Cast: Robert De Niro, Chazz Palminteri, Lillo Brancato, Francis Capra, Taral Hicks
Director: Robert De Niro
Producers: Jane Rosenthal, Jon Kilik, and Robert De Niro
Screenplay: Chazz Palminteri based on his play
Cinematography: Reynaldo Villalobos
Music: Butch Barballa
U.S. Distributor: Savoy Pictures
It's New York City in 1960 -- the Fordham neighborhood. Living at East 187th Street is the family of Calogero (played at age 9 by Francis Capra and at age 17 by Lillo Brancato). Calogero's father Lorenzo (Robert De Niro) believes that a man should work hard for a living, and thus refuses to be involved in anything that has illegal overtones, such as working for Sonny (Chazz Palminteri), the local "boss". Calogero has different views, however. He idolizes Sonny, and, given a chance to help the "boss" beat a murder rap, Calogero takes it. A grateful Sonny brings the 9-year old under his wing and, despite the protestations of Lorenzo, a bond develops. Soon, Calogero has two fathers -- each giving different advice and neither respecting what the other has to say.
Robert De Niro has appeared in some of the greatest gangster films of the past two decades, working for directors such as Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather 2), Brian DePalma (The Untouchables), and, of course, Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas). As a result, it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that De Niro has chosen this genre for his first behind-the-camera motion picture.
A Bronx Tale covers little new ground, but the material's presentation is anything but ordinary. Sure, on the surface, it's another gangster movie, but the story, like the deeply-realized characters, is multi-layered. A Bronx Tale could be accused of tackling too much, and perhaps its few failures are because of an overly-ambitious scope, but the film has impressive vision and packs a legitimate emotional punch.
While there is violence in A Bronx Tale, it isn't a focal point (curiously, most of the violent scenes are fairly "clean" -- we see graphic beatings, but little blood). Instead, as they should be, the characters are kept at the center. The three principles -- Calogero, Sonny, and Lorenzo -- are all well-realized. This is as much a credit to the writing of Chazz Palminteri and the direction of Robert De Niro as to the quartet of fine actors essaying the characters.
If the movie takes a wrong turn, it's in trying to incorporate an anti-racist theme by having Calogero fall for Jane, a black girl. Today, mixed race relationships are subject to various tensions and pressures, but that's nothing compared to how it was in 1968, and A Bronx Tale isn't as successful putting these issues in perspective as when it deals with the complex relationship of Calogero and his "two fathers." As in The Godfather trilogy, family is the central issue here.
De Niro successfully varies the tone, keeping it light and playful at times, dark and somber at others. A Bronx Tale is his triumph, and a testimony that all those years of watching the best in the business have borne fruit. If what is yet to come has any of the promise shown by this debut, we may be witnessing the birth of yet another directing talent.
© 1993 James Berardinelli