The Martin Scorsese Collection

So the rain falls in a Kurosawa film. And the colours drop from 'The Red Shoes', so the bullits, the sounds, the images blow into the face from Scorsese's work on screen! Did you ever notice that at the beginning of many of Scorsese's films the protagonist experiences a serious confrontation between his behaviour and sense of motivation? Wham! De Nero is blown into the air in Casino! Wham ,wham, wham! Ray Liotta's character - in Good Fellas - experiences a serious moment of doubt. When he oversees the situation that he is involved in. This is the moment: glowing in the red light of his - and former R.W. Fassbinder cinematographer Ballhaus' - carbacklights and surrounded by the De Nero character's bullits, he smashes the car backdoor and Scorse freezes that frame. That is the moment. A cinematographic question mark. Raging Bull: same thing: punch! The Last Waltz: blown into the air, by energy: sounds, images. 'How did things get to be?' The explosion expresses the innerstrength with which the character is confronted. The clash between pretentions and reality. The big bang triggers going back in time: Raging Bull, The Last Waltz, Good Fellas, Casino.... 'How did things get to be like this?' A serious question. A serious task. A matter of life and death.
Scorsese's narration on 'Gangs of New York' and 'The last Waltz' and his on-screen interview on the 'Feel like going home' dvd, provide clear guidelines from the maker in the experience of his works. It high-lights certain details. Is a guide into a better understanding of the 'how it got to be' of his work. A wonderfull filmschool. Sometimes I put the commentary tracks alone on an MP3 or MD player and listen to it when traveling. To hear the director put his work in his own words. And that is essential. So many of the directors with impressive carreers are dead now. And so many of the re-releases of their works come with impersonal commentaries from historians and who knows who, talking about what-ever! The only possitive, educational and stimulating exception that I know is the very knowledgeable quarted of talkers on Sam Peckinpah's 'Straw Dogs' and 'Junior Bonner'!

In reference to complaints registered by other reviewers, I just want to point out that this collection only features Scorsese's films for Warner Brothers - which is why, for example, seminal Scorsese films like "Taxi Driver" (Columbia) and "Raging Bull" (MGM/UA) are not included in this box. On the other hand, "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore," "After Hours," and "Who's That Knocking" are all terrific, and have never before been released on DVD in any form, making this an absolutely essential purchase for fans of the director (if the special editions of "Mean Streets" and "Goodfellas" were not inducement enough!).

Well, this is obviously not a complete collection of Scorsese. But still, the price is right, 5 films, 6 discs, and such a cheap price. Plus, it includes the LONG TIME waited GOODFELLAS Special Two Disc Edition, my second Scorsese favorite. Plus, Mean Streets Special Edition, and the rest, all great, magnificent films, After Hours, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore and Who's that Knocking?. A great Deal.

However, it is regretable that it is missing someother films from Scorsese, now I don't mind it not having Casino, Taxi Driver, Age of Innocense and Gangs of New York, since I already own them. But what about Cape Fear, Kundun, Bringing Out the Dead, The King of Comedy, The Last Temptation of Christ, and my biggest regret, Raging Bull.

Now, the GoodFellas Special Edition is encouraging, that maybe, we will see the same treatment given to my favorite movie of all time, Raging Bull, that by the way, it is out of print.

However, this Collection is perfect, because it offers great Scorsese, at a very good price, let's hope each box comes with a hard plastic box, instead of the typical Warner Slip Case, and that specially GoodFellas has a great DVD.

By the way, Amazon lists it as a 5 disc Collection, it is actually 6 discs, GoodFellas, as I understand is the Special Two Disc Edition. I hope right.