It Is Always “Sonny” In The Bronx: The Simplistic, Yet Complex Pun Of ‘A Bronx Tale’ (1993)

The pun It’s Always “Sonny” in the Bronx focuses on the juxtaposition of the ideology that the character Sonny is both a “sunny” and not a particularly “sunny” character. In relation with the qualities of the sun that is compatible with who this character is as a person, the sun projects sunlight towards the ecosystem, radiates heat, and provides vitamin c towards humans who receive the right amount of the sun’s radiation; however, too much of the striking star can be detrimental towards humans. Sonny, the main character in the movie A Bronx Tale (1993), is sometimes dangerous and threatening to the Bronx community; he will easily burn your eyes out if you look at him too long.

However, he is also a human being that carries a sense of light-heartedness on his sleeve and goes out of his way to provide for the inhabitants of The Bronx. The general, underlying question that needs to be answered is how and why Sonny’s two core attributes are warm and cold, allowing the audience to connect with him. Sonny’s attitudes, beliefs, and values are his inner morals that contribute to his behavior and affect how audiences view him. He is mainly the antagonist as well as the anti-hero in the film and exhibits protagonist qualities as well. “Sonny is not a “sunny” facet of his community; it would be wise to examine the entire essence of his character for other facets of his role than being a negative influence.”

A Bronx Tale (1993)

A Bronx Tale (1993) is about a child named Calogero who witnesses a murder. Early in the film, Calogero studied “the man who killed the victim” (from prior) whenever he saw him on the streets and would attempt to mimic his mannerisms with his friends. It is safe to say that Calogero admired him, maybe a little more than his own father. Until the prior incident, Calogero never made eye contact with this mysterious person. It was that moment that Calogero watched the criminal named Sonny LoSpecchio shoot a man with no hesitation, altering his path forever.

Calogero was pulled and dragged by his father upstairs to his home at the center of the crime scene. The first interaction that Calogero had with Sonny, the one who shot the man, was brief and shell-shocking. Nevertheless, Sonny’s first visual contact with Calogero was the beginning of a chapter in his life that will never be forgotten.

Sonny LoSpecchio: Ruthless Mafia Boss

LoSpecchio gives off a distinctive intensity towards people who cross him. For example, when he and his mafia gang fought a group of bikers from a different area when they came to start trouble at a local bar, his ferocity caught the bikers off guard. At that moment, Sonny’s actions and how he reacted were similar to John Wick’s character, played by Keanu Reeves in the film John Wick (2014) during the confrontation with the bikers. (( John Wick. Directed by Chad Stahelski, performances by Keanu Reeves. Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Adrianne Palicki, Bridget Moynahan, and Dean Winters, Summit Entertainment, 2014. )). Before the fight occurred, he locked the bar’s front door to show his superiority over the group of bikers.

The men were standing beside each other, and the camera panned the bar showcasing the faces of each biker which enhanced the feeling of fear towards both the bikers as well as the audience. Sonny’s response radiates a cold aura towards movie watchers of the film. A gangbanger with a caring heart, Sonny had a vulnerable side that developed when he met Calogero.

Though he wants to solve the problems in his neighborhood, he is unaware he is the problem. He loves his community which is a driving force for him. He is loved by many in his neighborhood to the point where they treat him like a god.

The Symbolic Interactionalism Of Sonny LoSpecchio   

The sociological term symbolic interactionalism is the way people behave or act based on their external viewpoint of the world. To focus on Sonny, he is a character that has a range to his personality and can be loved or hated by the audience, but for the most part, he connects with viewers. The audience connects with Sonny through the process of understanding the way Sonny communicates, understanding social situations between him and other characters, and acknowledging current thoughts about Sonny’s character.

Sonny communicates in an inspirational and insightful way with the people he cares about, which allows the audience to connect with him. In A Bronx Tale, the characters who do not see the caring side of Sonny see the aggressive side of his personality. The social situations that Sonny demonstrates to the audience show that he is a complex individual who has two sides to his character, which impacts the way the audience thinks about his character. For example, having pre-conceived thoughts about Sonny can affect his character’s outlook in terms of the audience. When Sonny shot a man at the beginning of the film, it is fair to say that the audience must have felt horrified by his actions, and as a result, it’s likely that it tainted the way they perceived Sonny as a moralistic character.

Sonny’s Attitudes, Beliefs, & Values

As a result of beliefs and values, attitudes are formed and expressed through behaviors. The expression of Sonny’s attitude is violence, superiority, and advice; he is anything but static. The fondness he grows for Calogero eventually changes him and turns him into a caring person. It is an honor for him to take care of Calogero, give him advice, and impart street sense.

Beliefs are created by past experiences; Sonny told Calogero when he was older, he was once in jail and spent his time reading books by Niccolo Machiavelli (a theorist in the 16th century). Therefore, it is important for him to be available in his neighborhood in order to protect those who admire him while getting rid of those who are his enemies. Values are ideas that hold sentimental importance in someone’s life. Instilling street sense into Calogero as he grows older while protecting his neighborhood is an important value for Sonny. Calogero acknowledged that he looked up to and respected Sonny as a father figure.

When Sonny was shot in the head by the son of the man that he murdered in the beginning of A Bronx Tale — this was the climax. Calogero was once again put in a position where he witnessed another man die, but this time, it was someone that held importance in his life. Calogero was the only witness to the whole incident, and he spotted the son of the murdered man before anyone noticed that he planned to shoot him.

Is Sonny A “Sunny” Representative Of His Community In A Bronx Tale (1993)?

Although Sonny has no fear of anyone, he is feared and respected by the Bronx civilians. He is a vicious gangster who cares deeply about the people in his community who enjoy his company. As Sonny said, he could be anywhere in the world, but he decided to stay put in The Bronx for the benefit of civilians. He wants to protect these people from crime, though sometimes he handles the situation with crime on crime. 

With that being said, it is not always “Sonny” in the Bronx. The sun in itself demonstrates the complexity, like Sonny, because both can be detrimental and/or beneficial to people. His attitudes, beliefs, and values bind him together and make it clear to audiences what his motivation is. He had an unfortunate demise, and the irony of being shot and killed after shooting a man to death is uncanny. Sonny from the Bronx is indeed not always a “sunny” individual, but his character holds a greater value towards audiences, and that value is the indescribable love for his community.