A Bronx Tale

A father becomes worried when a local gangster befriends his son in the Bronx in the 1960s.

• Director:Robert De Niro
• Genre:Crime / Drama
• Runtime:119 minutes

Cast

Robert De Niro : Lorenzo Anello
Chazz Palminteri: Sonny LoSpecchio
Lillo Brancato : Calogero ‘C’ Anello (age 17)
Francis Capra : Calogero ‘C’ Anello (age 9)
Taral Hicks : Jane Williams

In 1960, Lorenzo Anello’s (Robert De Niro) young son Calogero (Francis Capra) witnesses a murder committed by the local Mafia boss, Sonny (Chazz Palminteri) in defense of an assaulted friend. When Calogero chooses to keep quiet when questioned by NYPD detectives, Sonny takes a liking to him and tells him that he prefers to start calling him “C”. Sonny’s men offer Lorenzo a job to make more money, but Lorenzo, preferring a law-abiding life, politely declines. Sonny, however, befriends Calogero and introduces him to his crew. Calogero earns tips amounting to 600 dollars working in the mafia bar and throwing dice, and is admonished harshly by Lorenzo when he discovers it. Lorenzo speaks severely to Sonny, returns the money, and warns him to keep away from Calogero.

Eight years later, Calogero (now played by Lillo Brancato, Jr.) has grown into a young man and has secretly been visiting Sonny regularly without Lorenzo knowing. Calogero is also part of a gang of racist Italian boys at his high school, although he isn’t racist and because they are his childhood friends: in fact, many times, Sonny tries to persuade Calogero to keep away from the boys and focus more on his schoolwork. Some time later, Calogero meets an African-American girl, Jane, (Taral Hicks) and is smitten with her, and the two arrange a date, despite the high level of tension and dislike between Italians and Blacks, particularly the young generation. He asks advice from both Lorenzo and Sonny, the latter whom agrees to lend Calogero his car and tells him of a specific detail to look out for which determines whether or not the date is a worthwhile prospect.

Around the same time, Calogero’s friends beat up a black cyclist passing through their neighbourhood, and Calogero is powerless to stop them but does his best to defend the young man, who turns out to be Jane’s brother, Willie. Willie, however, mistakes Calogero for one of the assailants and accuses him of beating him when Calogero and Jane meet for their date. In the ensuing argument, Calogero loses his temper at Willie’s lack of gratitude and calls him a “fucking nigger” by accident, although he instantly regrets it. Heartbroken, Jane leaves Calogero. At home, Calogero is confronted by Lorenzo, who saw him driving Sonny’s car from the window. An argument ensues, and Calogero storms out. Suddenly, he is confronted by a furious Sonny and his crew, who found a bomb in Sonny’s car and suspected Calogero of planning to assassinate him. Calogero swears his innocence and is allowed to leave. Lorenzo, who saw the mobsters roughing Calogero, emerges to defend his son, but is assaulted by Sonny’s men and sent back home. Read more

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