Martin Scorsese’s “Mean Streets” premiered 50 years ago, introducing a mix of soundtrack, film styles, religion, and violence that marked the arrival of an innovative filmmaker. Like predecessors such as early film illusionist Georges Méliès and the 1950s French New Wave artists, Scorsese explored a range of cinematic techniques. The opening scene in “Mean Streets” uses a studio set with blue lighting to depict nighttime, establishing the mood for small-time gangster Charlie’s (Harvey Keitel) modest apartment. The film includes intimate Super8 home movie footage and scenes from the real San Gennaro festival in New York’s Little Italy. The setting alternates between documentary-style and a seedy bar bathed in red light, hinting at Scorsese’s future signature color. Departing from the stable camera work, smooth editing, and well-defined characters of classical Hollywood, “Mean Streets” captures the bold spirit of New Hollywood. This group of mainly young, male, and bearded filmmakers, including Robert Altman, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg, aimed to redefine cinema from the late 1960s onwards. While they cherished classical Hollywood works like John Ford’s westerns and Howard Hawks’ comedies, these film school graduates viewed themselves as film artists eager to present new and personal narratives.
Scorsese’s vision in “Mean Streets” portrays America’s rough neighborhoods and the conflicted anti-heroes trying to survive. This 1973 film reflects the societal turmoil influenced by the Vietnam War and the psychological unrest of the era’s male protagonists. Robert Altman, a New Hollywood contemporary of Scorsese, made a career out of anti-heroes and defying Hollywood norms, as seen in his 1973 film “The Long Goodbye.” This movie subverts noir conventions, presenting Philip Marlowe (Elliot Gould) as an inept private eye, a departure from the genre’s traditional wisecracking heroes.
The films of 1973 often showcased violence and complex anti-heroes. William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist” became controversial for its portrayal of a priest as a child abuser and for allegedly causing physical reactions in audiences. In contrast, Terrence Malick’s “Badlands” follows an impulsive killing spree in South Dakota, while Sidney Lumet’s “Serpico” depicts a good cop (Al Pacino) confronting corruption. With the societal impact of the Vietnam War, filmmakers utilized cinema to explore violence more openly, empowered by a new film ratings system that permitted more explicit content for appropriate age groups.
1973 also featured lighter films like Woody Allen’s sci-fi comedy “Sleeper,” Peter Bogdanovich’s “Paper Moon,” the gambling caper “The Sting,” and Roger Moore’s debut in the James Bond franchise with “Live and Let Die.” Despite their innovative approaches, New Hollywood filmmakers and the broader industry continued to produce entertainment-focused works. The desire for variety among audiences remains, reminiscent of the contrasting offerings of “Barbenheimer.”
George Lucas’s “American Graffiti,” the third highest-grossing film of 1973, serves as a semi-autobiographical tribute to his teenage years, emphasizing the significance of music during adolescence. While featuring nostalgic elements like burger joint dates and high school dances, the film’s epilogue delivers a stark reminder of the Vietnam War’s impact. Lucas’s film, like “Mean Streets,” is an experimental cinematic project that plays with musical placement and sound quality. Similarly, Altman’s “The Long Goodbye” features varied renditions of the same title song.
Today’s filmmakers like David Fincher, Greta Gerwig, and Christopher Nolan continue to challenge cinematic conventions, questioning linear storytelling, character morality, and the relationship between camera and sound. Despite changes over the past 50 years, the mission to push the boundaries of filmmaking endures.