Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets was released in 1973.
The film is a crime drama set in New York City’s Little Italy, a neighborhood Scorsese knew from his own childhood. Harvey Keitel plays Charlie, a young man trying to balance religious guilt, family expectations, criminal obligations, and his loyalty to the reckless Johnny Boy, played by Robert De Niro.
Mean Streets was Scorsese’s breakthrough feature. It established several elements that became central to his filmmaking, including Italian American community life, Catholic imagery, rock music, restless camera movement, and characters caught between personal morality and street culture.
The screenplay was written by Scorsese and Mardik Martin. Although the film was made on a modest budget, its distinctive voice attracted major attention. It also marked the beginning of the enduring creative partnership between Scorsese and De Niro, who later worked together on Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The King of Comedy, Goodfellas, Cape Fear, Casino, and The Irishman.