MovieChat Forums > Donnie Brasco (1997) Discussion > That awful, stupid 'Boots' scene.

That awful, stupid 'Boots' scene.

posted 9 years ago by bijinius
26 replies | jump to latest

...Please...somebody tell me i'm not the only person on this website who finds the whole... 'drama' with the Japanese Restaurant and Depp's f--king boots PATENTLY absurd. Lefty dismantles Don's car for fear of a recording device. Significant time goes by, throughout which we are reminded time and time again that Lefty is deeply mistrustful of mostly everyone and everything. Suddenly, his boy basically breaks the f--k down in front of the whole crew about removing his damn boots ... on the grounds that, what, his father was supposedly killed in action while fighting in the Pacific Theater of World War II? That his reasoning for keeping his boots on is because of some problem with the Japanese and their customs? He didn't make a stink about going to a JAPANESE Restaurant...i mean, NO SMALL WONDER the f--kin' morons got caught, man.

THIS. MAKES. NO. SENSE. These Mob idiots live and die by people turning coat... ALL THE TIME. And they don't even demand to see what he's hiding in them cowboy boots of his??

i could take this movie entire down a whole star, i hate this scene, and where it ends up so much. (Beating the... very insistent waiter to a bloody mass in the washroom; NO QUESTIONS in regards to Donnie's whacked out behaviour.)

That's kids stuff, it really is. Can you imagine a similar scene in, say, "Heat"?? The guy refusing to take off his boots? woulda been 'clipped' THAT NIGHT and stuffed into a garbage bag-lined trunk. But i digress! It's a weak scene in a very good movie.

[–] JohnSmythe 9 years ago

I found it odd as well, but perhaps by that point given how many illegal acts Donnie had been a part of and they never got any heat for it, they really did accept him as being one of them. Plus Donnie was quick on his feet with the excuse that his father died fighting the Japanese and refused to take any 'orders' from them. He pulled the right strings at the right time in the right way. Realistic? Not so much, but highly cinematic.

[–] Degree7 9 years ago

It didn't play it very convincingly. I doubt a waiter would be that adamant about having customers take off their shoes, I'm sure he could have found them a table where they could wear their boots.

~ I'm a 21st century man and I don't wanna be here.

[–] mikeyg24 9 years ago

I don't know if you're familiar with the real story but it was ultimately Sonny Black's affection for Donny that lead to his downfall. Having read the real story I have no problem accepting that Sonny would have backed up Donny standing against a 'nip' who made him into an orphan.

24/04/1916

[–] Ratchapakinai 9 years ago

You have to understand the mob/mafia are full of *beep* "we never rat" they're pussies just like everyone else. They always rat as soon as they know 50+ years is going to happen. They're full of *beep*

[–] mikeyg24 9 years ago

Absolutely nothing to do with my post but whatever floats your boat!

Hey! You're not old enough to drink! Now go and die for your country!!!

[–] pop-actor 9 years ago

I would have said ''I need to use the bathroom'' take the mic out of my boots & comeback - It would have save a hell of a beating for that Japanese's guy.

I love Debi Sue Voorhees:
http://s32.postimg.org/btmfhyrk3/Debi_Sue_1.gif

[–] ebettman-1 9 years ago

Yeah-he Really Effed up and got an innocent man hurt. He also did nothing (at the time) about a shooting. I haven't finished the whole movie yet

[–] ebettman-1 9 years ago

From "The Karate Kid." Could he have kicked their Arses??

"Those boys have BAD Attitude. Karate Self-Defense ONLY. Fight Last resort Only.

NO Bad Student-only Bad Teacher."

[–] manage-932-700755 8 years ago

That was a great scene. It reminded me of the scene in Falling Down where Michael Douglas beat up an Asian store owner of a convenience store. In this film, I thought it was cool the way Johnny Depp said he wasn't going to take orders from a fuxxcking jap." And the other guys defended him. He was one of them. "Don't you fuxxcking move." The Jap should have backed off. He was not doing his job, because when a customer insists on something like wearing shoes, the jap should have backed off. "The customer is always right."

[–] cabal24 8 years ago

Having read the real story I have no problem accepting that Sonny would have backed up Donny standing against a 'nip' who made him into an orphan.

This is correct. Sonny Black would have sided with Donnie over any non made guy. This wouldnt even have raised a thought in Sonny Blacks mind. To him, it just meant "civilians shouldn't F with made guys".

[–] manage-932-700755 8 years ago

It does raise a question. And that is whether in general wiseguys let "citizens" alone. This scene suggests that if one of their own was hassled, they would commit violence agains the citizen to exact a measure of revenge. Still, based on a comment I read that Pistone made, wiseguys didn't harm citizens, or at least they didn't kill citizens. Although if it was a business matter with a negative impact on them, wiseguys would attack citizens.

I get the impression, thouhg, that wiseguys generally did not attack citizens on personal matters. But it's not clear to me. I have just sent for Pistone's "Unfinished Business" book. Maybe that will shed some light on the issue of violence toward citizens.

[–] cabal24 8 years ago

I have read that and I don't think it mentions this. Though I suspect it is because non made guys rarely have the ability to stand up to hardened thugs with an entire network of other hardened thugs behind them.

If citizens are allowed to stand up to made guys, WTF is the point of being made? Granted it rarely happens but I cant see a scenario where a made guy would side against another made guy.

Say Donnie was walking down the street and a group of guys were walking the other way. One decides to not move (Donnie sure as hell isn't moving) and the inevitable confrontation happens. Is Sonny going to A) have Donny's back? B) Stay neutral or C) side with the group and tell Donnie he is out of line? If B or C happens, I think the mob is done for within a year (or at least that crew).

[–] manage-932-700755 8 years ago

I see your point.

I just thought of another question. That is whether all made guys are bad guys. I don't know where I read this- maybe it was a biography about Joe Bonanno. I seem to recall that Mr. Bonanno said that members of a family of whihc he was the "father" included doctors and lawyers." That doesn't seem plausible if all made guys were required to ice someone.

[–] cabal24 8 years ago

Joe Bonanno was a complete liar. I also read that book and you have to develop a sort of mental filter to get rid of his ceaseless bull. Kind of like Henry Hill (though Bonanno is way more articulate). Though some of Bonannos stuff is fairly accurate IMO, he totally glorifies himself. He was a "Man of Honor", dammit :)

The mob are first and foremost thieves, not killers. The murder stuff is done primarily to keep the thieves in line since they arent exactly known for self discipline.

There are indeed mob lawyers and doctors. Lawyers are used to keep the staff out of jail and Drs are necessary for the inevitable shootings. Also to procure drugs. That happened a lot too.

All of them are bad guys. Some are less bad than others.

[–] manage-932-700755 8 years ago

I think you aree right. I guess I wanted to believe that maybe these guys were human. Well, maybe they are human, but they are bad humans. I am now reading the Unfinished Business book. It certainly reinforces what these guys were like.

[–] cabal24 8 years ago

Loved that book. Pistone is a great storyteller IMO. A few key things he had to leave out of the original and I totally understand why.

[–] Rolltide (964) 2 years ago

You make some good points.

[–] BOandBarbecue (2264) 2 years ago

this film is base on true story. did this incident not happen in real live?

great film!!

[–] BillySlater (4241) 2 years ago

No it didnt. The wire scene at the restaurant was completely made up for the movie.

[–] BOandBarbecue (2264) 2 years ago

yes classic scene done for dramatic tensions. good scene and very dramatic even if not true.

[–] millsey72 (10332) 2 years ago

Says who? Donnie Brasco is not a made up person. He actually did exist

[–] BillySlater (4241) 2 years ago

Says Joe Pistone himself. Donnie was a made up person fyi.

[–] millsey72 (10332) 2 years ago

Yea but the movie is a non fictional account of Joe Pistone's undercover work

[–] BillySlater (4241) 2 years ago

The movie took dramatic license. Joe Pistone said about 80% of what was in the movie actually happened. What really happened was Joe was taken to a sauna and had to make up an excuse for not taking his boots off. They never beat up a Japanese waiter.

[–] Gd5150 (11758) 2 years ago

Meh, the scene was fine. Fget aboutit.

[–] javie (2216) 2 years ago

I could throw up.