Martin Scorsese - the man and movies

[kid-glove]

Interesting news,
De niro and Scorsese could rejoin, apparently discussed about a film on old guys (Goodfellas) looking back on events retrospectively.

Thread to discuss exclusively on his works.

[kid-glove]

[tscii:7d4948c0e7]
DiCaprio says latest film role was 'most challenging'

BERLIN (AFP) – Leonardo DiCaprio called the traumatised World War II veteran he plays in the latest Martin Scorsese film the most demanding role he has done for the director, ahead of its world premiere Saturday.

Oscar-winner Scorsese and his favourite actor teamed up again for the psychological thriller "Shutter Island" -- the pair's fourth collaboration, which is appearing out of competition at the 60th Berlin Film Festival.

Asked at a press conference ahead of the gala launch of the film what was the most challenging role he had played for Scorsese, DiCaprio said "probably this one".

"It is a fascinating character study of how a human being deals with extreme trauma," he said.

DiCaprio said he had come into his own as an actor through his work over the last decade with the Hollywood legend behind "Raging Bull" and "Taxi Driver", calling him "the definitive director of our time".

"Any actor would be a fool not to jump at the opportunity to work with Mr Martin Scorsese," said DiCaprio, 35, who first acted for the director in "Gangs of New York". He said he would "only have his fingers crossed" to act for him again.

"He's got this infectious love of cinema and it rubs off on everyone on the set. We share the same tastes -- we have the same kind of commitment to make the best possible film we can."

Scorsese, 67, had not released a feature film since 2006's "The Departed", also starring DiCaprio, which won him the best directing Oscar -- the first of his four-decade-long career.

"Shutter Island" is based on a 2003 mystery novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane, whose work has also been adapted by Clint Eastwood ("Mystic River") and Ben Affleck ("Gone, Baby, Gone").

The film, which drew lengthy applause at a press preview, follows two US marshals in 1950s Massachusetts pursuing a missing psychiatric patient on Boston Harbor's Shutter Island.

One of the lawmen, played by DiCaprio, has returned from World War II where he participated in the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp of Dachau -- an experience that left deep psychological scars.

When a hurricane hits the area, the marshals are stranded on the island, home to a hospital for the criminally insane.

Scorsese said he had taken inspiration from watching DiCaprio grow as an actor since his breakout role in 1993's "What's Eating Gilbert Grape".

"As he's maturing as a person, that life is being channelled into the actual work," he said. Scorsese said the "trust factor" with the actor had allowed him "to be able to focus that and perfect that and be part of that" process.

The premiere was scheduled one day after fellow veteran director Roman Polanski returned to the big screen with "The Ghost Writer", which also drew praise from critics.

"Shutter Island" also stars Ben Kingsley, Mark Ruffalo, Max von Sydow and Michelle Williams.

The film had been kept under close wraps until its premiere but sneak previews granted to a handful of critics have garnered rich praise.

"It?s a true oddity, an outlier, as isolated and enigmatic as the gloomy, rain-whipped island on which the action takes place," the New York Times wrote this month.

"The hero, a federal marshal named Teddy Daniels, is a tormented soul, the type of man to whom Mr. Scorsese has never been a stranger."

The Berlin Film Festival runs until February 21.[/tscii:7d4948c0e7]

Agree with Leo on Marty.

And much looking forward to Marty's take on Lehane.

[kid-glove]

http://www.obsessedwithfilm.com/martin-scorsese/scorseses-the-shining.php

That's just too much hype. Can't wait. :boo:

[kid-glove]

Original Mccarthy review, Vareity.


Shutter Island

A Paramount release of a Phoenix Pictures production in association with Sikelia Prods. and Appian Way. Produced by Mike Medavoy, Arnold W. Messer, Bradley J. Fischer, Martin Scorsese. Executive producers, Chris Brigham, Laeta Kalogridis, Dennis Lehane, Gianni Nunnari, Louis Phillips. Co-producers, Joseph Reidy, Emma Tillinger, Amy Herman. Directed by Martin Scorsese. Screenplay, Laeta Kalogridis, based on the novel by Dennis Lehane.

Teddy Daniels - Leonardo DiCaprio
Chuck Aule - Mark Ruffalo
Dr. Cawley - Ben Kingsley
Dr. Naehring - Max von Sydow
Dolores - Michelle Williams
Rachel 1 - Emily Mortimer
Rachel 2 - Patricia Clarkson
George Noyce - Jackie Earle Haley
Warden - Ted Levine
Deputy Warden McPherson - John Carroll
Lynch Laeddis - Elias Koteas

Expert, screw-turning narrative filmmaking put at the service of old-dark-madhouse claptrap, "Shutter Island" arguably occupies a similar place in Martin Scorsese's filmography as "The Shining" does in Stanley Kubrick's. In his first dramatic feature since "The Departed," Scorsese applies his protean skill and unsurpassed knowledge of Hollywood genres to create a dark, intense thriller involving insanity, ghastly memories, mind-alteration and violence, all wrapped in a story about the search for a missing patient at an island asylum. A topnotch cast headed by Leonardo DiCaprio looks to lead this Paramount release, postponed from its original opening date last fall to Feb. 19, to muscular returns in all markets.

As Kubrick did with Stephen King's novel, Scorsese uncustomarily ventures here into bestseller territory that obliges him to deliver certain expected ingredients for the mass audience and adhere to formula more than has been his nature over the years. Although "The Departed" and "Cape Fear" come close, "Shutter Island" is the film that most forces the director to walk the straight and narrow in terms of carefully and clearly telling a story; if testing himself within that discipline was his intention, this most devoted of cinema students among major American directors gets an "A."

He also chose his material well. Dennis Lehane's 2003 novel is quite a few notches above the norm for mass-market popular fiction; ingeniously structured and populated with a rogue's gallery of intriguing, deceptive characters, the book is a real page-turner, spiked with game-changing twists, which draws upon perfectly legitimate medical, legal, historical and political issues.

It even offers an ending sufficiently ambiguous enough to inspire genuine debate. At its heart, however, it's still a potboiler, smartly fashioned to yank the reader this way and that while providing a veneer of moral inquiry for respectability's sake.

The script by Laeta Kalogridis (an exec producer on "Avatar" said to have worked closely with James Cameron on developing the project) faithfully hews to the letter and spirit of Lehane's tome, leaving Scorsese and his top-drawer collaborators with the largely technical task of crafting a drum-tight suspenser that won't take on too much water via the many memory flashbacks and surprise developments.

Working in a format that recalls the moody, low-budget horror mysteries of the 1940s produced at RKO by Val Lewton -- most pointedly "Isle of the Dead" and "The Seventh Victim," but in a far more visually vivid and explicit style -- Scorsese employs an exquisite modern equivalent of old-fashioned process work to show U.S. Marshals Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) chugging the 11 miles on a ferry between Boston and the eponymous island that's home to Ashecliffe Hospital

Warned by welcoming deputy warden (the excellent John Carroll Lynch) that the place houses only "the most dangerous, damaged patients," the two men get an eyeful of weird, zombie-like inmates doing menial work around an institution that resembles an impenetrable fortress -- because it was built as one, for use during the Civil War.

It's a heavy, deeply ominous place, outfitted by production designer Dante Ferretti to instill not only menace but also unease and anxiety; it's deliberately made difficult for Teddy and Chuck, as well as for the viewer, to understand the proximity of one place to another, to know where one stands literally and figuratively, to decide where it's safe and where it's not. Cloaking the mood is the pervasive disquiet of the Cold War tension of 1954.

This makes it harder to get a handle on the task at hand, which is finding Rachel Solando, the murderer of her three children, who somehow escaped from her tiny room, got past guards and presumably made her way out onto the island. The man in charge, Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley), is elegant, erudite and helpful, albeit only up to a point, and after interviewing staff and patients, Teddy and Chuck begin to feel they're on a fool's errand.

But there are forces that keep the men on the rocky, densely forested island.

Teddy, a grizzled World War II vet tormented by the fiery death of his wife (Michelle Williams in flashbacks) two years before -- as well as by visions of the corpses he found at Dachau upon helping liberate the concentration camp -- finds a cryptic note left by Rachel in her room that drives him forward. He may have hidden reasons of his own for sticking around. Then there's a gathering storm, which cuts off telephone and ferry service even before reaching full hurricane-level intensity.

One can rest assured that Teddy is not alone in concealing secret motives and agendas. In fact, everyone has them and, beginning an hour in, they are parcelled out in astutely measured doses to keep you hanging on to the very end.

Along the way, there are encounters with a brilliant doctor with a suspicious German accent (Max von Sydow); a perilous descent into the bowels of the notorious Ward C, home to the worst of the worst; rising suspicions about what really goes on in this place and accompanying doubt as to whether anyone who arrives on Shutter Island ever is allowed to leave.

This is high-end popcorn fare adorned with a glittering pedigree by a powerhouse cast and crew. DiCaprio appears deeply into his role; a lot is asked of him, physically and emotionally, and his battle-and-tragedy-scarred veteran embodies a tangible anguish. Ruffalo is ideally cast as the older but junior agent who takes a lighter approach to serious matters. If this story had been made in the heyday of noir, Kirk Douglas could have played Teddy and Robert Mitchum would have been a perfect Chuck.

Kingsley and von Sydow bring their smooth confidence to bear on their roles as institution big shots, while Jackie Earle Haley and Patricia Clarkson score in their individual big scenes.

But the greatest interest lies in the craftsmanship, which is provided in spades by Ferretti, cinematographer Robert Richardson, visual effects and second-unit overseer Rob Legato, costume designer Sandy Powell, editor Thelma Schoonmaker and dozens of others. Even when it's clear Scorsese has decided to employ fakery and allow it to be obvious, it's done with elegance and beauty.

Of at least equal interest is the soundtrack, supervised by Robbie Robertson, which employs mostly modern serious and classical music in the same manner of intelligent sampling that Scorsese normally uses rock and borrowed movie compositions. The sudden infusions of discordant, atonal and otherwise unsettling passages by Ligeti, Penderecki, Cage, Adams and, more traditionally, Mahler, among numerous others, further amplifies the sought-after climate of malignant ambiguity.

[kid-glove]

That really is one of the immensely fanboy reviews I've ever read. To be read with a pinch of salt, :lol2:

[Appu s]

K_G is it releasing on 19th or not? :roll:

[kid-glove]

I guess.

[Aalavanthan]

IMDB says.. Drama is set in 1954 ..

sounds interesting .. I still couldnt come out of the screenplay excellence of Departed and this man has come up with another movie again with the same lead..

13th March is the release date in UK and it is blocked on my calendars now :yes:

[ajithfederer]

As of now,
Favorite Films in that Order: (Subject to change forever)

The Departed
Raging Bull
Taxi Driver
Good Fellas and Casino
The King of Comedy

I haven't seen Mean Streets. I didn't like Cape fear Much either.

[Aalavanthan]

The Departed
Goodfellas .. Joe Pesci :notworthy: Need a re-visit
Casino
Raging Bull/Taxi driver


Need to see the other movies that you have mentioned AF.. I guess The Departed would be the best mafia movie made ever

[great]

:shock: No one has listed Gangs of New York

[ajithfederer]

Yen nee list panrardhu.

[great]

oRey kolappathu vaalurean chettiyar brother :lol:

[ajithfederer]

The Aviator on cable yesterday. Good performance by Di Caprio.

[Aalavanthan]

The Aviator on cable yesterday. Good performance by Di Caprio.

I remember seeing this movie in the US theatres when it was released.. Didnt like it then.. was totally disappointed and my friend was cursing me to have brought him to the movie.. padam vandhu 6 varusham aachu.. marupadiyum paakkanum.. for DeCaprio and Martin :D

[kid-glove]

I was watching some scenes, further evidence (if needed !) of a non-writing director who has a strong sense of auteur-ship in shot choreography and memorable performances.

[ajithfederer]

Bio-graphical movies are not for everybody and best be watched on TV at your own leisure. I agree some people can get bored watching it on big screen.


The Aviator on cable yesterday. Good performance by Di Caprio.

I remember seeing this movie in the US theatres when it was released.. Didnt like it then.. was totally disappointed and my friend was cursing me to have brought him to the movie.. padam vandhu 6 varusham aachu.. marupadiyum paakkanum.. for DeCaprio and Martin :D

[groucho070]

I still couldnt come out of the screenplay excellence of Departed and this man has come up with another movie again with the same lead.. :shock: Athu Hong Kong passangala-taane credit pannanum. Scorcese gave it his own brand of cinematography. Ampuduthen.

I still can't dig Scorcese/Di Caprio collaborations. Can't accept LDC as a good actor. Still living in the memories of the great, supreme, classic De Niro/Scorcese gems. :(

[kid-glove]

I liked both "Infernal affairs" (I & II, and not much apart from narrative style of III) and "The Departed". It was adapted to a different milieu, and the film is a testimony to Scorsese's visual interpretation and power of creation. Envisaging Monahan's script, which touched on original's themes, but also distorts some of original's beauty. The side of Boston and the fulcrum of mob business is worth showing. The shot choreography, the editing and the soundtrack is eclectic as usual.

Btw it's very discomforting to hear "Cache" being adapted to American context (Apache? :roll:) and rumours of Scorsese doing it. As much as I admire Scorsese, Haneke's films are to be left alone. :twisted: Even he couldn't recreate "Funny games" to American context with much success.


I still can't dig Scorcese/Di Caprio collaborations. Can't accept LDC as a good actor. Still living in the memories of the great, supreme, classic De Niro/Scorcese gems

It used to be the case with LDC. My irrational hatred and cringe-inducement has decreased with time.

I understand Scorsese need for a young upcoming actor with marketability. So that he could get money for new projects. Scorsese has tremendously improved and help shape DiCaprio's acting skills.

On Deniro and old Scorsese films, basically the class of late 60's and 70's mainstream star-actors (Nicholson, Hoffman, Pacino, Hackman, De niro, Duvall, Charles bronson, John Cassavetes, Eli Wallach, Jason Robards, Warren beatty, Elliot Gould, Sutherland, Woody Allen, Roy Scheider, Sylvester Stallone, David Carradine, etc) had a deep sense of irreverence to looks and demeanor, stood apart from predecessors (apart from maybe Mitchum or Cagney) and most definitely the successors (Johnny Depp, Ed norton, Pitt, Bruce Willis, Di Caprio, Tom Cruise, Clooney, Matt Damon, etc - basically studs). The 70's really broke away from the rigid masculinity, looks, height, girth size, and didn't care much for charisma (invariably it was felt through talented star-actors). They didn't care for old dogs either, Brando ("Ultimate tango in Paris") or Kirk Douglas ("Posse"), were all exposed inside-out, in ways I'd never expect 'em to be. And I like that !

[Bala (Karthik)]

On Deniro and old Scorsese films, basically the class of late 60's and 70's mainstream star-actors (Nicholson, Hoffman, Pacino, Hackman, De niro, Duvall, Charles bronson, John Cassavetes, Eli Wallach, Jason Robards, Warren beatty, Elliot Gould, Sutherland, Woody Allen, Roy Scheider, Sylvester Stallone, David Carradine, etc) had a deep sense of irreverence to looks and demeanor, stood apart from predecessors (apart from maybe Mitchum or Cagney) and most definitely the successors (Johnny Depp, Ed norton, Pitt, Bruce Willis, Di Caprio, Tom Cruise, Clooney, Matt Damon, etc - basically studs). The 70's really broke away from the rigid masculinity, looks, height, girth size, and didn't care much for charisma (invariably it was felt through talented star-actors). They didn't care for old dogs either, Brando ("Ultimate tango in Paris") or Kirk Douglas ("Posse"), were all exposed inside-out, in ways I'd never expect 'em to be. And I like that !
Good point!

[Nerd]

Revus ellam sari illaiyE.. (I mean not as good as expected) - http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1198124-shutter_island/

Will try watching this weekend.

[ajithfederer]

Shutter Island - Good. Well acted by dicaprio.

Cinematographically very well captured by Scorsese. Not a Trend setting thriller by any means but it managed to keep my interest till it mattered. Fine acting by Dicaprio but i am afraid that he is typecasted into stereotypical roles (ala man with emotional turmoils). Ben Kingsley and Mark Ruffalo are good. The story has some WW2 backdrop too. The story is not great but the narrative that kept me interested.

[kid-glove]

*Envies*

That's positive ! :)

Btw, lot of Scorsese films that I like, are narrative and scenes-driven. And willing to make compromises at plot level.

Can't wait to watch !

[Nerd]

Shutter Island - Excellent. Whats with all the negative reviews in RT?! Extremely well directed. Could have used a better writer though, but that did not matter at all. The film was absolutely engrossing from scene #1 all the way to credits. Spinechilling, hair raising etc. In short, a mind f-in experience :shaking:

Do yourself a favor and watch it without reading *anything* about the film :D

[kid-glove]

I read the script. :oops:

And planning to read the book :ashamed:

[kid-glove]

Dwld the OST. Consciously derives a bit from "The shining". Although the script reminds a lot of...uh well, It'd be a spoiler of sorts. ( I couldn't control the urge to read the script :banghead: )

[Nerd]

I read the script. :oops:

And planning to read the book :ashamed:
Don't worry, thats not gona take anything away from the experience of watching Marty's brilliance in handling the not-so-great script. I read from IMDB that the novel is a spectacular read - which means your expectations will shoot up :P

And yeah, I was reminded of "The Shining" while watching this film. There are lots of similarities..

[kid-glove]

I read the script. :oops:

And planning to read the book :ashamed:
Don't worry, thats not gona take anything away from the experience of watching Marty's brilliance in handling the not-so-great script. I read from IMDB that the novel is a spectacular read - which means your expectations will shoot up :P

And yeah, I was reminded of "The Shining" while watching this film. There are lots of similarities..

Thanks Nerd ! It was in deed a script that either falls towards blatant foreshadowing or bleak descript, unless you're a maverick director to make the scenes interesting with the setting, costume (of the period, really speaks a story in itself), and the characters. I also hope he cuts off the stressing (like underlining "us" in the script, going over the POW history of the mental hospital, etc ) which gives a bit away of the conclusion. It could be done so subtly that the audience could come back to watch 'em again. I hope they retain the excerpt of T.S Elliot's The hollow man as opening lines, as in the script, it serves well for the character of Teddy Daniels, the man, the legend (as Chuck tells it to him ! ) .

I really want to see Marty take every bit of self-indulgent rules in the book, and do a pastiche ! At least stylistically, I expect it to have Hitchcock to Fritz Lang to Orson Welles (esp. The Trial), as in, the script itself, opens with the ship appearing out of "The Fog", a dreamlike Kafkaesque state. Also the required post-war paranoia of 50's. Defeatism and Fatalism of noir, is very much sensed in the script, reminds the wonderful marriage of German expressionism to post-holocaust filmnoir. Teddy seems to be troubled from first moment, like any noir detectives. Chuck seems to be very astute and well written character too. I want to see how Mark Ruffalo plays it. I also want to see the whole cast, incl. the mighty tall Von Sydow do Dr. Naehring (just how many Island films he has done, especially with Bergman ! ).

He apparently showed "Laura", Jacques Tournier films ("Out of the past"), "Vertigo", "Invasion of body snatchers" (that was Lehane's own inspiration to write the book) among others to cast and crew, to get the feel and way to play the parts.

As much as I loathe him post-Titanic, I think Di Caprio could really mature to a higher level (you guys need to confirm this) if he could work extra bit on this. At least, I couldn't shake the idea of Jack Nicholson (Mainly the confused, haunted, dementia of "The Chinatown" than "The Shining" style) or Robert Mitchum playing the role !

[ajithfederer]

KG

pollnnu oru sambaradhayam irukku. What poll shall we put up?.

[kid-glove]

Your choice !!

[ajithfederer]

Favorite or best films of scorsese?.

Best collaborator will be overwhelming of course :)

[kid-glove]

Done. Let me know if you need to change poll options

[Nerd]

K-G, without giving anything away (you seem to know a lot about the film already, thanks to the script) I can tell you that the acting is spectacular in the film including all supporting cast and people who just appear in one or two scenes.

Where did you d/l the script btw?

[ajithfederer]

:thumbsup:

Nice assortment of options. It's a good idea that Raging Bull was kept alone as it is the most important work of deniro and scorsese. I have to admit that i haven't seen nearly 12 movies in that list.

[kid-glove]

K-G, without giving anything away (you seem to know a lot about the film already, thanks to the script) I can tell you that the acting is spectacular in the film including all supporting cast and people who just appear in one or two scenes.

Where did you d/l the script btw?

Rapidshare (http://www.filestube.com/eecbcb7b3478b29a03ea,g/Shutter-Island.html) :)

[kid-glove]

:thumbsup:

Nice assortment of options. It's a good idea that Raging Bull was kept alone as it is the most important work of deniro and scorsese. I have to admit that i haven't seen nearly 12 movies in that list.

Quite a few documentaries included. Music documentaries in one category, and the other on films. I couldn't stuff-in "ItalianAmerican" with Scorsese's parents. It really is a good watch too.

Raging bull has no parallel. It's one of my favorites.

I removed Aviator, Alice doesn't live here anymore, Color of money, Cape fear, Gangs of new york - which are all unique and watchable (to my mind, Scorsese hasn't made a bad movie since Boxcar bertha :lol: )

[kid-glove]

But "Boxcar bertha" will be among top 10 B-films made under tutelage of Roger Corman. I mean, every 70s filmmakers owe a great deal of service to Corman's exploitation films, and they eventually litter all over the generation's best films and best filmmakers (Coppola, Scorsese, Bogdanovich, Demme, Ron Howard, James Cameron, to name a few, started working under Corman, and went on to greater things).

[salaam_chennai]

I have seen 7 out of the 20 films listed. Still, i feel Raging Bull would be the best among all the films. Voted for the same. Marti is my favorite director after Kubrick and Hitchcock

//dig
kid-glove,
apdiye namma Billy Wilder'kum oru thread start pannunaa romba nallaarukkum. its not that i would post frequently in that thread, but i would love to read our hub periyavaas discussing about his movies. please do the honors..
//end dig

[groucho070]

Interesting assortment. But I have issues with the listing of a very inferior genre piece (The Departed) with the brilliant gangster trilogy.

[kid-glove]

[tscii:edea211b7a]
Says Shahrukh, “Leonardo, Martin and I spent some time together. Martin was gracious enough to remember that he had met me in Cannes way back in 2002 when I was there for Devdas. (Good luck :lol2: ) He wants to watch Devdas and I’ve promised to send it to him. I’ll do so right way.”[/tscii:edea211b7a]

http://blog.taragana.com/e/2010/02/22/shahrukh-khan-bonds-with-leonardo-dicaprio-martin-scorsese-at-berlin-93028/

[kid-glove]

Interesting assortment. But I have issues with the listing of a very inferior genre piece (The Departed) with the brilliant gangster trilogy.

:oops: But it had to be there.

[kid-glove]

apdiye namma Billy Wilder'kum oru thread start pannunaa romba nallaarukkum. its not that i would post frequently in that thread, but i would love to read our hub periyavaas discussing about his movies. please do the honors..
Done

[groucho070]

Interesting assortment. But I have issues with the listing of a very inferior genre piece (The Departed) with the brilliant gangster trilogy.

:oops: But it had to be there. :D It doesn't matter, bro. I voted for da Bull anyway.

[Plum]

I have only seen Departed. That was some movie. nEkku infernal affairs ellAm theriyAdhu.

If this is not among Mr Scorsese's best, I guess his best will surely tin kattufy in our maar :-). Oru eye vechukarEn.
( TV-la ellAm pOduvAngaLA indha pdam ellAm? - I dont watch on the net nor rent DVDs - mostly, I watch what I get on TV)

[groucho070]

Plum, pooduvangga, but it depends on the censor board of the respective countries. Sema violence especially the ones he did with De Niro, early days. It peaked with Casino.

[ajithfederer]

And casino has one of the most number of f words used.

[Plum]

indhiya anbargaLE, ArvalargaLE, indhiya tholaikatchiyil indha padangaLai pArka mudiyumA?

[P_R]

indhiya anbargaLE, ArvalargaLE, indhiya tholaikatchiyil indha padangaLai pArka mudiyumA?

Many of the films are HBO regulars.
A few years back, briefly there was a threat of Star Movies being taken over by Cape Fear Inc.

Taxi Driver - which has come to be regarded as cinematic classic - is shown even in UTV Waeld Movies.

[Plum]

nessttu time varachE advance notice kudunga(PM-la).

Cape Fear - I think I know if it from a horrendous remake in Hindi starring dEvagaNam(ouch!) and Urmila(double ouch!). There is a third ouch, thankfully i have succesfully erased him from memory :-)

[equanimus]

ப்ளம்,
நீங்க சொல்றது Deewangee எனப்படும் Primal Fear. Also remade as காதல் கிறுக்கன்.

[Plum]

ப்ளம்,
நீங்க சொல்றது Deewangee எனப்படும் Primal Fear. Also remade as காதல் கிறுக்கன்.

Oh ok. I will go back to silent mode to prevent further exposure of my ignorance :-)

[kid-glove]

Interesting assortment. But I have issues with the listing of a very inferior genre piece (The Departed) with the brilliant gangster trilogy.

:oops: But it had to be there. :D It doesn't matter, bro. I voted for da Bull anyway.

oh, the bull, good choice.

The directing panache, with the cuts and editing, in full flow. Incredible acting to boot. Again, the key element being the invisibility of director's wand as we watch it. We react to the images as is! And it'll be interesting to compare the boxing in Raging to the waltz sequence in Age of innocence. Boxing is dancing apart - sheering, outmaneuvering and bout-out the opponent. What M.Ali does, is dance at its purest, vibrant, unpredictable best, that the opponents couldn't read him. On the other hand, Waltzing is tender, romantic swaying as a duet. Both have a diametrically opposite erotic energy to it. Boxing is to be choreographed with cameras like a dance, is the best technique to capture the beauty of the sport. The series of visual gimmicks, montage and cuts that Scorsese does here, really encapsulates waltzing-in-the-ring. On the contrary, dancing with characters holding their hands together in "Age of innocence" is tender and solicitous. And the very eclecticism in shot choreography sets him apart.

[Vivasaayi]

Anyone here liked casino better than goodfellas?

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq1uAQkf75A&feature=PlayList&p=4A4CE5EB2F8461CB&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=9

Making of the Bull

[groucho070]

Anyone here liked casino better than goodfellas? :D

[groucho070]

oh, the bull, good choice.

The directing panache, with the cuts and editing, in full flow. Incredible acting to boot. Again, the key element being the invisibility of director's wand as we watch it. We react to the images as is! And it'll be interesting to compare the boxing in Raging to the waltz sequence in Age of innocence. Boxing is dancing apart - sheering, outmaneuvering and bout-out the opponent. What M.Ali does, is dance at its purest, vibrant, unpredictable best, that the opponents couldn't read him. On the other hand, Waltzing is tender, romantic swaying as a duet. Both have a diametrically opposite erotic energy to it. Boxing is to be choreographed with cameras like a dance, is the best technique to capture the beauty of the sport. The series of visual gimmicks, montage and cuts that Scorsese does here, really encapsulates waltzing-in-the-ring. On the contrary, dancing with characters holding their hands together in "Age of innocence" is tender and solicitous. And the very eclecticism in shot choreography sets him apart.Good points, bro. Enna porutta varaikkum, the credit sequence itself just speaks thousands of words man. Beautiful shot. The film is all about brutal energy, matted by gorgeous black and white photography, last of the best from Hollywood (what Schindler's List?).

[ajithfederer]

+1.


Anyone here liked casino better than goodfellas? :D

[kid-glove]

oh, the bull, good choice.

The directing panache, with the cuts and editing, in full flow. Incredible acting to boot. Again, the key element being the invisibility of director's wand as we watch it. We react to the images as is! And it'll be interesting to compare the boxing in Raging to the waltz sequence in Age of innocence. Boxing is dancing apart - sheering, outmaneuvering and bout-out the opponent. What M.Ali does, is dance at its purest, vibrant, unpredictable best, that the opponents couldn't read him. On the other hand, Waltzing is tender, romantic swaying as a duet. Both have a diametrically opposite erotic energy to it. Boxing is to be choreographed with cameras like a dance, is the best technique to capture the beauty of the sport. The series of visual gimmicks, montage and cuts that Scorsese does here, really encapsulates waltzing-in-the-ring. On the contrary, dancing with characters holding their hands together in "Age of innocence" is tender and solicitous. And the very eclecticism in shot choreography sets him apart.Good points, bro. Enna porutta varaikkum, the credit sequence itself just speaks thousands of words man. Beautiful shot. The film is all about brutal energy, matted by gorgeous black and white photography, last of the best from Hollywood (what Schindler's List?).
INTerior: Boxing ring with fog masking the crowd, render 'em invisible. Flashlights go on and off in the background.
48 fps slow-mo, static shot watching through the ropes, Jake LaMotta warming up in the ring.
Classical music
The Title, Raging Bull, in classical blood red(the only time in the film), between the ropes :notworthy:

[Nerd]

1. Mean Streets < Casino < Goodfellas. The Departed should not belong to this list (I m with Grouch)
2. Taxi Driver > King of Comedy. Haven't seen BOtD
3. Haven't seen
4. Eh :? :D
5. Haven't seen Kundun
6. :bow:
7. Havent seen TAoI and LL
8. Eh :? :D

Voted for Raging Bull.

[kid-glove]

I voted for Taxi Driver, and King of Comedy

[kid-glove]

Watched "Shutter Island" cam print (v-6, a-5)

Liked the film immensely.

DiCaprio does well, and for the first time, seems comfortable in showing depth and irrevocable damage. The scene in the lighthouse and the lake are his best IMO. Much better than the climax scene in "Revolutionary road", or the intense scenes in "The Departed" and "Blood diamond".

[kid-glove]

The copy wasn't the best, still enough to make out that Scorsese color codes the surreal scenes a certain way, that it should be uneasy to us, it's not to say the director "hey, look at this", but rather "let us both look at Teddy Daniels". The first sequence sees disembodiment of Michelle Williams in DiCaprio's arms to ashes (seen in trailer), starts off with water, then blood and engulfed by flames. The catharsis of war, is revoked at certain instances, and that is eventually merged by the personal traumas, the work of "evil" is at every demented heart, the nebulous art of "dehumanization". The Paranoia, defeatism and fatalism of the human condition are highlighted well by such sequences. I'd also say the film qualifies for a noir with Michelle Williams's Dolores as a worthy femme fatale.

I don't know if the film is going to get an Indian release. Awaiting dvdscr-/dvd-rip. I'll be the first to grab it !

[kid-glove]

The towering (in more ways than one) presence of Von Sydow, reminds of his Island works with Bergman, "Hour of the wolf", "Through a Glass Darkly", "A passion" and "Shame". With or without the Island constraint, and post-war noir, "Shutter Island" will find its place in the psychological thriller/drama genre. :thumbsup:

[kid-glove]

Whoever cast the 2nd vote for "Taxi driver"/"King of Comedy"?! :thumbsup:

[kid-glove]

Tarantino on De Palma's reaction to Scorsese's "Raging bull"

Tarantino comparing the relationship/competition with PTA to De Palma-Scorsese

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvgxyHmVsRU

De Palma-Scorsese :: Tarantino-PTAnderson

About fair, I think. DePalma's favorite is QT, and Scorsese's is PT Anderson. Hope they give us damn good movies, that's all that matters.

Btw, it's about the Raging bull opening credits shot that De Palma first saw (he thought Blowout was going to be his best film, and he went to see RAging bull, and after the opening, he went "F--k!, no matter what you do, there's always f-ing Scorsese". I guess that's how QT reacted to TWBB, at least I'd like to believe :lol: ).

[groucho070]

Whoever cast the 2nd vote for "Taxi driver"/"King of Comedy"?! :thumbsup:Yeah, but it's grouped with really insomniat BOTD...must have taken real courage and overcoming manasatchi to vote that group :P

[kid-glove]

I just added 'em to play the "odd one out" game. :P

[ajithfederer]

Thanks for your posts. Yes Dicaprio had indeed acted very well. Quite disagree on the Departed, I thought he acted very well in the departed. On the technical stuff the color codes you pointed out looked great on the big screen. I can testify to that. And I also know that you would be the first to grab it on big screen as well.

Watched "Shutter Island" cam print (v-6, a-5)

Liked the film immensely.

DiCaprio does well, and for the first time, seems comfortable in showing depth and irrevocable damage. The scene in the lighthouse and the lake are his best IMO. Much better than the climax scene in "Revolutionary road", or the intense scenes in "The Departed" and "Blood diamond".


The copy wasn't the best, still enough to make out that Scorsese color codes the surreal scenes a certain way, that it should be uneasy to us, it's not to say the director "hey, look at this", but rather "let us both look at Teddy Daniels". The first sequence sees disembodiment of Michelle Williams in DiCaprio's arms to ashes (seen in trailer), starts off with water, then blood and engulfed by flames. The catharsis of war, is revoked at certain instances, and that is eventually merged by the personal traumas, the work of "evil" is at every demented heart, the nebulous art of "dehumanization". The Paranoia, defeatism and fatalism of the human condition are highlighted well by such sequences. I'd also say the film qualifies for a noir with Michelle Williams's Dolores as a worthy femme fatale.

I don't know if the film is going to get an Indian release. Awaiting dvdscr-/dvd-rip. I'll be the first to grab it !


The towering (in more ways than one) presence of Von Sydow, reminds of his Island works with Bergman, "Hour of the wolf", "Through a Glass Darkly", "A passion" and "Shame". With or without the Island constraint, and post-war noir, "Shutter Island" will find its place in the psychological thriller/drama genre. :thumbsup:

[groucho070]

Revisited da Bull with wife.

Like the recent Mean Streets revisit, I was surprised by the amount of humour in the film. Laughter can be contagious. Still is in my top ten (http://rakeshkumar7.tripod.com/id115.html) considering I made that list 8 years ago. Awesome

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z1pPyarKhA&feature=related

Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio) accompanies his girlfriend Katherine Hepburn (Cate Blanchett) to her family's Connecticut home to dine with her family.

A fine scene :clap:.

[kid-glove]

Scene by Scene with Mark Cousins. Part I. Watch other parts in the user's menu..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B21xaf1zIU

Once again, Cousins comes off an arrogant snob, but it's largely interesting conversations than most media hacks. But then, Scorsese is one of the most informative film encyclopedias.

[rangan_08]

kid, why have you not included Cape Fear in the poll list ? Well, you might have felt that it's not up to the mark, but, for a martin-robert fan like me, it would have been nice to see it on the list. :)

I remember seeing it yearrrrs back in a theatre in Chennai. For me, it was one of those early exposure to these great masters.

[kid-glove]

I like the film myself. I don't mind adding it to the poll, except that it's least likely to be voted for, ahead of some of the other films in the list.

[rangan_08]

I like the film myself. I don't mind adding it to the poll, except that it's least likely to be voted for, ahead of some of the other films in the list.

" Re-make" could also have been another reason. Never mind.

You gave me a tough time to choose between Jake & Travis.......finally, it was Travis who made it :)

[kid-glove]

Travis :thumbsup:

I'm going to watch it again tonight. Will see if I could add anything interesting..

[kid-glove]

True classic. A strong suggestion of Film noir, with 40's defeatism, paranoia and fatalism themes time-warped to Vietnam, Watergate period, circa 1975. That again calls for expressionism that preceded, and often pervades film noir. The opening shot, Taxi slowly appears through hazy gush of smoke puff. Ironically, in a very humanistic film with lead character of same name, Elephant man, is born through a similar expressionist (although a much different expression from Lynch) sequence. The 48 fps shot of the yellow Taxi through the fog is as dreamy and classical as the opening shot of Raging bull, and perhaps as exotic as slow-mo heroine introductions in Scorsese filmography. The title in stark red appears through this fog, and then is immediately followed by Hitchcock inspired (or Powell-Pressburger in Tales of Hoffmann) eyes of Deniro. This dream-like opening credits of rainy New york in lush range colors, sets up a hell of a ride. The musical pieces by Herrmann, the overhead tracking shot of the carnage, the costume (of Travis, Iris, Betsy, and Sport often bring out the cowboy, whore, goddess (vice-versa), and apache symbolism respectively), every line of the script, every single observant/voyeuristic (Travis POV) sequence gives an interesting dimension on its own. And no, they aren't just achieved by accidents. Schrader-Scorsese commentary is much recommended to quench the doubts.

One particular sequence stuck with me after this viewing: Travis gazes over the restaurant with trepidation. Interracial crowd bother him (venal, sick, scum to his eyes). To avoid further intimidation (which could have led to violence in the end of the first act), Travis tries to focus on something else. He drops an antacid to a glass of water. The froth bubling in the glass is zoomed into, by the camera, (as we know it is) Travis's POV fixated**. The nausea is (if at least indirectly in this sequence) often times controlled by medication (if you notice, he does take anti-depressant pills).

There is a slow procession to completely becoming the "God's lonely man" (in his own words) except that it sounds poetical on paper, but turns out to be a violent carnage than redemption-seeking (unless, you'd add qualifications). The downward spiral ticks off from the 2nd act,
[tscii:996a51367d]
My life has taken another turn again. The days move along with regularity, over and over. One day indistinguishable from the next. A long continuous chain. Then suddenly...there is change...[/tscii:996a51367d]
and the preparation of homicidal kamikaze ride follows all the way up to the final carnage. The ending does turn a page on the final act, bringing out various readings. Of course, the hero/villain reading is the only irony intended by Schrader. Except that the fatalism of the character will win over, and he'd end being a fall-guy (except that film doesn't quite spell it out for you)..*

I spotted one bit of catholic symbolism: the guns are arranged as if in a mass altar over the velvet surface of the suitcase.

*The ending as Scorsese puts in his director commentary, the time bomb ticking all over again, with Travis's peeping eyes mirroring the opening shot. It seems Scorsese asked Herrman to play the clang sound backwards as if it sucks in, as Travis adjusts his rear view mirror and in a jazzy transition, the eyes get cross-faded with the rear view of New york. Paul Schrader further clarifies that Travis would be no hero in his next attempt and he would certainly commit a similar carnage. (He went on and wrote "Rolling Thunder" which is like a sister piece to this, a little less effective but similar themes.)

** A very useful idea this, showing character's POV being fixated to something closer and less emotionally tangible to get away from the reality, an abstract sequence. I'm reminded of Kieslowski's blue, Unlike Travis's problems, Binoche trying to be emotionally disconnected and discordant with reality is far more accessible (a flutist reprises a tone of her deceased husband), that she tries to concentrate on a lump of sugar cube sucking the tea. Kieslowski manages to keep it as short as possible to not bore the audience. But he does so with a static objective shot. Scorsese keeps it as long as possible, but with a zooming POV shot, he is able to get away with it. Two similar ideas, but different techniques for different characters.

[groucho070]

Thilak :thumbsup: Superb writeup, bro.

I haven't revisit the film for some time. Will do so soon. Your description of the opening scene :notworthy:

A film that almost cost a President's life. And it lost to, what, Rocky that year? :evil:

[kid-glove]

Thilak :thumbsup: Superb writeup, bro.

I haven't revisit the film for some time. Will do so soon. Your description of the opening scene :notworthy:

A film that almost cost a President's life. And it lost to, what, Rocky that year? :evil:

I like Rocky. :oops: Agree that Taxi is of a much higher order.

[groucho070]

I like that scene with Wizard (Boyle), after lenghty prep-talk Travis say, "that's the dumbest thing I had ever heard" :lol:

And Travis trying to joke, "organizized!" The man is totally disconnected with his surrounding.

Bro, was that DVD you watched? Did they recolour the climax? I have me old VCD copy, and it still had the muted colour.

[kid-glove]

Wizard then puts back he is no Bertrand Russell. :lol2:

The way he tries the counter woman at Porno theater, Pathetic. :lol: That organizized joke and the 5-minute coffee + Apple pie date shows us how much of a struggle it is for him to get a girl. Betsy teases back Travis's "organizized" that it's kinda like ad commercials deliberate-misspelling "thimk" :lol2: There's also lot of sitcom type humor in Tom's flirtations with Betsy. It's an important juxtaposition to Travis-Betsy. Thus Betsy, kind of uses Travis as a lynchpin and a tease, before accepting Tom as her boy friend (in Travis's eyes, although there is nothing apparent as such). Travis gets offended at this. Because until then, she was an angel to his eyes. Now "you are no different, you are like them". The very Angel-whore binary wrt women is at the core of Travis Bickle.

And yes, the DVD seemed to be less muted than DivX copy I hold...

[rangan_08]

Adappavi, kid (pardon me for using this term). What an excellent write-up. :clap: I could almost visualise the opeing scene. Hermann's bgm gives a gloomy effect to that scene.

There's another scene where Travis sits in his room and watches TV. The way he lethargically throws his legs on the TV set and tapping it, proves that he doesn't care a dime for his life.

And, who can forget the pimp Keitel and a young, innocent & beautiful Foster as Iris :thumbsup:

You talkin to me :huh: :D

[kid-glove]

The whole lead up to carnage is brilliantly conceived. Scorsese lets the camera watch over Travis's "ticking bomb". He lets De niro espouse the gradual breakdown thro suggestive sequences, like that TV scene, to show the slow transformation and not make it seem predictable. For example, when Travis watches over the tv show/movie scene of girl rejecting the man (to him, akin to Betsy), he is not necessarily ready to explode but the scene would pan out in such a way that some part of it, triggers the bomb. It then leads us to the question, What if the girl accepts the boy? Would that matter to Travis at all? For one thing, Travis wouldn't let the TV drop and bust. :)

[kid-glove]

Watched "After hours" again.
Could see why it's regarded so highly.

[groucho070]

Watched "After hours" again.
Could see why it's regarded so highly.It is? :shock: I liked it...and I kept it to myself :oops:

[kid-glove]

It is regarded very highly. Won Best director in Cannes (didn't win Palm d'or) and got good reviews (Ebert and likes who go on about "kafkaesque" ride and Scorsese's direction)

[groucho070]

Memories of reading somewhere that critics thrashed it during its release and that it was a mega-flop. I thought Scorcese going surreal was nice, sort of suited him. And perhaps the only time in the history of watching films for more than three decades that I liked Rosanna Arquette :P

Edit. But then, there are other chicks in that flick, so what is there not to like :wink:

[kid-glove]

She does okay in "Life lessons" too..

AH is not a big commercial success.
However, Critics like it. To them, it's the most underrated Scorsese film. :)

[Avadi to America]

where is "Gangs of New York" in the poll?

[salaam_chennai]

k-g :notworthy: for the writeup

Shutter Island. The movie was gripping from the start to end. I liked it very much.

Scorsese :clap: . I am yet to see a disappointing movie from him. (I have seen only his popular movies'ngrathu vera vishayam)

[raghavendran]

unfortunately i have seen only his "departed"...but loved it every bit...i always love multi protogonist subjects..and departed stands above all... :notworthy: :notworthy: :smokesmirk:

[jinju]

today's The Hindu Friday Review carries an interview with the man....!

http://beta.thehindu.com/arts/cinema/article434305.ece

[kid-glove]

[tscii:4237a6f67b][/tscii:4237a6f67b]
He considers Satyajit Ray the greatest filmmaker from the country, and feels Ray is leagues ahead of him and his contemporaries, in terms of social concern and cinematic genius. “When I watched the Apu Trilogy and Devi, I was moved by his sheer sense of aesthetics and versatility. In our films, we receive so much of financial support and scope to experiment. But, Ray created wonders with shoe-string budgets, and experimented as no other director during his time did.”
:thumbsup:

[rangan_08]

buzz is that, he's going to cast Ash in his next film ?? ( princess of ?Cannes :noteeth: )

[kid-glove]

If we are to believe the tabloids, Scorsese is going to be involved in 3-4 projects. I believe only one will be realized and get made.

[rangan_08]

what about Shutter island ? did any of you guys saw the film ? any expert review ? :)

[ajithfederer]

http://forumhub.mayyam.com/hub/viewtopic.php?p=2042689#2042689

http://forumhub.mayyam.com/hub/viewtopic.php?p=2043381#2043381

http://forumhub.mayyam.com/hub/viewtopic.php?p=2046399#2046399


what about Shutter island ? did any of you guys saw the film ? any expert review ? :)

[jinju]

revisited Travis Bickle last night...whatever happened to THAT Scorsese? :?

[rangan_08]

Oh! thank you AF.

[rangan_08]

Shutter Island released in Chennai y'day.

[Nerd]

revisited Travis Bickle last night...whatever happened to THAT Scorsese? :?
What wrong with him now? Agreed that departed and shutter island or not as good as Taxi Driver but it's not that he has regressed to become a shabby filmmaker. Both Shutter island (film of the year for me discounting animations) and the departed can very well hold against other best films of this decade.

[jinju]

revisited Travis Bickle last night...whatever happened to THAT Scorsese? :?
What wrong with him now? Agreed that departed and shutter island or not as good as Taxi Driver but it's not that he has regressed to become a shabby filmmaker. Both Shutter island (film of the year for me discounting animations) and the departed can very well hold against other best films of this decade.

so far'nu podunga...Inception innum varla :D

no issues with The Departed as such, but v both are poles apart regding shutter island...so, the cliched 'let's A2D' :D

[jinju]

bump.......

[ajithfederer]

Casino

Bobby's performance is very restrained and best as it gets. His convo's with both Pesci and Sharon Stone are extremely well done. Scorsese 8-).

[shylu65]

I really liked Shutter Island and of course, it's one of my favourites.

[kid-glove]

Happy b'day sir. 69 & going strong.

PTA (thank god he's alive) questions him on 3D & Hugo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEkbL6Sznrs


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXJPtFwpcvM&feature=related

[kid-glove]

They're showing Goodfellas in PVR next week.

[wizzy]

^in chennai? have the schedule??

[kid-glove]

Yes. No.

[GSV]

GoodFellas..(Watched Second time last week)

Absolutely brilliant and terrific..

Particularly, "Whats so funny abt me scene" between pesci and liotta.. Really well captured..

indha padtha ellam tamil remake pannungappa..

[kid-glove]

Random Tweets/views with unifying thread (I hope)..

Different medium, but both setting(tracking) up the world with seamless opening shot. Hugo:

http://vimeo.com/47577232

Mafia:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKsaJe2zKSo

Digital illusion (the meta- contrast to Scorsese recreation of Melies Art in 'silent era'). VfX breakdown of Hugo

http://youtu.be/umwSqT5m9io

Multitude of reactions from a Silent Film

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RObqHwAihE…

Watch Safety Last! here:

https://vimeo.com/43533834

Hugo is a love letter to Silent Cinema, but it is also very potently, on necessity of film preservation..

Asa Butterfield's face is how Godard puts on Hitchcock 'documentation' of Fonda's facial profile, and the epidermal effect.. The boy from 'boy in stripped pyjamas', I thought was a 'stretch' and 'cute' to be a Dickensian child, living within walls of train station, but actually the 'Dreyer face' provides both heightened reality and heightened beauty at the same time. At all times, it feels the close-ups are 'documented' and the emotions registered.

Not a fan of Ben Kingsley, but the ideal actor to play George Melies. Some of his most seamless 'acting', or rather 'acts' are here. It's a relief to watch him be at playful ease.

Chloe is the ideal counter-point, the book worm, representing the prescient medium of 'Books', never condescended by Marty. She's the 'key' to open up Invention of Hugo. This inescapable code shouldn't be played down. So for the written medium fanatics, this is a positive gesture from a man who is akin to Hugo in the film.

Sacha works well, always suggests danger to this world. Tremendous casting, with his signature in the mind.