Martin Scorsese is undoubtedly one of the world's finest directors. Recently labelled by Empire Magazine as 'The Greatest-Living Film Maker', his work spans five decades and is still praised unreservedly by academic, critic and movie fanatic alike. His is an international talent, whose work as a director, writer and all round film-maker is so great that it has often had the power to transcend culture, nationality and sometimes even language itself. His is a cinematic pedigree matched by only the very highest echelon of moviemakers and so it is perhaps fitting that this latest overview has been written by a man whose last book, The Complete Hitchcock, would suggest that he is more than well equipped to deal with such a cinematic legend as Scorsese.
Published by Virgin, who also publish some of the better film guides on the market, Jim Sangster's step-by-step- companion to the work of Scorsese is a must buy for any self-confessed movie fanatic. Its chronological approach to the director's work is not only refreshingly straightforward, but makes for its easy use both as a traditional memoir and as an easily accessible reference book. Its content too is impressive. Completely up-to-date, it explores Scorsese's entire film making career, from his earliest youthful experimentations Vesuvius VI and It's Not Just You Murray! (1964) through his very personal reflections of Italian-American life in Mean Streets (1973), Italianamerican (1974) and GoodFellas (1990); the extreme violence of Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980) and Cape Fear (1991); and the religious themes of the Last Temptation of Christ (1988) and Kundun (1997) right up until Scorsese's return to the streets of New York with his latest, and as yet still unreleased, Cameron Diaz and Leonardo DiCaprio vehicle Gangs of New York. Films are dealt with in depth, with each individual film entry segmented into a number of interesting, and often very informative, subcategories such as: 'Soundtrack'; 'Summary'; 'Source'; 'Production'; 'Quote/Unquote'; 'Themes and Motifs'; 'Awards'; 'What the Critics Said' and 'Final Analysis'. There is even a segment entitled 'Scorsese On', in which, drawing on past interviews and recent comments, Sangster provides the reader with an idea of what Scorsese himself thought of his films.
Illustrated with eight pages of colour and black and white photographs, Sangster's latest book is an in-depth analysis of Scorsese's work, managing to discuss his major influences and the controversy surrounding his films whilst giving the reader an insight into the way in which Scorsese's personal life and relationships helped shape his career. Jim Sangster's Scorsese is a highly accessible, easily digestible, essential guide to a man whose work has perhaps influenced more of today's film-makers and film-goers than any other living director.
Reviewed by Simon Jones
