I think Mean Streets is very underrated.

I guess the extensive use of a handheld camera means that it often feels more like a fly on the wall documentary with us in the room, but I like that.

The handheld aspect does mean that there is less smoothness in cutting from shot to shot, but I think that it adds to the rawness of the movie.

It's a great contrast with the Godfather (even if
time period taken into account) to see the street guys like Michael (Richard Romanus) having to hustle and that the difficulty of getting out of the life equally applies to the bottom.

Keitel's character Charlie ultimately wants out of that life just like Michael Corleone, but in the same way he has to get deeper into the life to make that possible.