R, 121 min.
Director: Robert De Niro
Writer: Chazz Palminteri
(also play)
Starring: Lillo Brancato,
Robert De Niro, Chazz Palminteri, Francis Capra, Taral Hicks, Katherine
Narducci, Clem Casterta, Alfred Sauchelli Jr., Frank Pietrangolare, Joe Pesci
I got a different kind of
story for my thoughts on the directorial debut of Robert De Niro and the break
though of Chazz Palmiteri onto the cinematic scene. I’m not a huge fan of the
film “A Bronx Tale”. I mean it’s good, but it isn’t as impressive as I feel it
should’ve been. Palminteri’s writing might’ve worked better on stage than it
does here. His primary message has to do with the two father figures for his
central character with De Niro the real father and Palminteri a mobster
surrogate, and how they both want the best for the kid, which is for him to
stay away from the criminal life Palmiteri’s character has embraced. There are
a lot of contradictions in Palminteri’s story and a great deal of social issues
that are explored but never fully developed.
That’s not to say the movie
doesn’t hold a place of interest in my heart. At the time it was made, I was
attending Hofstra University on Long Island pursuing a BFA in theater arts with
a focus in performance. I had acting friends and some were Italian. It was
announced that De Niro was looking for an unknown to play the lead character,
the boy caught between two father figures in a neighborhood dominated by the
local mob boss. One close friend—we’ll call him Pino—was a perfect match for
the character descriptions they posted for the professional acting calls. With
De Niro as one of his personal acting heroes, it was a no brainer that Pino was
going to try out.
He went to the first
audition, which was what we call in the industry a “cattle call.” Such an
audition has nothing to do with talent and thousands of people show up—actors
and non-actors alike—for the incredibly unlikely chance that they might have an
opportunity to become a star. During the cattle calls they’re just searching
for the right look, and Pino was a dead ringer for an offspring of De Niro. So,
he got a call back, meaning the casting directors wanted to see him again.
Compared to the thousands who initially tried out for the role, there would be
significantly fewer people who were called back. Not even enough to bother
counting as a fraction. This was a significant achievement for Pino.
As it turns out he was
called back several times for the role, including a final call back in which he
was videotaped with De Niro present. I always wish I had talked with Pino more
about this process. He got further than many actors ever will for a lead role
in a major motion picture. I doubt there’s any way for Pino to have known for
sure, but the casting had to have been narrowed down to just a handful of
people by that final call he attended. As I understand it, the next step
would’ve been to have person interviews with De Niro and Palminteri and
possibly the girls they were thinking of having play his love interest just to
test out the chemistry of everyone. That would’ve only involved 2 or 3
candidates.
Anyway, Pino didn’t get the
part, or else I wouldn’t be writing about it like this. I’ve always liked him
for the part better than who they cast, however. I know I am biased and I’m
certainly not trying to say anything against Lillo Brancato, who does a fine
job in the role. Perhaps he was
just more “Italian” than Pino. But I always felt that Pino had more raw talent,
a more natural way about him than most actors his age. Perhaps he was too old.
He would’ve been around 20 or 21. I don’t know how old Brancato was. The
character was supposed to be 17.
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