A Bronx Tale

Infobox Film
name = A Bronx Tale


director = Robert De Niro
producer = Robert De Niro
Jon Kilik
Jane Rosenthal
writer = Chazz Palminteri
starring = Lillo Brancato
Chazz Palminteri
Robert De Niro
Taral Hicks
Francis Capra
cinematography = Reynaldo Villalobos
editing = David Ray
distributor = Savoy Pictures
released = flagicon|Canada September 14, 1993 (Toronto Film Festival)
flagicon|US September 29
flagicon|France April 20, 1994
flagicon|Portugal June 24
flagicon|Germany July 28
flagicon|Austria August 5
flagicon|FinlandSeptember 16
flagicon|Sweden January 13, 1995
flagicon|Spain June 8
flagicon|Netherlands August 3
flagicon|Poland August 18
runtime = 121 minutes
country = U.S.A.
language = English/Italian
budget =
music =
awards =
amg_id = 1:121659
imdb_id = 0106489

"A Bronx Tale" is a 1993 film set in New York City during the turbulent era of the 1960s. It was the directorial debut of Robert De Niro, and follows a young man as his path in life is guided by two father figures, played by De Niro and Chazz Palminteri. It also includes a brief appearance by Joe Pesci. It was written by Palminteri, based partially upon his childhood.

Plot

The movie opens in 1960 with Lorenzo Anello's (Robert De Niro) son Calogero (Francis Capra) witnessing a murder committed by the local Mafia boss, Sonny (Chazz Palminteri). When Calogero chooses to keep quiet when questioned by police officers, Sonny takes a liking to him. Calogero starts visiting Sonny and his posse almost every day in the bar downstairs, much to the dismay of his father, a hard-working bus driver struggling to make ends meet. Eight years later, in 1968, Calogero (now played by Lillo Brancato Jr.) has grown into a young man. He will eventually have to make the choice between his two mentors. He also pursues an interracial relationship with a Black girl named Jane Williams (Taral Hicks), and he has to cope with this while being in the company of racist friends who coincidentally attack the girl's brother and his friends, and who later plan to raid a Black neighborhood (Harlem, New York).

The film contains several violent scenes, including a savage beating of a biker gang by the Mafia, and Calogero's friends' tragically botched incursion into the Black neighborhood.

ettings and filming locations

"A Bronx Tale" was filmed in three New York City neighborhoods. Though set entirely in the Bronx, only one of these locations was actually in that borough. The Fordham neighborhood in which Calogero lives was actually filmed in Astoria, Queens; the black neighborhood said to be on and around Webster Avenue was actually filmed at East 15th Street and Gravesend Neck Road in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn; finally, the scene set on the Bronx's City Island was actually filmed in that location.

ources

Palminteri adapted the screenplay from his one-man show of the same name. The show had successful runs in Los Angeles and Off-Broadway. Palminteri would not sell the rights to his story unless he could write the screenplay and was guaranteed the role of Sonny. At one point he was offered one million dollars, but refused because his conditions were not met. Later, De Niro saw the show and approached Palminteri. He said he knew about Palminteri refusing to sell the rights. For the rights he told Palminteri he would act in the movie and meet Palminteri's conditions if he could direct. De Niro said he was good to his word with only a handshake from Palminteri.

Palminteri based the character of Calogero on himself; his real first name is Calogero.

ee also

* A Bronx Tale (play)

References

"Louis Inglese, 70" GangLand The Online Column March 3, 2005 by Jerry Capeci

External links

*
*