‘He wanted out. There was only one way to get there.’

Directed by:
Brian De Palma

Written by:
David Koepp (screenplay)
Edwin Torres (novels)

Cast:
Al Pacino (Carlito Brigante), Sean Penn (David Kleinfeld), Penelope Ann Miller (Gail), Luis Guzman (Pachanga), Viggo Mortensen (Lalin), James Rebhorn (District Attorney Norwalk), John Leguizamo (Benny Blanco), Joseph Siravo (Vincent Taglialucci), Richard Foronjy (Pete Amadesso), Ingrid Rogers (Steffie)

Brian De Palma’s career is often seen as a mix of brilliant, boundary-pushing filmmaking and controversial, uneven output. About his contributions to the gangster genre (Scarface, The Untouchables, Carlito’s Way), there can be no doubt however: they belong to the absolute best. It’s right up there with Coppola’s and Scorsese’s output.

Carlito’s Way is largely set in the barrio of Manhattan’s Spanish Harlem, one of New York’s tougher areas that is filled with poverty, drugs and Latino gangs. This is the area in which Judge Edwin Torres grew up, who wrote two novels about the main character Carlito Brigante. It seems that in this neighbourhood, there are only two options in life; escape the slumps or join a gang. And those to go for option B have a way bigger chance on an early funeral (Carlito’s cousin) than to rise to the relative top (Carlito).

The Puerto Rican Carlito Brigante (Pacino) was a major heroin dealer before the law caught up with him and locked him up. His slick attorney David Kleinfeld (Penn) gets him an early release due to the DA’s usage of illegal wiretap evidence. The now free and seemingly new man Carlito desperately wants to change his ways. But many players, both old and new, intent to drag Carlito back into the deadly game of crime.

Despite the many temptations, Carlito manages to stay legit. He gets back together with his former girlfriend Gail (Penelope Ann Miller) and cooks up an exit plan. As soon as he has saved sufficient money by running a nightclub, he wants to take Gail to the Bahama’s and start a new life together. But then faith strikes and Carlito is placed in an impossible dilemma from which there is no escape. Kleinfeld – who Carlito feels he owes for giving him a fresh start – is in big trouble and he needs Carlito’s help with a very dangerous task.

The job turns sour, but leaves Carlito with enough cash to escape. It also puts him in a bad position with both the feds and the mob. Both his dream and downfall are now closer than ever.

Although the story of a criminal who wants out is nothing new, Carlito’s Way tells a beautiful tragedy. The deeper layers provide for a much more satisfying viewing experience than a clichéd gangster tale.

The acting is excellent. Pacino is solid as a rock as always, but the real joy here is Sean Penn. He portrays the manic, coke addicted lawyer Kleinfeld to perfection. His haircut deserves a special place in the gallery of wrong.

The finale of Carlito’s Way is an extremely suspenseful showdown with an ending that will leave no viewer unmoved. The fantastic escalator shoot-out – that looks as if Hitchcock could have directed it –is the highlight. It also pays a fitting tribute to the baby carriage scene in The Untouchables, which in turn paid tribute to Sergei Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin.

De Palma has delivered a movie that is very rewatchable. Not only is it extremely entertaining, it is also character driven and manages to touch the viewer in the heart. Carlito’s ‘way’ turns out to be a fascinating one.

Rating:

Quote:
CARLITO: “Now I ain’t saying that my way would have been different had my mother been alive when I was a kid, cause that’s just bullshit.”

Trivia:
The exterior of the hospital where Carlito visits his bedridden attorney is the same one where Vito Corleone is taken in The Godfather (1972), also starring Al Pacino.