Once upon a time, an old hippie friend of mine, a millionaire and a professor, was a young hippie and even rose to the rank of tour manager for The Band.
The one who worked with Bob Dylan.
And so they came to play on a dirty field called Woodstock, and there was a film crew working there, which, in fact, made this monstrous, drooling film about this festival for the dirty (literally, because it was raining there ) hippies.
And tour manager Jonathan met there with one of the few sane people - an editor (that is, an editor) named Martin.
This is how the duet of Jonathan Taplin and Martin Scorsese, producer and director, who gave the world that very real Oscar-winning movie Scorsese - "Dirty Streets" and "Taxi Driver".
By the time of Woodstock, Martin Scorsese was not just an errand boy.
No.
He has already graduated from a specialized arts college and university.
Moreover, Martin spent his time at New York University meaningfully.
He made three short films.
“What is a good girl like you doing in a place like this?” Is a nine-minute lamentation about the writer's hard lot.
“It's Not Just You, Murray,” a 15-minute flashback from an Italian-like mobster about his early years, quite cute and funny.
With direct quotes from Fellini's 8½.
It was shown at the 1966 New York Film Festival.
And it was not in vain that he was given a prize.
In general, in all his short films it is clear that the young author is very talented and deeply immersed in the film process.
Big Shave is a five-minute film where a young man painstakingly cuts his face with a safety razor to the classic 1937 number I Can't Start, by Bunny Berigan, a trumpeter and singer.
It is said to be a film against the Vietnam War.
And he was even called "Viet67".
This is not at all obvious to the modern viewer.
Actually, he wanted to become a priest, but failed to enter the seminary. This is the case in religious families. And even Italian, from New Jersey. It's good that the parents still had nothing against the fact that their son goes to the movies and watches TV. Because, as a sick child, Martin watched a lot of movies - both in the cinema and at home on TV. By the way, he saw the film "Countryman" by Roberto Rossellini together with his relatives on TV. And it made such an impression on him, especially the part about Sicily, that he felt it for the rest of his life.
I don't know where they showed the French New Wave in New Jersey. But he claims that she also influenced him. However, it is stipulated: "It affects, even if you have not seen it." But we know for sure that he saw films of Italian neorealism such as "Rome - an open city" by Rossellini and "The Bicycle Thieves" by Bartolini.
After his short films, he directed "I Volunteered First" (1967), which for some reason renamed "Who's knocking at my door?", With the young Harvey Keitel.
This is the story of a young man and a girl living on the streets of New York.
God would be with her, with this couple.
The fact is that Scorsese's creative method is declared here for the rest of his life - senseless violence in the frame of the highest intensity.
The very first shots - when the guy is beaten with sticks to the song Jenny Take a Ride by Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels - set the mood.
And in general, the film is about stereotypes that destroy love.
Producers Manugyans collected $ 75 thousand for the picture. It's hard to say how much they managed to earn.
But somehow, after this film, Scorsese came to the attention of Roger Corman - the ingenious king of B category films, an excellent compiler, editor, director.
And Corman felt that it was necessary to remove something scandalously bloody by summer.
He took the real story of a love couple who robbed carriages.
His wife managed to persuade the still living heroine to give permission to film their story.
Boxcar Bertha / "Bertha, nicknamed the Freight Car" (1972).
The director took Scorsese on a budget of $ 600 thousand. This was the first role of David Carradine, whom the Russian audience recognized from all kinds of kung fu films of the era of video distribution.
Among other things, there were sex scenes that the performers of the main roles - Carradine and Barbara Hershey - later reproduced in a photo shoot for Playboy magazine.
But all of this was related to the times of the Great Depression.
Another time, another place.
Therefore, when his friend Jonathan Taplin came to him with the idea of telling what is happening here and now, it is clear that Scorsese took up the job.
He and Mardik Martin wrote a script about life on the Jersey streets, where the mafia is indistinguishable from the ordinary small businessman.
Starring Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel and David Carradine again.
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The title of the film is Mean Street (1973).
It cannot be said that this is Robert De Niro's film debut, because he had previously starred with Brian De Palma in 1963 and in the same 1973 in Beat the Drum Slowly.
But only with Scorsese he stayed practically for the rest of his life.
Taplin found $ 500,000 for this painting.
In fact, Taplin first tried to negotiate with Roger Corman to agree to distribute the film in America. For this case, he was given $ 300 thousand, which Scorsese wanted. But Corman insisted that the heroes were from a Negro environment, because blaxploitation films were in fashion. But Jonathan managed to renegotiate with Warner Brothers, but half a million was already given for them. And they didn't have to make the heroes black, but made them the kind that Scorsese and the co-author of the script knew much better, because they grew up among them.
Scorsese's next film, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), is very well known to the Soviet audience, it was widely shown in the USSR. It's just that his last name did not tell us anything at that time. Just a sad American film about a woman whose husband died. And only recently I, for example, found out that he is listed as a tragicomedy. That’s what, but I didn’t see comedy there as a child. We need to reconsider. The film was produced by David Susskind, a well-known TV presenter, and, apparently, thanks to his popularity, he managed to raise almost $ 2 million for production. Ellen Burstyn was given an Oscar for the lead role in this film. He was also nominated for the Golden Palm in Cannes. Harvey Keitel is back in the picture, as well as country singer Chris Kristofferson. No violence, by the way. Otherwise, he would definitely not have been hired in the USSR.
But the violence is full in Taxi Driver / "Taxi Driver" (1976).
The script was written by Paul Schroeder, whom the public knows best as a director (Hardcore, American Gigolo, etc.).
Robert De Niro plays a guy who returned from the war, who, due to psychosis and insomnia, is hired to work as a taxi driver at night and travels around New York.
At some point, his roof finally begins to go and he realizes that he must cleanse this city of filth.
Rescuing an underage prostitute (Jodie Foster), killing a politician, mopping up a robber, breaking up a brothel, shooting a mobster is a great program, I think. Cinematographer Michael Chapman plays the city lights, rain-drenched car windows, and so on with amazing precision to create an atmosphere of utter loneliness for the hero. Not without Harvey Keitel. The structure of the film was influenced by the second solo album of Irishman Van Morrison (ex-Them) Astral Weeks, although it does not sound there. Contrary to the statements of freaks from Wikipedia, he has nothing to do with jazz. The soundtrack was written by the well-known composer Bernard Herrmann in the cinema circles. And by some miracle, he completed it the day before his own death.
In general, deeply creepy things happened with this film.
To begin with, Tennessee Williams (the one who "Black Masseur" and other LGBT theater) in the jury at the Cannes Film Festival called the picture an apology for violence.
The name "Taxi Driver" and the name of Jodie Foster constantly surfaced when they began to spin the case of the assassination attempt on President Reagan.
Crazy John Hinckley, the son of the owners of an oil company, watched the film about fifteen times, then began to chase actress Jodie Foster, then drove with a gun for Carter across America, but he was screwed.
But the attempt on Reagan's life could no longer be foreseen.
He shot him six times, but hit anyone but Reagan.
Reagan rebounded.
It is not surprising that during the analysis of the flights, they began to blame the "Taxi driver" as well.
In particular, one critic agreed that the film is fascist, the screenwriter Schroeder is a quasi-fascist.
Etc.
And about John Hinckley and some others they made the musical Assassins / "Assassins", and the group Devo (I Desire) sang a song on his poems.
Taxi Driver is probably Scorsese's strongest work.
In the future, he will be able to achieve such power only in the "Casino".
But all this is subjective.
But objectively, without the "Taxi Driver" there would be no "Blade Runner" and the newfangled "Joker".
Anyway - four nominations for "Oscar", three BAFTA awards and the same "Golden Branch" of the 1976 Cannes Film Festival.
In 1977, Scorsese released New York, New York with De Niro and Liza Minnelli - light lyrics with an abundance of music.
I could relate well to this picture if the title theme - the song "New York, New York", especially sung by Sinatra - would not have reached it from all sides.
And Lisa, who has CABARET written on her forehead in large letters.
Let's pay attention to the fact that in 1976 Jonathan Taplin made Scorsese remember his youth and they shot what is called a "concert film", but in fact - a documentary about the last concert of The Band on November 25, 1976 in San Francisco ...
This is a good documentary, and the players are all notable - except for Robbie Robertson with the team, there are Eric Clapton, and Neil Young, and Bob Dylan, and Ringo Starr ...
I don’t know what influenced Scorsese - re-entering the drug-hippie days or simply the fact that he had too much money - but he drove himself to overdose with his cocaine holidays and almost died.
He was literally pulled out of the other world by Robert De Niro, who sat at his bedside in the hospital and motivated him in every possible way.
First to survive, and then to throw the "drags".
He begged him to make a new film.
And this film was the tough Raging Bull (1980) about a real boxer named Lamotte.
Starring, of course, is Robert De Niro.
Two Oscars - to De Niro himself and to the film editor.
BAFTA also noted the work of the editor and the debut of Joe Pesci, who smoothly merged into the style of all Scorsese films, and especially - "Casino".
Filled with new knowledge and high aspirations, Scorsese wants to shoot "The Last Temptation of Christ", but the studios kick him off in the most gorgeous way. Paramount especially tried, which had already started production, but, having received letters and threats from especially vigilant citizens, was very frightened and refused production, having already spent $ 3 million. And the film was accused - no less - of anti-Semitism and pederasty at the same time. “I hope someday I'll shoot The Last Temptation ...”, but not in this country and not with the money of this country. Everything. Forget about it. This film and the American film industry have nothing in common, ”says the director in his hearts.
Then Scorsese in spite of filming together with The Geffen Company at the Warner Bros studio unpretentious comedy After Hours / "After work" (1985).
But then she was unassuming.
Now Komsomol members from the Woke District Committee would have kicked her.
Well, judge for yourself: the main character is a young programmer guy.
All the women that he comes across are sexual aggressors, sadists, masochists, manipulators and idiots.
Suddenly, in 1986, Scorsese undertook to shoot a sequel to the 1961 film "Hustler" based on the novel by Walter Tavis - about the adventures of professional billiards players.
Played by Paul Newman and Tom Cruise.
Looks like an adventurous Sting / Scam comedy.
This is probably why Newman sounded like this here.
But here's the curious thing.
Walter Tavis wrote few works in his short life.
And one of them was "The Man Who Fell to Earth", which was filmed with the unearthly David Bowie.
And your fashionable series "Queen's Move" (2020) is, in fact, an adaptation of his 1983 novel Queen's Gambit, published in Russia as well.
Scorsese is tenacious.
He still drags his idea with the adaptation of the Greek author Nikos Kazantzakis and his "The Last Temptation of Christ."
And he shot it in Morocco for Universal in 1988.
In the role of Jesus, the win-win Willem Dafoe.
Instead of the original Sting, Pilate is played by David Bowie.
Music by Peter Gabriel.
Excellent.
And you know what, according to Scorsese, "the last temptation"?
Christ - to abandon messianism and choose the path of the philistine.
But then especially excited citizens began to cope that the director had “Christ escaped from the cross to copulate with Mary Magdalene”.
Well, in short, whoever saw what fought against it.
It's good that then there were no social networks with their chorus of evil hamsters and the masters of culture could then still say three cherished letters to the distraught cattle - PNKh.
Gabriel's music was nominated for a Grammy.
Goodfellas / Nicefellas (1990) looks like a prequel to The Sopranos, honestly.
Joe Pesci, Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta paint a mafia environment.
After a fascinating story filmed by the master, the gangster theme with an Italian flavor could not disappear from the screens for another twenty years.
And Pesci won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
Cape Fear (1991) is a remake of the 1962 film starring Robert De Niro.
Probably, there is something in it, but the problem is that someone else could have put it.
You don't have to be Martin Scorsese to do this.
The Age of Innocence (1993), a costume drama based on the novel by Edith Wharton, is what you least expect from Martin Scorsese.
And we, of course, are all happy for Madame Wharton - she, the first woman, was given the Pulitzer Prize for this novel in 1921.
Together with Casino / "Casino" (1995), the former luxurious gangster Scorsese returned to us.
And at the same time the acting duo Robert De Niro - Joe Pesci.
Based on the book by Nicholas Pileggi (Goodfellas is also his), the film draws a massive drama from the life of gangsters, and you can watch it more than once.
This is by far one of the director's strongest films.
Kundun / "Kundun" (1997) about the Dalai Lama evokes the idea that every major director, starting with Bernardo Bertolucci, necessarily fits into the theme of Tibet.
And from the standpoint of some Amnesty International.
It remains to be understood whether they are doing this at the call of the soul or how?
The budget is $ 28 million, and the collection of $ 5 million tells us that there is some kind of propaganda move.
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Bringing Out Dead (1999) with Nicolas Cage as a paramedic turned out to be a similar commercial failure.
Connelly's novel, written by Paul Schroeder.
Great soundtrack - here for you and Joe Strummer (The Clash), and Neil Diamond, and Pete Townsend (The Who).
Professionals, however, like the picture.
Gangs of New York / Gangs of New York (2002) was received with some hysterical enthusiasm in the Western Hemisphere.
Genre - historical film.
But with DiCaprio.
At $ 97 million, the budget raised $ 193 million. It means that he somehow entered the viewer, although what this picture can tell a resident of central Russia, I do not understand at all.
Don't tell me about Cameron Diaz's brilliant game.
She's a cutie everywhere - from "The Mask" to anything.
In 2003, he released the documentary Blues, a must-see if you are interested in music and its history.
In 2004, with his new good boy, DiCaprio, he is shooting Aviator.
The story of the completely insane and controversial millionaire Howard Hughes is always interesting, even if it wasn't Scorsese filming.
But it was he who shot, so the picture is impressive both stylistically and technically.
It is no coincidence that there are eleven Oscar nominations alone.
Today it will be very important to revise the "Aviator" - there is private aeronautics, an analogue of private flights into space, and a deadly virus, and the FBI, and all the cases ... Not much different from the agenda on our Internet.
The Departed (2006) is a remake of Lau's Hong Kong film Castling Double.
Another picture in the piggy bank of Scorsese's gangster films - with Nicholson, DiCaprio and Matt Damon.
An increased level of male acting attractiveness is included.
The characters are said to even have real prototypes.
And a rich soundtrack - there's even Roy Buchanan and Badfinger.
If we're talking about music, then, apart from Blues, we need to see two excellent works by the director - the Rolling Stones.
Let there be light ”(2008) and“ George Harrison.
Living in the Material World (2011) and Rolling Thunder Revue: The Story of Bob Dylan Through the Eyes of Martin Scorsese (2019).
In 2010 another release of DiCaprio took place under the direction of Scorsese - Shutter Island / "Island of the Damned" - based on the crime novel by Dennis Lehane.
On the menu: child killers, mental hospitals, etc. Pure business: $ 80 million in expenses, $ 294 million in fees.
Hugo / "Keeper of Time" (2011) will be considered a children's educational film from the history of the emergence of cinema.
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The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) turned out to be a striking phenomenon.
At one time, it seemed that a new breed of financial hamsters would make Wolf the new Atlanta straightening its shoulders.
DiCaprio is his own producer, his own star.
Costs $ 100 million, revenues nearly $ 400 million. DiCaprio is better than Ayn Rand.
Silence / "Silence" (2016).
As soon as I realized that the film was about ancient Japan and the coming of Christianity, I just pressed the Skip button.
The Irishman / "The Irishman" (2019) was supposed to cheer up the audience.
Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino are all of Hollywood's noteworthy Italians in place.
And everyone seemed to like it, and the collection was $ 7.9 million with a budget of $ 159 million. Plus (that is, of course, a minus) it lasts 210 minutes.
Theme for the Irishman was written by Robbie Robertson of The Band.
And now we are sitting and waiting for a new film with DiCaprio and De Niro - Killers of the Flower Moon (2021).
There is some murky history with the Osage mine, as well as with the local native American population who were all killed.
I don’t know if I’m going to watch it.
Too much nativeness and inclusion.
But what makes me happy is that 2022 is coming soon, and Martin Scorsese, like a locomotive, goes and goes forward.
However, his hippie producer Jonathan Taplin is also.
Long before everyone started talking about how social networks and Big Tech are far from democracy (in five years), he wrote a book "How Facebook, Google and Amazon Undermine American Democracy and Drive Culture into a Corner."
This is what the old school left means.
Anything to look at.
The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.