, the film juxtaposes idyllic Italian cultural celebrations with symbols of urban decay, creating contact zones where cultures clash, reflecting the tensions and complexities of urban life. Characters’ interactions with their environment, from the safety of Tony's bar to the perilous streets, illustrate the porous boundaries of neighborhoods and the ongoing struggle to navigate safe and dangerous spaces. The church serves as a temporary refuge for Charlie, but his belief that redemption must be earned “on the streets” ultimately leads to his downfall.In reflecting on the 50th anniversary of Mean Streets, Renga explores the film's significance as a “family movie” and delves into the complexities of the term, considering both Mafia family dynamics and biological family relationships depicted in the film. Her focus centers on the examination of racism, misogyny, and homophobia, investigating how these themes circulate, are received, and are negotiated. She discusses the casual racism depicted in the film, drawing parallels with The Godfather and emphasizing the film's contribution to the evolving racial politics in the United States during its release in the early 1970s, after the passing of the Civil Rights Acts in the 1960s.Renga addresses the lack of extensive scholarship on Mean Streets from the perspectives of gender and race, highlighting the film's portrayal of masculinity as a fragile construct. She notes instances of racial and religious slurs in the movie, particularly against African Americans, emphasizing their role in reinforcing the status of the Italian American family. Renga then considers the evolution of student reactions to the film over the years, citing a significant shift in appreciation when the film was presented before Goodfellas in her Mafia Movies course at Ohio State University. The changing demographics of the student body, with increasing diversity, have led to more critical assessments of the film's racism and overt biases.Finally, Renga examines the reception of the film's 50th anniversary screenings and the Criterion Collection's 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release in November 2023. Despite the anticipated engagement with social and racial justice conversations in the #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter age after 2020, she finds a surprising dearth of discussions in online platforms and reviews. Renga concludes with a call for further exploration of Mean Streets in the context of contemporary social movements and a commitment to tracking its reception as cultural attitudes continue to evolve.Russo starts his examination through the literary historian Douglas Bush's assessment of John Keats's sonnet “On First Looking into Chapman's Homer” as Keats's “first masterpiece,” an early poem of unmatched artistic power. Similarly, Scorsese's film Mean Streets holds a special place as his “first masterpiece.” Initially considered a prelude to Taxi Driver, it has gained prominence over the years. The picture explores themes of spiritual crisis, with Scorsese delving into the difficulty of belief through the semi-autobiographical lens of the protagonist, Charlie Cappa.Mean Streets opens with Charlie questioning the efficacy of traditional Catholic practices and expressing the need for a more personal form of penance. The film intertwines Scorsese's own experiences as he cowrites the screenplay, directs the movie, and even portrays an assassin in the narrative. Charlie's internal struggles reflect Scorsese's exploration of spirituality, influenced by Italian neorealism and Federico Fellini's films such as I Vitelloni (1953) and 8½ (1963). The narrative follows Charlie's attempts to reconcile his criminal life with his Catholic upbringing, emphasizing the conflict between sin and spiritual redemption.Charlie's commitment to helping his troubled friend, Johnny Boy, adds a layer of complexity to the story. Despite warnings and threats from others, Charlie sees Johnny Boy as a responsibility and attempts to guide him toward self-discipline. The film culminates in a chaotic climax where the consequences of their actions unfold, leaving the ending open and the characters grappling with the repercussions of their choices.Scorsese's Mean Streets serves as a starting point for his cinematic exploration of broader themes. Over the next 50 years and 26 films, Scorsese delves into various subjects, including violence, loneliness, self-hatred, and loss of community. The thematic trajectory from Mean Streets branches into works like Raging Bull (1980), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Cape Fear (1991), Bringing Out the Dead (1999), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), and Silence (2016). These films collectively present a comprehensive exploration of sin, suffering, and even redemption, showcasing Scorsese's artistic depth and his pursuit of answers to life's fundamental questions.Disability studies is an interdisciplinary field that critically examines the societal constructs and experiences of disability, which in cinema often serves as a significant narrative device, offering a lens through which characters and stories can explore themes of identity, adversity, and societal perceptions. When applying this theoretical frame to Scorsese's Mean Streets, the character of Teresa Ronchali, played by Amy Robinson, who has epilepsy, becomes a poignant focal point for analysis. Her condition is a significant part of her character, influencing her interactions with others, particularly her cousin Charles Cappa Jr./Charlie (Harvey Keitel). Teresa's epilepsy is not only a medical condition but also a social stigma within the Italian American community depicted in the film. In disability studies, there is a recognition that disability is not merely a medical condition but is shaped by cultural, social, and political factors of inclusion as well as exclusion. Again, the picture was released after the 1960s civil rights laws, when disability became a protected status.Teresa's portrayal in Mean Streets offers an opportunity to explore the intersection of disability and identity. Disability studies challenge traditional narratives that often stigmatize or marginalize individuals with disabilities. By examining Teresa's character, one can delve into how her experiences with epilepsy are portrayed, questioning whether the film reinforces stereotypes or challenges societal perceptions of disability. Moreover, disability studies emphasize the importance of agency and empowerment for individuals with disabilities. Analyzing Teresa's agency within the narrative allows for exploring how the character navigates societal expectations, relationships, and her sense of self. Does the film empower Teresa by giving her agency in her own story, or does it inadvertently perpetuate a narrative of helplessness?Teresa's epilepsy serves as a narrative device that underscores the themes of vulnerability and protection. Charlie's protective attitude toward Teresa is partly driven by her condition and reflects his own internal conflicts and sense of duty. Her epilepsy also accentuates the tension between modern medical understanding and traditional superstitions within the Italian American community, illustrated by Giovanni De Stefano (Cesare Danova). Uncle Giovanni tells Charlie: GIOVANNI: His [Johnny Boy's] whole family has problems . . . his cousin, the girl who lives next door to you . . . CHARLIE: Teresa.GIOVANNI: The one who's sick, right? In the head.CHARLIE: No, she's got epilepsy.GIOVANNI: Yeah. That's what I said, sick in the head.Teresa's portrayal challenges the stereotype of disabled individuals as weak or helpless. Despite her condition, she is shown to be assertive and independent, resisting the overprotectiveness of those around her. Her character defies the victim narrative, demonstrating resilience and agency. Epilepsy, with its sudden and uncontrollable nature, can be seen as a metaphor for the unpredictable and chaotic environment of Mean Streets. Teresa's seizures disrupt the social order, reflecting the broader instability and violence that characterizes the lives of the characters in the film. Some examples include John Civello/Johnny Boy (Robert De Niro) dropping a package in a mailbox at the film's start that later explodes and avoiding Micheal Longo (Richard Romanus) to whom he owes money. Her condition highlights the fragility of human life and the constant presence of danger in their world.The societal response to disability is another crucial aspect of disability studies. Teresa's interactions with others, such as Johnny Boy and Charlie, provide a lens through which to scrutinize societal attitudes and prejudices and the influence of these on her daily life. This analysis can uncover whether Scorsese's film reinforces or challenges societal norms regarding disability and how these attitudes may affect Teresa's sense of belonging and inclusion. Applying the theoretical frame of disability studies to the character of Teresa in Mean Streets offers a rich opportunity to explore the nuanced portrayal of disability in cinema. Examining her experiences, agency, and societal interactions within the film contributes to a broader understanding of how disability is represented and negotiated in cultural narratives.The integration of newer theoretical frameworks, such as disability studies and crip theory, into the field of Italian American studies holds immense promise for shaping the future of scholarship in this domain. As scholars increasingly recognize the importance of intersectionality, utilizing disability studies to analyze past texts within Italian American studies offers a fresh perspective on the experiences of individuals with disabilities within this cultural context. By examining how characters with disabilities are portrayed and how disability intersects with other aspects of identity, scholars can uncover hidden narratives and challenge stereotypical representations, such as Teresa Ronchali in Mean Streets. Moreover, the inclusion of crip theory, which critically engages with the sociocultural construction of disability, allows for a more nuanced exploration of power dynamics, identity politics, and the lived experiences of disabled individuals within Italian American literature and film. This approach enriches the interpretation of historical texts and contributes to a more inclusive and diverse narrative within Italian American studies, ensuring that the voices and experiences of individuals with disabilities are acknowledged and analyzed in the broader context of the Italian American experience.