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MARTIN SCORSESE AND THE AMERICAN
CINEMA
by Ro
Pucci
One
of the most fascinating journeys in American
culture is the trip through the history of
American Cinema.
Having
a legendary guide in this journey is certainly a
luxury that everyone, no matter how knowledgeable
about the subject, can definitely appreciate.
A
particularly masterful guide for the journey is Martin Scorsese,
the esteemed director of timeless movies such as Taxi
Driver and The Gangs of New
York.
Scorsese has studied the subject with a
burning passion no doubt influenced by his Italian-American
roots. This particular cultural
sensitivity colors and helps us through the long
exciting road of Hollywood “dreams factory”.
One of the first movies, that according to his own
admission, touched the great director was Duel in
the Sun. This was a visually shocking and powerful
work, far too explicitly erotic for its time. The
movie left the young Scorsese with the puzzling
question of how was it possible that the beautiful
protagonist could fall in love with the villain.
According to the director, the contemporary movie
is thus the result of a combination of three major
genres: the American western born from the tales
of the frontier, the detective stories of the east
coast’s big cities, and finally the musicals that
developed on Broadway. These three main routes
intersect with other less prominent genres,
evolving and adjusting to the important changes of
American society. If we follow the evolution of
the American cinema will find movies that are
important milestones.
These movies portray
realistically the age of innocence, the
desperation caused by the Stock market crash of
1929, and the ensuing confusion characterized by
crime and depression. A skillful director can
quickly transform a hero that lacks a variety of
qualities, into a complex and miserable human
being of questionable morality.
Excellent examples of this type of metamorphosis
can be seen in movies where John Wayne
is transformed by John Ford, and
also in others where the good hearted James
Stewart interprets roles less
“traditional” and more in line with a “modern”
America.
Scorsese
belongs to the American cinema, to Hollywood with
its majestic studios, industry, and collective
creative efforts. He is aware of the contrast
experienced in the work relationship between the
director and the producer. In his opinion, during
the golden age of Hollywood, it was the latter
that had the upper hand, while the former was only
aware of being the author and did not fully
comprehend how else to fit in the picture. Only
the best directors are able to find the right
compromise between working with their counterparts
and succeeding in bringing to life their creative
vision.
Martin
Scorsese believes that in our time
directors such as Capra, Hitchcock,
and Lucas have mastered this
ability. In his artistic production martin
Scorsese draws from the personal Italian-American
nature, as well as the art of other great movie
directors.
By examining some of the ideas and statements made
by Scorsese we realize that according to him the
next generation of director should always keep in
mind that a good movie is never just the result of
professionalism. For Scorsese the classics of the
golden age were great because they were the result
of a heartfelt passion for the telling the story.
The director believes that it is important that
those who nowadays choose to sit behind the camera
have the same inner fire and drive. A masterpiece
is thus the ultimate creation that is able to
magically reproduce the director’s personal
fantasy to its fullest.
It is the experience that gives countless
moviegoers a special insight into the mind and
creativity of a movie director.
Roberto
G. Pucci (Ro Pucci)
Ro Pucci
is
U. S.
citizen of Italian origin, we live in Houston
, Texas
and we work as a freelance photojournalist. Some
of his articles and pictures have been published
on "ITALIA ESTERA" and on "La Gente d'Italia".
Is
follow Italian and American facts and culture and
is write also poems for his picture books.
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