The Cinema of Martin Scorsese

Is Martin Scorsese the last of the auteur filmmakers? Does his cinematic brilliance put him on a par with John Ford, Orson Welles, Howard Hawks, John Cassavettes, and other major American directors? In The Cinema of Martin Scorsese, Lawrence S. Friedman investigates this question as he takes the reader through the progress of Scorsese's career. Friedman explores Scorsese's influences, his stock company of actors (which includes Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Harvey Keitel), his student films, and all his major works, including the masterpieces Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas. The versatility of Scorsese's interests are examined in studies of his musical films New York New York and The Last Waltz, his adaptation of the literary masterpieces The Last Temptation of Christ and The Age of Innocence, his postmodern comedy After Hours, as well as Cape Fear, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, The Color of Money, and Casino. Friedman even offers some speculations about Kundun, which is about the 14th Dalai Lama and the Chinese takeover of Tibet. This well-written and engaging book offers many insights into an artist who believes that "my whole life has been movies and religion. That's it. Nothing else."