Why New York New York De Niro Still Defines the Grit of 70s Cinema

Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro are basically the cinematic equivalent of Lennon and McCartney. You think of them, and you think of Taxi Driver or Raging Bull. But honestly, people tend to overlook the weird, ambitious, and slightly messy 1977 musical that almost broke them. We’re talking about New York New York De Niro at his most abrasive. It was a massive gamble.

Coming off the high of Taxi Driver, Scorsese didn't want to play it safe. He wanted to mash up the artificial glamour of 1940s Hollywood musicals with the grim, improvisational realism of the 1970s. It was a strange cocktail. De Niro plays Jimmy Doyle, a jazz saxophonist who is, to put it mildly, a difficult human being. He’s talented. He’s charismatic. He’s also incredibly toxic.

The Method Behind the Music

Robert De Niro doesn't just "act" a part. We know this. For New York New York De Niro spent months actually learning to play the saxophone. He didn't just learn how to hold it or where to put his fingers to look convincing for the camera. He studied with Georgie Auld, a legendary jazz saxophonist who also appeared in the film.

Scorsese pushed for a level of improvisation that was unheard of for a big-budget musical. Usually, musicals are choreographed to the inch. Everything is timed to the beat. But here? De Niro and Liza Minnelli were often making up dialogue on the fly while standing on sets that looked like they belonged in an MGM fantasy from 1945. It created this jarring, fascinating tension. You have these beautiful, fake-looking backdrops paired with two people screaming at each other in a way that feels uncomfortably real.

The production was chaotic. Scorsese was struggling with personal issues and a growing exhaustion. The script was frequently being rewritten on the morning of the shoot. This wasn't a "polished" Hollywood production. It was an experiment in style.

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Why the New York New York De Niro Performance Was So Polarizing

Critics in 1977 didn't really know what to do with Jimmy Doyle. In most musicals, the lead guy is a bit of a rogue, sure, but he’s ultimately lovable. Jimmy isn't lovable. He’s a relentless, egotistical hustler. He meets Francine Evans (Minnelli) on V-J Day and basically harasses her until she agrees to talk to him.

By today’s standards, the character is a massive red flag. But that was the point. Scorsese and De Niro were trying to deconstruct the "happy ending" trope. They wanted to show that the drive it takes to be a world-class artist—especially in the cutthroat jazz scene of post-war New York—often comes from a place of deep insecurity and selfishness.

• The film’s tone shifts wildly between slapstick comedy and heavy domestic drama.
• De Niro’s performance is twitchy, loud, and often improvisational.
• The runtime originally clocked in at over four hours before being hacked down.
• It famously lost a ton of money at the box office, nearly ending Scorsese's career before Raging Bull saved him.

It’s a tough watch if you’re expecting Singin' in the Rain. If you’re expecting a gritty character study that just happens to have big band music? Then it’s a masterpiece.

The Influence of the Title Song

It is a weird historical quirk that the song "New York, New York" is more famous than the movie. Most people associate it with Frank Sinatra. But it was written specifically for this film by Kander and Ebb. And get this: De Niro actually hated the original version of the song.

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He told the songwriters it wasn't "strong enough." Imagine being the guys who wrote Cabaret and having Robert De Niro tell you your song needs work. They were furious. They went back to the hotel and wrote a new version out of pure spite. That "spite version" ended up being the iconic anthem we hear at every Yankees game and New Year's Eve party.

The movie explores the price of fame. Jimmy and Francine love each other, but they love their careers more. That’s a very "New York" sentiment. It’s a city that demands everything from you. In the film, as Francine becomes a massive star and Jimmy finds success in the jazz clubs, their relationship disintegrates. They can’t coexist in the same spotlight.

A Masterclass in Visual Dissonance

Scorsese used a technique called "Chromakey" and worked extensively with production designer Boris Leven. They purposely avoided location shooting. They wanted the film to look like it was shot on a 1940s studio lot.

This creates a sense of claustrophobia. Even when the characters are "outside," they are surrounded by painted horizons and artificial lights. It mirrors the way Jimmy Doyle is trapped in his own head. He can’t see past his own ambitions. The visual artifice makes the raw, improvised acting feel even more visceral. It’s like watching a documentary filmed inside a dream.

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Honestly, the movie is a bit of a mess. It’s too long. It’s depressing. But it’s also one of the most honest depictions of the artistic ego ever put to film. You see the seeds of what De Niro would later do in The King of Comedy. He plays these "unlikable" men with such conviction that you can't look away.

What You Should Take Away from the New York New York Experience

If you’re a film student or just a casual fan of De Niro, you have to watch this movie at least once. It’s the "missing link" in the Scorsese/De Niro collaboration. It explains how they moved from the street-level grit of Mean Streets to the operatic tragedy of Raging Bull.

1. Watch the 163-minute "Restored" version. The theatrical cut removes the "Happy Endings" musical number, which is essential to understanding the film’s meta-commentary on Hollywood.
2. Pay attention to the saxophone scenes. Knowing that De Niro is actually playing (or at least knows the exact fingering for every note) adds a layer of authenticity to his physical performance.
3. Look for the chemistry. Despite the toxicity of the characters, the chemistry between Minnelli and De Niro is electric. They represent two different worlds of show business colliding.
4. Listen to the lyrics. When you hear the title song now, try to think of it in the context of Jimmy Doyle’s desperation rather than Sinatra’s triumph. It changes the meaning entirely.

The legacy of New York New York De Niro isn't about box office numbers. It's about the courage to fail spectacularly while trying something new. It’s a reminder that even the greats have moments where their ambition exceeds their grasp, and often, those are the most interesting moments to study.

To truly appreciate the film, look for the 1981 re-release. This version restored the "Happy Endings" sequence, which is a massive 12-minute film-within-a-film. This sequence is a direct tribute to the technicolor musicals of the past and provides the necessary contrast to the bleak reality of the main plot. Without it, the movie feels lopsided. With it, the film becomes a complex dialogue between the history of cinema and the reality of the human condition.

The next time you're scrolling through a streaming service and see that blue-tinted poster, don't skip it because you heard it was a "flop." It's a vivid, loud, and heartbreaking piece of cinema history that proves Robert De Niro can command a screen even when he's playing a character who is his own worst enemy.

Practical Next Steps for Film Enthusiasts:
Start by watching the original 1977 trailer to see how it was marketed as a standard romance—then watch the film to see how it subverts those expectations. Follow this with a viewing of Raging Bull to see how Scorsese refined the "destructive protagonist" archetype that he experimented with here. Finally, track down the Georgie Auld recordings from the soundtrack to hear the high-caliber jazz that De Niro spent months mastering for his role.