Carlito's Way (1993)

by Pete Roberts

10 years after working together on the crime classic Scarface (1983), Brian De Palma and Al Pacino reunited for another crime film/character study called Carlito's Way (1993). Where Scarface ends, Carlitos Way begins. The main difference between the characters of Tony Montana and Carlito Brigante is the attitude the characters have towards their lives. Tony Montana wanted the world and he wanted it fast. Well, he got it and his incredible greed and addictions killed him. Carlito Brigante has been to the top and he's been to the bottom, now all he wants is to live a quiet life and get away from everything that influenced him to travel down the wrong paths in life.

We join Carlito after a five year stint in jail. His lawyer David Kleinfeld (Sean Penn) is his savior. Carlito rants and raves in the courtoom to the judge about how he plans on leading a different life in a different location. After leaving the courthouse, Carlito is truly overjoyed and looking forward to becoming a new and improved man. He and Dave go out on the town to celebrate, and he tells Dave how much he owes him for saving his life. Then he explains what he plans on doing for the future: he wants to rent cars in the Carribean. Dave laughs at this because he only sees Carlito as a lifetime criminal who will never change his ways, but Carlito is sincere and understands he escape the life that keeps bringing him back down.

Carlito visits his old barrio in Spanish Harlem for one last time to see his old friends and family. This is where he grew up and it's the root of his criminal lifestyle. We meet Pachanga (Luis Guzman), one of Carlito's old friends, as well as Rolondo Rimas, an old partner in the drug business. Rolondo praises Carlito for not giving up his name to the police to save himself and Carlito explains how he simply wants to stay clean and live a normal life. Rolondo is as skeptical as everyone else, as this is something new for a gangster to admit.

Carlito's young cousin Guajiro (John Ortiz) tells him about his work for Pablo Cabrales, a new drug dealer on the scene. He has $35,000 to drop off to a connection and he wants Carlito to go along with him. We can see that Carlito is dissapointed that his cousin is into the criminal life, but he agrees. Nothing bad can happen right? When Carlito and Guajiro arrive at their destination, we see it's a bar hidden behind a barber shop. The man Guajiro is meeting is introduced to Carlito and he tells him that he's familiar with his name.

While Guajiro talks with his connection, Carlito scopes the place out. His sixth sense as a career criminal tells him to get ready for anything. As the connection talks with his cousin, Carlito asks the thugs playing pool if he can show them a trick shot. They relent, but Carlito is intent on showing them this incredible shot that will have them "changing their religious beliefs". He lines up the cueball and places it on top of a cuechalk cube, then tells one of the guys to hold it. Meanwhile, the connection is in back telling Guajiro to grab a beer from the bottom of a large storage freezer. As the connection holds Guajiro's attention, a hitman flies out from the bathroom. In a sweet De Palma touch, we see his reflection in one of the pool-playing thugs' sunglasses. The connection tells Guajiro his boss is dead, slams his hands in the storage freezer, then grabs Guajiro and slits his throat. Carlito slams the cuestick and pegs the thug in the face with the cueball, then opens fire on the connection shooting him dead. And with that, Carlito is suddenly back into a life of crime. When he hears the police sirens outside, he grabs the drug money, says a prayer for poor Guajiro and splits out the back.

Carlito decides on the club business to make the quick $75,000 he needs to retire for good, so he goes to see Sasso (Jorge Porcel), an old aquaintance he knows needs help with the Club El Paraiso ('Paradise' in Spanish). Carlito convinces Sasso to advance him some money to settle his gambling debts. An up and coming figure on the drug dealing scene is Benny Blanco (John Leguizamo), a small time thug who idolizes Carlito because of his legendary reputation. Benny Blanco tells Carlito that Sasso owes him money, so he shouldn't be charged at the club, but Carlito makes it clear that it's his club now, so everybody pays, including him. Benny is essentially a young version of Carlito, a brash, egotistical loudmouth, though Carlito denies this.

As the film progresses Carlito is haunted by the sins of his youth. In every character Carlito knows, there's some hidden agenda, including a nice cameo appearance by Viggo Mortensen (Lord Of The Rings) as one of Carlito's old friends who tries to set him up by wearing a hidden wire to save himself from a 30 year jail term. The only pure thing Carlito has left is his lost love Gail (Penelope Ann Miller). Carlito reunites with Gail after several years and she's obviously surprised to see him. Things are rocky between them, but Carlito is honest with Gail about his wishes to change his ways.

Carlito also has to deal with Dave Kleinfeld's problems because Dave has become a big hotshot lawyer since the old days. It seems that Dave has been dealing with several bad elements. Vinnie Taglialucci (Joseph Siravo), who he represents, is one of these mob connections. At a meeting at the Rikers Island Prison Barge, we find out that Dave has most likely stolen a million dollars from Vinnie and is now on his hit list if he fails to break him out of jail. Dave is scared shitless about this situation, and the only person he trusts to help him is Carlito. Carlito tells himself over and over "he's not the guy he used to be", but old habits are difficult to break. Sean Penn gives a particularly brilliant performance as Kleinfeld, one of his best.

Carlito's Way features many memorable sequences and specific shots that inform the characters and give the film an exhilarating dynamic. The way De Palma constructs the movements of the characters and the elaborate set pieces is a real lesson in film direction. De Palma breathes new life into the art-form with his technique. Carlito's Way is a masterfully directed and acted film with great music and cinematography. The breathtaking ending of the film will surely have you on the edge of your seat.