‘A Bronx Tale’

Directed by Robert De Niro (his feature debut) and adapted by Chazz Palminteri from his play, this 1993 release brings tangy authenticity to its evocation of the tribal world of New York’s ethnic neighborhoods. Although burdened by two melodramatic story lines, it is appealing in its celebration of ambience and mood. The story revolves around the unsentimental education of a 9-year-old Calogero (Francis Capra; at 17 played by Lillo Brancato) in the primarily Italian Belmont section of the Bronx. De Niro (pictured) plays his hard-working bus driver father. Palminteri, who plays the charismatic local hood, believes strongly that Calogero should go to college and leave the streets behind (HBO Saturday at 8 p.m.).