The CriticMartin Scorcese and The Departed
April 22nd 2007 22:43
**spoiler alert**
Martin Scorcese almost always sucks me in. Even if I won't pay now to see one of his films at the theater, as I did when he and a young actor named Robert De Niro made a little movie called Mean Streets.
That movie shocked me. I had already been exposed to Chinatown, Bonny and Clyde, Jules et Jim, some Japanese films that blew me away, and had scandalous scenes showing actual kissing, which was generally considered, I understood at that time, to be much more forbidden than showing full nudity or sex.
I guess I'm saying I had seen a film or two by then.
I had seen Citizen Kane, Robert Mitchum film noir, seen a Cat On A Hot TIn Roof, and had seen Edward G. Robinson as Rico (?) run through the snow asking Is this the end of Johnny Rico (short answer: yes).
I had seen Claudette Colbert beguile a nation during the Depression when It Happened One Night, only later to do it in an entirely different way when she was the ruthlessly ambitious Cleopatra, a very different take from Vivien Leigh's brilliant turn, or the one where Elizabeth Taylor just, unfortunately, seemed false throughout. A bit ironic considering the real life activities going on.
I had seen Frank Capra movies that explored the un-lovely subjects of rampant corruption and greed and random callousness, and those I have seen several times (but then they almost always included courage and a bit of hope).
So, I've seen a few genres, performances and films.
And, still, though I know it is likely that Martie Scorcese will leave me unhappy after I am mesmerized by his insight, power and brilliance, still, time after time he sucks me in.
So, here's another sword blade sharp piece of nihilism. Here's another dazzling, throbbing, moving, depressing film. Another movie, like Goodfellas or Casino, where you can't look away. But, it is only because Scorcese is a genius on film, that I bother to look at all. Because these are not people you want to know. These aren't people who have souls. Most frequently, they are cheap and shallow. But, Scorcese pulls a perfomance of such outstanding subltety out of Sharon Stone, in Casino, that it should be embarrassing to subsequent directors that they were unable to ever do the same. Do we like the woman Scorcese and Stone create? No. And, as with almost everyone in that film and in The Departed, she has to die.
Even Shakespeare, no schlockmeister in tragedy, had a somewhat comforting statement for his audience at the end of Romeo and Juliet. Even he thought the writer should offer some consolation or hope, like,..... well, after all this, maybe the families will learn what's important. The people you love being alive is what's important.
Most of the characters die in Scorcese gangster movies. Not always, not every single character you've been watching. One or two might live.
Why? What major character could we care about who wants to live in a Scorcese gangster movie?
Yeah, I'll probably watch the next one as well. And get just as angry. But, generally, I don't watch more than once. There are a number of great movies that I don't bother to see again. I've done my duty and on a Sunday afternoon I'll put on something fun and happily eat too many snacks, again.
Martin Scorcese almost always sucks me in. Even if I won't pay now to see one of his films at the theater, as I did when he and a young actor named Robert De Niro made a little movie called Mean Streets.
That movie shocked me. I had already been exposed to Chinatown, Bonny and Clyde, Jules et Jim, some Japanese films that blew me away, and had scandalous scenes showing actual kissing, which was generally considered, I understood at that time, to be much more forbidden than showing full nudity or sex.
I guess I'm saying I had seen a film or two by then.
I had seen Citizen Kane, Robert Mitchum film noir, seen a Cat On A Hot TIn Roof, and had seen Edward G. Robinson as Rico (?) run through the snow asking Is this the end of Johnny Rico (short answer: yes).
I had seen Claudette Colbert beguile a nation during the Depression when It Happened One Night, only later to do it in an entirely different way when she was the ruthlessly ambitious Cleopatra, a very different take from Vivien Leigh's brilliant turn, or the one where Elizabeth Taylor just, unfortunately, seemed false throughout. A bit ironic considering the real life activities going on.
I had seen Frank Capra movies that explored the un-lovely subjects of rampant corruption and greed and random callousness, and those I have seen several times (but then they almost always included courage and a bit of hope).
So, I've seen a few genres, performances and films.
And, still, though I know it is likely that Martie Scorcese will leave me unhappy after I am mesmerized by his insight, power and brilliance, still, time after time he sucks me in.
So, here's another sword blade sharp piece of nihilism. Here's another dazzling, throbbing, moving, depressing film. Another movie, like Goodfellas or Casino, where you can't look away. But, it is only because Scorcese is a genius on film, that I bother to look at all. Because these are not people you want to know. These aren't people who have souls. Most frequently, they are cheap and shallow. But, Scorcese pulls a perfomance of such outstanding subltety out of Sharon Stone, in Casino, that it should be embarrassing to subsequent directors that they were unable to ever do the same. Do we like the woman Scorcese and Stone create? No. And, as with almost everyone in that film and in The Departed, she has to die.
Even Shakespeare, no schlockmeister in tragedy, had a somewhat comforting statement for his audience at the end of Romeo and Juliet. Even he thought the writer should offer some consolation or hope, like,..... well, after all this, maybe the families will learn what's important. The people you love being alive is what's important.
Most of the characters die in Scorcese gangster movies. Not always, not every single character you've been watching. One or two might live.
Why? What major character could we care about who wants to live in a Scorcese gangster movie?
Yeah, I'll probably watch the next one as well. And get just as angry. But, generally, I don't watch more than once. There are a number of great movies that I don't bother to see again. I've done my duty and on a Sunday afternoon I'll put on something fun and happily eat too many snacks, again.
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