Carlito’s Way (1993)

Last updated:
August 19, 2025

Carlito’s Way (1993), directed by Brian De Palma, is a gripping crime drama starring Al Pacino as Carlito Brigante, a former Puerto Rican gangster trying to go straight after a stint in prison. With themes of loyalty, love, betrayal, and the impossibility of escaping one’s past, it’s considered one of Pacino’s defining performances and a classic of 1990s cinema.

Table of Contents

Detailed Summary

Introduction: Carlito’s Release from Prison

Carlito Brigante is released from prison after serving only five years of a 30-year sentence, thanks to the slick maneuvering of his morally corrupt lawyer, David Kleinfeld (Sean Penn). Although Carlito vows to go straight, he is immediately pulled back into the orbit of crime.

Carlito’s Dream of Escape

Carlito wants nothing more than to save enough money to retire in the Caribbean and start a car rental business. He reconnects with his former lover, Gail (Penelope Ann Miller), a struggling dancer. Their rekindled relationship becomes a symbol of his hope for redemption.

Trouble in the Underworld

Despite his intentions, Carlito is lured back into the crime world. He manages a nightclub, a job that keeps him close to both money and temptation. Kleinfeld, meanwhile, drags Carlito into increasingly dangerous schemes, especially after he steals from and betrays the mob.

The Betrayal

Carlito’s loyalty to Kleinfeld becomes his undoing. When Kleinfeld botches a mob deal and kills a connected figure, Carlito tries to distance himself. But by now, Carlito’s fate is sealed—loyalties, debts, and past sins collide in deadly fashion.

The Climax at Grand Central Station

In the iconic final sequence, Carlito attempts to flee with Gail to paradise. But Benny Blanco (John Leguizamo), a young gangster Carlito had humiliated but spared earlier, resurfaces. On the platform at Grand Central Station, Benny shoots Carlito in front of Gail.

Movie Ending

The film’s final moments are heartbreaking. Carlito lies bleeding as he watches Gail from a distance, imagining her on a billboard dancing under the lights—a vision of the life they could have had together. Despite his desperate efforts to change, Carlito’s past choices and associations ultimately catch up with him. His dream of freedom and love dies with him on that platform.

This ending reinforces one of De Palma’s recurring themes: in the world of crime, no one truly escapes. Carlito’s tragedy is that he tried harder than most, yet his compassion (for sparing Benny Blanco) and loyalty (to Kleinfeld) were the very things that doomed him.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No. Carlito’s Way does not have any mid-credit or post-credit scenes. The story ends definitively with Carlito’s death and Gail’s implied survival, leaving no room for sequels or teases.

Type of Movie

Crime drama, neo-noir, gangster tragedy.

Cast

Al Pacino as Carlito Brigante
Sean Penn as David Kleinfeld
Penelope Ann Miller as Gail
John Leguizamo as Benny Blanco
Luis Guzmán as Pachanga
Viggo Mortensen as Lalin
James Rebhorn as District Attorney Norwalk

Film Music and Composer

The score was composed by Patrick Doyle, giving the movie both an epic and melancholy tone. The soundtrack also features period-appropriate disco and salsa music, which enhances the 1970s New York atmosphere.

Filming Locations

New York City: Most of the film was shot on location, particularly in Harlem and Spanish Harlem, lending authenticity.
Grand Central Terminal: The climactic chase and shootout scene was filmed in the actual station, becoming one of the most iconic cinematic uses of the location.

Awards and Nominations

Penelope Ann Miller received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
While not a massive awards contender, the film has since gained cult status and critical reappraisal as one of De Palma’s strongest works.

Behind the Scenes Insights

Brian De Palma wanted to work with Pacino again after Scarface. Unlike Tony Montana, Carlito is more subdued, world-weary, and tragic.
Sean Penn’s transformation into the sleazy lawyer Kleinfeld—curly hair, glasses, erratic behavior—was so convincing that some fans didn’t recognize him at first.
John Leguizamo improvised much of Benny Blanco’s swaggering energy.

Inspirations and References

The film is based on novels by Judge Edwin Torres (Carlito’s Way and After Hours). De Palma and screenwriter David Koepp merged elements of both. The movie explores Torres’s insider knowledge of New York’s criminal underworld.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

No alternate ending is widely known, but earlier drafts considered Carlito surviving longer, only to be killed later in exile.
Deleted moments of Gail’s storyline exist but were cut to maintain pacing.

Book Adaptations and Differences

The film draws heavily from After Hours rather than the book Carlito’s Way. In the books, Carlito’s struggles are more episodic, focusing on courtroom drama and day-to-day hustles, while the film emphasizes his doomed romance and final attempt at redemption.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

The opening flash-forward showing Carlito being wheeled on a stretcher (foreshadowing his death).
Carlito’s pool hall shootout, where he uses street smarts and courage to survive.
The dance studio sequence where Carlito watches Gail rehearse—symbolizing hope and fragility.
The Grand Central Station chase, blending suspense, romance, and inevitable tragedy.

Iconic Quotes

“Favor gonna kill you faster than a bullet.”
“I am not a gangster. I don’t deal drugs. I don’t push. I’m clean.”
“You think you’re big time? You’re gonna f***ing die big time!”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

The movie’s opening shot (Carlito on a stretcher) mirrors the ending, giving the entire film a fatalistic tone.
Benny Blanco is intentionally written as a younger reflection of Carlito, symbolizing the cycle of crime Carlito can’t escape.
The use of mirrors and reflections throughout suggests duality and deception (particularly with Kleinfeld).

Trivia

Al Pacino considered this one of his favorite roles.
Sean Penn later said Kleinfeld was his “most fun” performance.
The nightclub set was so convincing that extras often treated it like a real party.

Why Watch?

Because it’s not just another gangster film—it’s a Shakespearean tragedy wrapped in neon lights and salsa beats. Pacino delivers one of his most nuanced performances, and De Palma stages some of the most stylish set pieces of the ’90s.

Carlito’s Way (1993)

Detailed Summary