While this film is best known as Martin Scorsese's first feature, I would also call it his best, believe it or not. A working of three films into one (as the "Making of" will tell), it shows some very different and interesting techniques and looks, from the amatuer buddy sequences (shot first), to the montage romance dream sequence edited to The Doors "The End" (ironically with once billed Apocalypse Now lead man Harvey Keitel). This film is great for many reasons, but the one I will focus on is the dialogue. The first meeting between keitel and the film's love interest could be compared to what Quentin Tarantino does today. It's a pop culture discussion about "The Searchers" starring John Wayne. But unlike QT, it isn't included for the sole purpose of cheap entertainment, and showing off (sorry QT, but it has to be said), the dialogue actually pushes the along the story's chillingly real characters and plots. It's films like this that make me not only wonder what Scorsese is doing now with crap like "Gangs of New York" and "The Aviator," but it makes me forget all about his more renowned films like "Taxi Driver" and "Raging Bull," which in my opinion are blow out of the water by this astounding debut. What happened?

i havent seen it in a long time, I liked it then, but I dont think I appreciatd it as much as you. I probably wasn't ready for it, I'll have to give it another viewing.