Scorsese Strikes Again
What can be said about Martin Scorsese that hasn't been said already? He has explored most established genres across nearly five decades. Of late, Scorsese has stepped out of his comfort zone and, as some may have expected, has succeeded. Scorsese's recent 3D adventure-drama flick Hugo, which is due for an Australian release next week, has been met with critical acclaim in the US. This is a true testament to Scorsese, as well as further confirmation of his ability to venture into unknown generic territory and succeed. Such leaps of faith in the cinema, however, have come to characterise Scorsese's filmic style.
Name a genre and Scorsese has, more often than not, dabbled in it. His answer to short filmmaking is The Big Shave and What's a Nice Girl Like You Doing in a Place Like This? . Scorsese's interest in the thriller/horror can be seen in Shutter Island, Cape Fear and Taxi Driver. His work in the drama and biopic genres: Raging Bull, Bringing Out the Dead, The Aviator, The Last Temptation of Christ, Kundun and Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. Scorsese has also worked in such realms as the musical and melodrama, as The Age of Innocence and New York, New York suggest. Sister genres to the musical have also interested Scorsese; consider the musical documentary genre and music video format here. He was behind Michael Jackson's clip Bad and did documentaries on bands and musicians such as The Rolling Stones (Shine a Light), The Band (The Last Waltz) and George Harrison (George Harrison: Living in the Material World). What about the sporting picture? Consider The Color of Money and, to a lesser extent, Raging Bull (it's a film about a boxer, NOT boxing). Of course, who could forget Scorsese's affinity with the crime genre? Whether it's Mean Streets and Goodfellas or The Departed and Casino, Scorsese has always taken a keen interest in criminal psychology in his own narratives. As you can see, Scorsese's work has covered, intersected and conquered a variety of established genres.
Hugo, without doubt, is a change of pace for Scorsese. There is an element of surrealism in Shutter Island, but this is Scorsese's first major feature in the adventure genre. Scorsese's success with the film and in such contemporary television shows as Boardwalk Empire suggests that he is far from done with in the world of cinema, even though he's turning 70 this year. Keep on rocking, Marty!
By Chris Traficante