Carlito's Way (novel) in the context of "Carlito's Way"

Carlito's Way is a 1993 American crime drama film directed by Brian De Palma and written by David Koepp, based on the novels Carlito's Way (1975) and After Hours (1979) by Judge Edwin Torres. It stars Al Pacino, Sean Penn, Penelope Ann Miller, Luis Guzman, John Leguizamo, Jorge Porcel, Joseph Siravo and Viggo Mortensen.

Pacino portrays Carlito Brigante, a Nuyorican criminal who vows to go straight and to retire in Paradise. However, his criminal past proves difficult to escape, and he is unwillingly dragged into the same activities that got him imprisoned in the first place. The film is based mainly on After Hours, but it used the title of the first novel to avoid it being confused with Martin Scorsese's 1985 film. This is the second film collaboration with Pacino and De Palma, after Scarface (1983).