A Bronx Tale: Difference between revisions

* [[Covers Always Lie]] & [[Never Trust a Trailer]]: Both the VHS/DVD cover and the trailer overplay the Sonny/Lorenzo conflict, and make it seem like the entire film is a face to face confrontation between the two. They share two scenes, and one of those lasts about 30 seconds. Calogero also notes that his father and Sonny never spoke once during the [[Time Skip]].

* [[Curb Stomp Battle]]: Sonny's gang versus the bikers.

{{quote| '''Sonny:''' First of all, I respect you, Lorenzo, you're a stand-up guy and we're from the same neighbourhood, but don't ever talk to me like that again. I tell your kid to go to school, to go to college...<br />

'''Lorenzo:''' You don't understand: it's not what you say, it's what he sees, the clothes, the cars, the money, it's everything. }}

* <s>Heroic</s> [[Heroic Wannabe|Mafia Wannabes]]: It is painfully obvious, particularly to Sonny, that the teenage C and his friends are third rate wannabes. C is simply not cut out for a street life, and his friends are dumb punks trying way too hard. Sonny describes them as "Jerk-offs. And Slick is the biggest jerk-off."

* [[Maligned Mixed Marriage|Maligned Mixed Dating]]: And during the racial unrest of the late 1960s, no less.

* [[Molotov Cocktail]]

** {{spoiler|[[Catch and Return]]}}

* [[Never Lend to A Friend]]: Explored. When C vents about the guy he lent money to always avoiding him and not paying him back, Sonny asks him if C even ''likes'' the guy he lent to. When C says no, Sonny shrugs and replies that it is no big deal because, since the other guy keeps avoiding him, C will never have to deal with that guy again and got rid of him with just $20.

* [[Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot]]: The movie manages to plausibly package together gangsters, [[Soul Brotha|soul brothas]], and (in one scene) Hell's Angels.

* [[Not So Different]]: The black teens are nearly as bad and racist as the punks C hangs out with.

** Lorenzo and Sonny, despite being on opposite ends of the social hierarchy, both want what is best for Calogero: a good education, and not to be corrupted by gangs. Leads to some inevitable [[Hypocritical Heartwarming]] on Sonny's part: "Don't do what I do."

* [[Only Sane Man|Only Sane Boy]]: Calogero is by far the most level-headed person in his peer group, most obviously shown in the scene where one of his friends lights a cigarette in a car full of Molotov cocktails. And Calogero still isn't sane enough to get out of that car until [[Big Damn Heroes|Sonny accosts them and forces the issue.]]

* [[Opposed Mentors]]: A kid called Calogero growing up under the conflicting influences of his hard-working, honest, but poor father, and the charismatic, rich and powerful, [[Affably Evil]] local mafia don Sonny.

* [[Pragmatic Villainy]]: Sonny exhibits this a number of times, and is frustrated that no one else seems to catch on to the importance of it.

** One example is that Sonny was the only one who was willing to do business with the Black Gangs, while the more racist mobsters want nothing to do with them.

* [[The Sixties]]: Exemplified by hippie bikers and soul music (in 1968). And the racial unrest...

* [[Soundtrack Dissonance]]: Several scenes of brutal violence are overlaid with tracks like "Knights in White Satin".

* [[Take a Third Option|Take A Fourth Option]]:

{{quote| '''Sonny:''' There's only three things to do in the joint, kid: lift weights, play cards, or get into trouble.<br />

* [[What Happened to The Mouse?]]: Calogero's mother is never seen after the [[Time Skip]].

** She also mentions something about "taking care of the baby," [[Fridge Horror|who also is never seen after the Time Skip]].

* [[Write What You Know]] & [[Write Who You Know]]: A large portion of the story comes from Chazz Palminteri's own childhood in the Bronx and experiences growing up. Also, Palminteri's full name is ''Calogero Lorenzo Palminteri''.

 

[[Category:Films of the 1990s]]

[[Category:A Bronx Tale]]