History Film / CarlitosWay

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler:Had Carlito not tried to kill Kleinfeld, the latter would have killed Vinnie and at least bought Carlito more time to escape.]]

* WhatTheHellHero?: Even though Carlito had his reasons for sending away Benny's champagne, he would have saved a lot of trouble by just accepting the innocuous gift.

* MartialPacifist: Carlito's a seasoned criminal with a feared reputation, but he still wants to live a peaceful life before leaving New York. He only shows anger and violence against guys like Sasso, Lalin, and Benny Blanco after they really push his buttons.

* BrandishmentBluff: During the first shootout, Carlito steals a gun from the Dominicans and goes through the entire magazine before taking cover. Realizing he's out of ammo, he still pantomimes and boasts that he's reloaded. Even though the Dominicans should know better, they're still terrified of Carlito Brigante out for blood and run out.

* TheLoad: Averted with Tony T's people. You'd think a morbidly obese guy like Joe Battaglia would slw them down [[spoiler: when they chase Carlito at the railway station. Sure, Joe stops to catch his breath after climbing an escalator, but he looks down and notices Carlito lying down on he descending escalator. If he hadn't, they would have missed him.]]

* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: [[spoiler:In an altercation with Benny Blanco, Carlito roughs up and humiliates Benny, but chooses to spare Benny's life, despite knowing that doing so is an enormous risk and may make people think he's gone soft, which could put a target on Carlito's back. Benny kills him in return.]]

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Tony T makes clear that his dislike of Kleinfeld has nothing to do with the latter being Jewish.

--> '''Tony T:''' I never liked you, Kleinfeld. Not because you're a Jew, huh. [[SomeOfMyBestFriendsAreX I know plenty of Jews]]. No, cause you're a lying piece of shit.

* FriendVersusLover: [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan Gail]] doesn't like [[ToxicFriendInfluence Kleinfeld]] ''at all'' and tells as much to Carlito, insisting that he cuts ties with him. Justified since Kleinfeld is acting erratically and possesively out of insecurity [[spoiler: as well as anxiety because [[ThisIsYourBrainOnEvil he is planning]] Tony T's murder]] and really does get Carlito in trouble.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler: Had Carlito not tried to kill Kleinfield, the latter would have killed Vinnie and at least bought Carlito more time to escape.]]

--> '''Carlito''': [[YouCantGoHomeAgain You ain't a lawyer no more, Dave.]] You a ''gangster'' now. On the other side. A whole new ball game. You can't learn about it in school, and you can't have a late start.

-->[[spoiler:"Naw, you stay here!" ''* BLAM* '']]

Unfortunately, Carlito's criminal past catches up with him - his former associates, along with an up and coming gangster [[IJustWantToBeBadass Benny Blanco from the Bronx]], attempt to cajole him back into the gangster life. Further complicating things, the FBI wishes to see Carlito Brigante put back in jail. But the biggest obstacle is David Kleinfeld's dilemma with a mafioso boss Anthony 'Tony' Taglialucci, who is locked up inside [[TheAlcatraz Rikers Island]]; Tony T. wants Kleinfield to spring him out, and Kleinfeld isn't sure of [[DisposingOfABody what other plans]] Tony T. has in mind for him afterwards..

-->'''Vinnie:''' There's a delivery for you, Mr. Kleinfeld.
-->'''Kleinfeld:''' From who?
-->'''Vinnie:''' ''[pulls out gun]'' From my father, and my brother!

--> [[spoiler:"Remember me? Benny Blanco from the Bronx?" * ''BLAM BLAM BLAM''* ]]

--> '''Tony T''': I never liked you, Kleinfeld. Not because you're a Jew, huh. [[SomeOfMyBestFriendsAreX I know plenty of Jews]]. No, cause you're a lying piece of shit.

--> ''''Kleinfeld''': Would you fucking put that away? It's loaded! [[spoiler: ''(Not anymore.)'']]

** Kleinfeld when he pulls a gun on Benny Blanco. Carlito just tells him it's going to get him killed. [[spoiler: Ironically, it might have saved him when an assassin came, but by then Carlito had caught wind of Kleinfeld's betrayal and secretly unloaded his revolver.]]

--> '''Sony Manzanero''': [[AtomicFBomb MOTHAFUCKAAAAA!]] I'LL KILL YAAAAAAA! MOTHAFUCKAAAAA!

--> '''Carlito''': [[spoiler: Never betray your friends, Dave.]]
--> '''Kleinfeld''': Fuck you and your fucking self-righteous "code of the goddamn street". Did it get you out of a 30-year stint in jail in 5 years? No, it didn't. I did. Did it get you acquitted four fucking times? No, I did. Your whole world is this big and there's only one rule - you save your own ass!

--> '''Carlito''': [[DisappointedInYou "Save your own ass!"]] [[spoiler: ''leaves him to do exactly that, having just unloaded his gun'']]

** In ''Film/Scarface1983'', Tony Montana is utterly incensed by someone dancing with his sister, his... [[BrotherSisterIncest ''love'' interest]]. Here, Pacino's character takes pleasure in watching his ''actual'' love interest dance with a man who's similarly skilled, and comments on appreciating the beauty of their movement. Of course, it's Kleinfeld who takes offence to this...

** Carlito doesn't know it, but by personally taking revenge on [[spoiler: Kleinfield]], he prevented him from shooting [[spoiler: Vinnie]]. With [[spoiler: Vinnie dead]], Carlito might have had more time to escape.

--> [[spoiler:"Naw, you stay here!" ''* BLAM* '']]

--> '''Saso''': Carlito, what are you doing this for? This guy is you twenty years ago!
--> '''Carlito''': [[PretenderDiss Never me! Never me!]]

** The scenes at Grand Central Terminal show it’s in it’s 1993 state when it had just recently been renovated and cleaned up. At the time the movie takes place it was in horrible disrepair and absolutely filthy.

* BadassBeard: Carlito is a gangster who is a [[FamedInStory street legend]], and he has a thick beard.

* NotSoDifferent: A strange kind. Benny Blanco is not assuming more than anyone else [[ReformedButRejected that Carlito never changed]], and tries to treat him with the utmost respect. Carlito however still thinks he is trying to pull this off and violently rejects him, obviously because of [[IHatePastMe how much Benny reminds him of himself at the peak of his younger criminal days]].

* YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame: The reason Carlito hates Benny Blanco. While the younger guy is just as tough and ruthless as he himself used to be, he's also a slimy, petty jerk who bullies those weaker than him and sucks up to the stronger ones.

* DirtyCoward: Kleinfeld is untrustworthy, treacherous weasel who will sell use or sell out anyone he has to save his own skin.

* GangBangers: Guajiro, Carlito's cousin who's still in high school but already an errand boy to the locak drug mob. He's really proud of it and hero-worships Carlito, but gets killed for it.

* FreudianExcuseDenial: Invoked by Carlito at the start. He notes that his mother died when he was very young and how many criminals he's known with similar stories who use that as an excuse before shooting down that idea, saying he was already heavily involved in criminal behavior when she was still alive.

* BigRottenApple: The film is set in The Bronx, New York's most infamous crime-ridden district.

* {{Slimeball}}: Kleinfeld. The guy doesn't have a single redeeming quality. He's smarmy, scheming and utterly dishonest, and has deep-seated insecurities that cause him to [[BousterousWeakling lash out at people who can kick his ass effortlessly]]. He also treats women like crap and is a coke addict. He gets in over his head into evil schemes and when he can't pull his weight, he has to drag other people (Carlito) to get him out of his messes. [[spoiler: He also framed Carlito, his best friend, despite knowing full well he's staying clean, just to get Norwalk off his own back. The kicker? He didn't even have to do that - Norwalk didn't even ask about Carlito before Kleinfeld offered his fake story.]]