Mean Streets

112 minutes • 1973 • 7.2

We are in New York City's Little Italy, where we follow the life of Charlie, who has started at the bottom of the ladder in a mafia group that makes a living by demanding protection money. His friends Tony and Michael are part of the community, but another friend, Johnny Boy, has proven to be unreliable, so Charlie and the others are told to freeze him out. Charlie's secret girlfriend Teresa has epilepsy, so he should avoid her too. Charlie's uncle Giovanni offers him a restaurant, the first step up the ladder, and the various characters react with actions where Charlie is eventually forced to choose between the desire for power, the love for Teresa and the duty to protect his friend Johnny Boy.