When local gangster, Sonny (Chazz Palminteri) befriends his son, Calogero (Lillo Brancato), Lorenzo (De Niro) tries to shield him from the dangers this could cause. In doing so, Lorenzo pushes his son further into a life of crime, but ironically, it’s Sonny that pulls him back out again.
On the surface, Robert De Niro’s directorial debut, A Bronx Tale is a classic addition to the gangster genre. But underneath, it’s so much more.
A Bronx Tale is really about relationships – between a father and son and a father-like figure from seemingly different worlds.
Arguably, Calogero (or ‘C’) has two fathers: his biological father, Lorenzo and gangster, Sonny – both are from different backgrounds and hold vastly different world views.
Lorenzo is an honest, hard-working bus driver who believes in providing for your family in a just, legal way. Sonny is part of the mafia, who thinks nothing of organised crime and putting an end to someone’s life.
Nevertheless, both men love and care for C and want him to be the best he can be. While Lorenzo instils family values and the power of being a good person into C, Sonny shows him the finer things in life and builds his confidence – helping him woo his first love, Jane.
Lorenzo and Sonny lock horns frequently, but what they fail to realise is that together, they’ve actually provided C with valuable life lessons, shaping him into a well-adjusted adult. Lorenzo provides honesty, stability and family values, while Sonny teaches C self-respect, discipline and how to survive the Bronx.
It’s because of the two men that C doesn’t end up like his friends – narrow-minded racists, full of hate and violence. In fact, Sonny stops C and orders him out of the car his friends are planning to drive to carry out their fateful last act of racism.
This is what makes Lorenzo and Sonny especially interesting characters.
Lorenzo judges Sonny for being in the mafia and although Sonny doesn’t have a spotless conscience, he isn’t all that bad. He keeps C safe and out of trouble, encourages him to complete his school work and even lends him his car to impress Jane.
And there’s depth to Lorenzo too – it’s likely that feelings of jealousy contribute to his dislike for Sonny. He can’t give his son the money and fancy cars Sonny can and maybe that eats away at him.
Either way, stark differences and uncanny similarities make for two impeccable on-screen chemistry and leaves us asking: what makes a father?
It also begs another question: why hasn’t De Niro directed more? With 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 80 on Metacritic, De Niro’s debut was a hit:
“Surprisingly sentimental by turns, this emerges not as just another gangster initiation movie, but as a story of father and son love with enough guts to hold those anticipating the former, while also touching the heart.” –Angie Errigo, Empire
De Niro’s only other directing credit is The Good Shepherd – another fine effort detailing the history of the Central Intelligence Agency. But that’s where it ends.
Here’s what he has to say about directing more:
“I don’t know if I’ll ever direct another movie. If I did five in my life I’d be happy. I might not do three. I don’t know if I’ll do another movie because it’s a lot of work.”
This suggests De Niro much prefers being in front of the camera, only venturing behind when he’s moved enough.
But, if he’s true to his word, maybe there’s a final directorial effort from the 75-year-old? Here’s hoping three really is a magic number.
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