A BRONX TALE
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli
Rating (Linear 0 to 10): 8.6
Date Released: 10/1/93 Running Length: 2:01 Rated: R (Violence, language)
Starring: 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 Music: Butch Barballa Released by 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 nine by Francis Capra and at age seventeen 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 undertones such as working for Sonny (Chazz Palminteri), the local "boss". Calogero has different views from his father, however. He idolizes Sonny and, when given a chance to help him beat a murder rap, Calogero willingly 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 much 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 PART 2), Brian DePalma (THE UNTOUCHABLES), and, of course, Martin Scorsese (GOODFELLAS). As a result, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise to anyone that De Niro has chosen this genre for his first behind-the-camera motion picture.
A BRONX TALE covers precious little new ground, but the presentation of the material 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 almost be accused of tackling too much, and perhaps its few failures are because the scope of the plot is so vast, but the film has incredible vision and packs a legitimate emotional wallop. The feelings generated are not the manipulative strains mastered by a virtuoso of melodrama, but the heartfelt stirrings of a well-directed, superbly-written motion picture.
While there is violence in A BRONX TALE, it isn't the focal point of the movie (curiously, most of the truly violent scenes are pretty much bloodless--we see graphic beatings, but little blood). Instead, as they should be, the characters are kept in the center. The three principles--Calogero, Sonny, and Lorenzo--are all highly believable. This is as much a credit to the writing of Chazz Palminteri and the direction of Robert De Niro as it is to the quartet of fine actors giving the performances.
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 nearly as successful when it tries to put these issues in perspective as it is when dealing with the complex relationship of Calogero and his "two fathers." That's the part of the film that really sparkles.
De Niro successfully varies the tone, keeping it light and playful at times; dark and somber at others. He is a master of visual foreshadowing--there are several instances when he lets you know what's about to happen before it occurs. While the cinematography isn't nearly as masterful as in Scorsese's GOODFELLAS, it's more than adequate for this picture. There's also a nice, unexpected cameo at the end which further reinforces the Scorsese connection.
A BRONX TALE is an absolute triumph for De Niro, and proof that all his years of watching the best in the business haven't been in vain. As good as De Niro is in front of the camera, it's now possible to hope that this is only the first of many opportunities on the other side. If what is yet to come has any of the promise shown by this debut, we may be witnessing the birth of yet another great directing talent.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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