1 00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:38,799 Alright, you got to know nice and time two. This is the Fordham 2 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:44,200 section of the Bronx. My home a world into itself. You could get 3 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:47,640 Tenny Bong fifteen minutes from here, but they might as well be three thousand 4 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:54,240 miles away. That's Mount Carmel Church and the sound of the bells would fill 5 00:00:54,240 --> 00:01:07,239 the neighborhood on the street to the where. It was nineteen sixty and Duop 6 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:14,319 was a sound on the streets. It felt like there was a duop group 7 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:23,719 on every corner back then. What a time it was. The New York 8 00:01:23,799 --> 00:01:26,920 Yankees were playing the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series and Mickey Mantle was like 9 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:30,680 a god to me. My dad would take me to Yankee Stadium and we 10 00:01:30,719 --> 00:01:38,319 would watch the Yankees win. That's the shape Bipy. That's where all the 11 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:46,239 guys hung out. But I'll tell you about them later. That's my building. 12 00:01:46,719 --> 00:01:49,120 I lived right there on the third floor six six seventies a hundred and 13 00:01:49,120 --> 00:02:00,000 eighty seventh Street. There's my stoop and I war summer nights through the neighborhood 14 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:05,000 you would hear sounds of young Italian men ro man sing their women. I'm 15 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:12,280 right getting a car, no getting a car. Let me alone. Come, 16 00:02:12,319 --> 00:02:14,800 mom, baby, you know I love it. Were you getting a 17 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:29,280 car? And right there, right there under that lamp post, Dan stood 18 00:02:29,319 --> 00:02:34,840 the man, the number one man in the neighborhood, Sonny. Everybody loves 19 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:38,039 Sonny, and they treated him like a god. And in my neighborhood he 20 00:02:38,199 --> 00:02:44,159 was a god. And I would sit on my stoop and watch him all 21 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:49,080 day and all night. But he would never even look at me, never 22 00:02:49,879 --> 00:02:55,319 until one day. If one were to think of the countless movies that have 23 00:02:55,400 --> 00:03:00,319 taken place in the Bronx, there would be many great films that come to 24 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:08,240 mind. However, this week's film, sadly is often forgotten in the upper 25 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:15,439 tier of films about the great city, despite having the known area in its 26 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:23,719 title, and even though it can be overlooked, it has carved itself a 27 00:03:23,879 --> 00:03:30,680 nice little legacy even over thirty years after its initial release. This week's film 28 00:03:31,039 --> 00:03:38,439 is the directorial debut of screen legend and my personal favorite actor of all time, 29 00:03:39,159 --> 00:03:46,319 Robert de Niro. Adapted from the autobiographical One Man's Stage Play starring in 30 00:03:46,439 --> 00:03:53,599 written by Chas Paul Monterry, a Bronx Tale, released in nineteen ninety three, 31 00:03:53,159 --> 00:03:58,919 presents us the story of Claire Duo, a young man that, over 32 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:04,000 the period of ten years, finds himself torn between a life in organized crime 33 00:04:04,479 --> 00:04:11,759 when he is befrinded by local mob boss Sonny played by Paul Mon Terry in 34 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:18,519 his honest, hard working bus driver father Lorenzo played by De Niro. Our 35 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:24,959 next clip will tell us how this film came to be. Two years ago, 36 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:30,199 De Niro, Paul me and Terry Tommy Mottola were on The Today Show 37 00:04:30,319 --> 00:04:36,759 before the premiere of the Broadway musical adaptation of this film. Paul Menary and 38 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:43,959 De Niro speak on what led to the film being made and the uniqueness of 39 00:04:44,079 --> 00:04:50,319 the deal broker between the two to get it made the right way. Check 40 00:04:50,319 --> 00:04:55,519 out this crew Oscar nominee Chas Pulmonary, Oscar winner Robert De Niro, Tony 41 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:59,959 winner Jerry Zax and legendary music mogul Tommy Mattola. They all share a love 42 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,720 for the Bronx tail. It says a one man show. Staring was a 43 00:05:02,759 --> 00:05:08,160 one man show starring Chaz Palm and Tary back in the eighties. Robert made 44 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:13,000 his directorial debut and appeared in the nineteen ninety three movie version. Now, 45 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:17,040 nearly twenty five years later, they've turned a Bronx Tail into a Broadway musical. 46 00:05:17,399 --> 00:05:21,800 Chaz wrote the book. Robert and Jerry codirect Tommy is lead producer. 47 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:25,720 Wow, guys, good morning, Nice to see you take this the right 48 00:05:25,759 --> 00:05:30,040 way. This is like a murderer's row producing and directing talent here. This 49 00:05:30,199 --> 00:05:33,399 is your story. Yeah right. I saw him at a basketball game not 50 00:05:33,519 --> 00:05:36,480 long ago. We walked up talk to each other. When we brought this 51 00:05:36,519 --> 00:05:41,399 show up. You got a smile on your face like I have never seen 52 00:05:41,439 --> 00:05:43,800 before. Why does it mean so much to you? Well, you know 53 00:05:43,839 --> 00:05:46,079 it was my life story, you know, growing up in the Bronx. 54 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:47,759 You know, I witnessed this murder when I was a kid. My father, 55 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:50,839 Lorenzo, was a bus driver. He played saxophone, you know, 56 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:56,079 and he always wanted to play, you know, be a saxophone player. 57 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:58,360 Which I didn't bring it up in the movie The Other One Man Show, 58 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:00,639 but I was able to do it in this new Bob saw me do it 59 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:04,560 in the twenty five almost twenty eight years ago, and he said this should 60 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:08,199 be a movie, and Bob made it happen as a movie. The way 61 00:06:08,199 --> 00:06:11,839 the story goes you're told, after one night doing that one man show that 62 00:06:11,879 --> 00:06:15,079 he's in the house and in your dressing room and wants to talk to you. 63 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:17,279 Yes, what do you remember about that meeting? No, I had 64 00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:20,000 been hearing about the show and so on, and I said, I want 65 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:24,079 to go see it. And that's how it then one. I mean, 66 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:26,160 it had been running for a while, a couple of months or so. 67 00:06:27,199 --> 00:06:29,879 I went and so chazed, he said, we'll talk blah blah blah. 68 00:06:29,959 --> 00:06:32,120 Next thing you know, you say, he changed your life. And I 69 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:36,040 want to mention there were other offers you had gotten to buy the story. 70 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:41,480 Why was his offer the right offer at that time? Well, because what 71 00:06:41,519 --> 00:06:44,399 Bob said was well, first of all, Bob was the one who said, 72 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:46,680 you should play Sonny and you'll write the screenplay because it'll be honest. 73 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:49,920 He was the one who gave me that opportunity. Everybody else wanted it, 74 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:53,040 but they didn't want me. They wanted to put a star in the role. 75 00:06:53,439 --> 00:06:57,839 But Bob let that happen and he let me write the screenplay. And 76 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:00,839 really, I mean, and he looked at me and said, if you 77 00:07:00,879 --> 00:07:02,720 do it with me, I'll make it right. I'll never forget those words. 78 00:07:02,759 --> 00:07:04,639 And he said, shake my hand, and that's the way it'll be. 79 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:12,199 That was the deal right there. Oftentimes in gangster films there is this 80 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:20,439 poll of good versus evil. Many times our primary character falls into the pitfalls 81 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:28,399 of a life in organized crime. However, in this film, Sonny doesn't 82 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:34,079 want this life for Claire Duro. In a way, Lorenzo and Sonny want 83 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:39,680 the same thing for the young man, but they cannot see it through their 84 00:07:39,759 --> 00:07:45,680 different standings in the community. Our next two clips are examples of this. 85 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:51,519 First, when Lorenzo finds out his young son has earned over six hundred dollars 86 00:07:53,160 --> 00:08:01,040 working at Sonny's bar and shooting craps, he angrily confronts the mobster. Then, 87 00:08:01,319 --> 00:08:07,959 in the second clip, Sonny schools the teenage Colaire Dureau or See as 88 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:13,279 he is known as, on life and hearkening back to the ending of our 89 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:26,639 previous clip, Sonny answers if it is better to be loved or feared Sonny 90 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:41,759 around. Yeah, I think he's in the back. We can't accept that 91 00:08:43,879 --> 00:08:46,159 I didn't give you. I give you your son. He worked, that's 92 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:48,639 right, my son, and I don't want my son involved in what goes 93 00:08:48,639 --> 00:08:52,000 on here. What what are you talking about phase. I'm not a stupid 94 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:54,000 man. Okay, Please, I'm not stupid. You know what I'm talking 95 00:08:54,039 --> 00:08:58,240 about. Just stay away from my son. Okay, hey, you stay 96 00:08:58,320 --> 00:08:58,960 right over here. See, why don't you go outside? I want to 97 00:09:00,159 --> 00:09:03,080 to your father. I'll speak to my own son. Go out your wait 98 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:07,720 outside. First of all, I respectul the rent. So you're a stand 99 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:11,639 up guy from the same neighborhood. But don't ever talk to me like that 100 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:13,559 again. I tell your son to go to school, to go to Carl. 101 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:16,159 Understand, it's not what you say. It's what he sees. It's 102 00:09:16,159 --> 00:09:20,519 the clothes, it's the cars, it's the money, it's everything. He 103 00:09:20,559 --> 00:09:22,399 tried to throw away his baseball cards the other day because he said Mickey Mann 104 00:09:22,399 --> 00:09:28,559 will never pay my rent. He said that that's not funny. Not funny 105 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:31,919 when your nine year old kid has a bigger bank account than you do. 106 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:33,320 I offered you a job, but you said a note to me. That's 107 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:35,679 right, and I say no. Now, just leave my son alone. 108 00:09:35,759 --> 00:09:39,279 Please. Hey, don't you see how I treat that kid. I treat 109 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:41,840 that kid like he's my son. Yeah, your son, he's my son, 110 00:09:43,039 --> 00:09:46,200 he's what he's my son. I'm not afraid of you. You should. 111 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:48,600 I know you are Sonny. I know what you're capable of, and 112 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:50,639 I would never step out of the line. You can ask anybody in this 113 00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:52,240 neighbor who knows me. But this time you're wrong. You don't fool the 114 00:09:52,279 --> 00:09:54,759 man's family. This is my son, not yours. What are you gonna 115 00:09:54,799 --> 00:09:58,200 do? You stay away from myself? Here? Before I give you a 116 00:09:58,279 --> 00:10:05,840 flock, you'll just stay away from my what? How could you do that? 117 00:10:05,879 --> 00:10:09,679 Yet? He was my money. That's bad money. I don't want 118 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:13,200 you to have that money, I said, I want you to stay away 119 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:18,320 from him. I said, you stay away from him. Did you hear 120 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:20,320 what I said? You stay away from him? Said? He was right 121 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:24,720 the Woo community. He's a sucker. Yet he's a sucker. He's wrong. 122 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:26,039 It don't take much strength to pull a trigger. But try and get 123 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:28,559 up every morning, day after day and work for a living. And let's 124 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:31,120 see him try that. Then, well, she was the real tough guy. 125 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:35,600 The working man is the tough guy. Your father is the tough guy. 126 00:10:35,159 --> 00:10:37,559 But everybody loves him. Do you think everybody loves you? In the 127 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:41,519 bus to say thing, No, it's not the same. People don't love 128 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:52,080 him, They fear him. There's the difference. And now Sonny imparts a 129 00:10:52,159 --> 00:11:00,919 lesson on Claire dream Sku Dumpsolvia. You know hees me twenty It's been two 130 00:11:01,039 --> 00:11:05,440 weeks now, and every time he sees me keeps dodging me. He's becoming 131 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:07,519 a real pain in the ash. I mean, should I crack him on 132 00:11:07,559 --> 00:11:11,320 a one? Somebody? What about it? Telling me sometimes hurting somebody in 133 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:15,440 the answer? First of all, is he a good friend of yours? 134 00:11:15,519 --> 00:11:18,519 Yeah? I don't even like him. You don't even like him? Does 135 00:11:18,519 --> 00:11:20,279 your answer right? Then look at it this way. Of course, you're 136 00:11:20,279 --> 00:11:24,480 twenty dollars to get rid of him. Right, He's never gonna bother you 137 00:11:24,519 --> 00:11:26,879 again. He's never gonna ask you for money again. He's out of your 138 00:11:26,879 --> 00:11:30,960 life. For twenty dollars, you gotta have cheap forget it. You're always 139 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:33,120 right, You're always right. Yeah, I'm always right. If I was 140 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:37,039 always right? And when he done ten years in the giant, what did 141 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:39,360 you do every day? There's only three things you can do when the joint 142 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:43,320 kidden, lift weights, play cards, and get into trouble. What did 143 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:50,200 you do me? I read it? What did you read over here? 144 00:11:50,279 --> 00:11:54,919 Machiavelli. Who Machiavella. It's a famous writer from five hundred years ago. 145 00:11:54,879 --> 00:12:00,600 Availability. That's what he always said. Availability. That's right. Listen to 146 00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:03,159 me. I could live anywhere I want to. You know why I live 147 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:09,919 in this neighborhood. Availability. I wanna stay close to everything cause being on 148 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:13,799 the spot, I can see trouble immediately. Trouble is like a cancer. 149 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:16,279 You gotta get it early. If you don't get it early, it gets 150 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:18,120 too big, then it kills you. That's why I gotta cut it out. 151 00:12:20,039 --> 00:12:26,799 As come on. You worried about Louie Thoms, nobody cares. Nobody 152 00:12:26,919 --> 00:12:31,399 cares. Worry about yourself, your family, the people that are important to 153 00:12:31,519 --> 00:12:37,000 you. That's what it comes down to. Availability. The people in this 154 00:12:37,039 --> 00:12:39,200 neighbor that see me every day, that are on my side, they feel 155 00:12:39,279 --> 00:12:43,679 safe because they know I'm close and that gives them more reason to love me. 156 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:48,559 But the people that want to do otherwise, they think twice because they 157 00:12:48,639 --> 00:12:52,840 know I'm close and that gives them more reason to fear me. Is it 158 00:12:52,919 --> 00:12:58,759 better to be loved or feed It's a good question. It's nice to be 159 00:13:00,279 --> 00:13:03,720 but it's very difficult. But if I had my choice. I would rather 160 00:13:03,799 --> 00:13:09,879 be feared, fear less longer than love. Friendships that are bought. Would 161 00:13:09,879 --> 00:13:13,960 money mean nothing? You see what is around here? I make a joke. 162 00:13:13,039 --> 00:13:16,440 Everybody laughs. I know I'm funny, but I'm not that funny. 163 00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:22,000 It's fear that keeps them loyal to me. But the trick is not to 164 00:13:22,039 --> 00:13:24,320 be hated. That's why I treat my men good, but not too good. 165 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:28,039 I give them too much, then they don't need me. I give 166 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:31,679 them just enough where they need me, but they don't hate me. I'll 167 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:37,600 forget what I'm telling you. This film builds up to one of the most 168 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:46,399 heartbreaking climaxes one can see in a quote unquote gangster film. Sonny is murdered 169 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:52,039 by the man that Colaire Dureau as a young man witnessed him murder. Sees 170 00:13:52,279 --> 00:14:00,360 unwillingness to identify Sonny as the shooter, starts the friendship slash mentorship between the 171 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:07,720 two. In our final brief clip, Lorenzo and c finally put their differences 172 00:14:07,759 --> 00:14:15,320 aside, and Lorenzo admits to Sonny, laying in his open casket, why 173 00:14:15,519 --> 00:14:22,720 he disliked the mentorship that Sonny gave to his son. Dude, what are 174 00:14:22,759 --> 00:14:33,480 you doing here. I came to pay my respects to your friend. Are 175 00:14:33,519 --> 00:14:39,960 you okay? Yeah? And I'm sorry if I've heard him anyway, It's 176 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:54,440 okay. Everything's gonna be okay, Sonny. I want to thank you for 177 00:14:54,559 --> 00:15:03,639 saving my kid's life. I never hated you. I guess it's that I 178 00:15:03,759 --> 00:15:11,759 was just mad at you because you made him grow up so fast. Make 179 00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:26,159 God have mercy on your soul. The way over here, Sonny, did 180 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:35,279 you hear that my father didn't hate you? Nobody cares. You were wrong 181 00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:58,080 about that one. What is the talent she around? Sonny? Let's go 182 00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:06,720 home and see Some of you may be asking, wondering, or even be 183 00:16:06,919 --> 00:16:12,120 upset that I spoiled the ending of this film. I feel comfortable doing so 184 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:19,159 because knowing the ending doesn't diminish this film's impact or how great it is. 185 00:16:21,039 --> 00:16:29,440 That's because this film transcends its ending the powerhouse performances from pulmonarian de Niro, 186 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:37,120 the accurately depicted and at times uncomfortable showing of racial tensions in the Bronx, 187 00:16:38,639 --> 00:16:44,679 and a story that we all can relate to, the mentor that made us 188 00:16:45,039 --> 00:16:48,919 into who we are is what this film is truly about. I dare any 189 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:53,720 of you to watch this film and state that knowing the ending made this film 190 00:16:53,960 --> 00:17:00,759 any less enjoyable, because I believe this film is much better and greater than 191 00:17:00,799 --> 00:17:07,160 a simple ending. I hope you join me when we will look at the 192 00:17:07,279 --> 00:17:15,920 crowning achievement of director Ridley Scott's career and our first sand in Sandals Roman epic 193 00:17:15,119 --> 00:17:23,359 film covered on Classic Film Reviews. The film is the two thousand release Gladiator 194 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:29,079 for W. M. N H and Matt Connorton. Unleashed. This has 195 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:36,480 been a classic film review with Eric Pilcher on the street of the rocks, 196 00:17:38,079 --> 00:18:00,799 well on a f standing on the corner, seeing goodle homy uh all the 197 00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:26,759 maco lo the creach some please good job. Oh but time you w want 198 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:48,559 want to set I'll dump up and down about see my brady shiny col want 199 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:56,559 the streets is where I want a beef. That's where I wanna be, 200 00:18:56,920 --> 00:19:10,200 all shaping in harmon on the streets where among a fields, where of coin 201 00:19:10,599 --> 00:19:30,160 of bothering Parmaskita bruns, Where one of me on the corner the mindty seven 202 00:19:30,599 --> 00:19:49,960 streets of the way are the medico long discovered me standing on the corner scene 203 00:19:51,519 --> 00:20:06,640 good Homon. On the streets of the Pass is where I wanna be. 204 00:20:07,079 --> 00:20:10,799 Where one be