Martin Scorsese Books

A fascinating look at the work of this remarkable director whose horror films are among the great films of the genre. The book is well researched and nicely wirtten with good photos.

Chris Fujiwara is one of the world's best film critics. (Look for his soon-to-be-published work on Otto Preminger.) "The Cinema of Nightfall" is specifically about the great(and vastly underrated) Jacques Tourneur, but it is much more than that. It is one of the best books ever written about how to see and experience movies. Fujiwara goes inside the process of just how a film creates meaning, using Tourneur's very subtle genius as his base. The chapters on the more famous works("Cat People", "I Walked with a Zombie" and the immortal "Out of the Past") are the best analyses ever written on those titles. However, perhaps the most impressive part of Fujiwara achievement is his coverage of the more obscure Tourneurs: "Stars in My Crown", "Canyon Passage", "Berlin Express", the shorts. (His chapter on "Nightfall" is worth the price of admission -- a whole film theology in miniature.) "Cinema of Nightfall" is a model of film understanding and film love.

Jacques Tourneur has long been a favorite of horror fans, French critics, and a few sensible American observers like Manny Farber as a creator of some of cinema's most subtly potent effects, particularly in his trio of B-horror films for Val Lewton at RKO in the early 1940s and his Lewtonesque Curse of the Demon in 1958. His most famous film noir, Out of the Past, is also widely considered one of the genre's greatest. Fans who have wished to better understand Tourneur have had to cobble together a biography, production histories, and analysis from widely scattered sources -- obscure academic journals like Film and Psychoanalysis, zines like FilmFax and Photon, French-language studies for those who can read them, and one of the several books devoted to Val Lewton. The Edinburgh Film Festival issued an anthology of essays in English devoted entirely to Tourneur, but that book was aimed squarely at academics. It's Chris Fujiwara's book Jacques Tourneur: The Cinema of Nightfall, which straddles the academic and popular, that will likely be the standard reference in English for the foreseeable future.

Fujiwara begins by persuasively rescuing Tourneur from one of Sarris' gulags: the dreaded third ranking in American Cinema. Sarris' backhanded praise in phrases like "subdued, pastel-colored sensibility" and "a certain French gentility" has been seconded by many critics, who attributed the virtues of the Lewton-produced films to Lewton and the brilliance of Out of the Past and Night of the Demon to Tourneur's "intelligent" manipulation of prosaic generic elements. Fujiwara argues that the things that distinguish Cat People, I Walked with a Zombie, and Leopard Man -- narrative ambiguity, lyrical mise-en-scene, understated dramatics -- are also present in such unjustly forgotten thrillers, westerns, and historical dramas as Experiment Perilous, Stars in My Crown, Way of a Gaucho, and others. By examining Tourneur's early French features and many MGM shorts, he shows decisively that the director's stylistic maturity occurred before his first widely acclaimed feature, Cat People, and only grew from there.

Fujiwara devotes meaty individual chapters to each of the features, with a close reading and critical analysis leavened with production data and contextualizing commentary. True to the author's missionary zeal, some of the best material is the most polemical, as when he effectively articulates the minority view that Leopard Man is not the mess that many (including Tourneur) have claimed, but a major work of "precise and inexhaustible poetry" that presaged the anti-narrative cinema that would be de rigeur in Hollywood two decades later. Fujiwara is also strong on the visual beauty of Stars in My Crown, the sense of personal conviction in Night of the Demon, and the connection between the underrated Experiment Perilous and the Lewton films. Overall, a worthy, well-written and -researched tribute to an auteur who deserves a higher ranking than Sarris, and too many other critics, has given him. Included are a detailed bibliography and filmography, along with photos.

Jacques Tourneur was a uniquely talented director with a string of distinctive films to his credit, including Cat People, Canyon Passage, I Walked With a Zombie and Out of the Past. Tourneur's best films look and sound like no one else's, stylish, subtle and strangely...quiet. At last there is an intelligent, discerning book on the subject of the talented Frenchman. Perhaps a bit more background on the making of the films would have been appreciated, otherwise this is an excellent and eye-opening bit of original film scholarship.

I saved up to purchase this book and I could not be happier! What a gorgeous book- This is one of my all time favorite films and to have a book that includes the script is a real treasure. The text of how the movie came to be is one of the best parts of this book. Impressive in size and just beautifully put together- If this is one of your favorite movies, than you must have this book...you won't be sorry!

Not being familar withe book, Scorcese and Cocks came up with a excellent film of class hypocrisy and repression. Well worth reading on its own right, hopefully this film will get the acclaim it deserves. Those that did like this film should also examine Kubrick's 'Barry Lyndon', a film which was one of Scorsese's main influence during the making of the film.

This book really can be called a "work of art". It includes some stunning pictures and paintings that later inspired the making of the film "The Age of Innocence". It's really an uncommon chance to glimpse into our own pictorial heritage, as seen through the eyes of one of America's most important filmmakers. Included is also the shooting script and a series of quotations from the period's writers that help in the building of the 19th century athmosphere. Strongly reccommended to the lovers of this film and to the ones who want to appreciate more and understand where the "inspiration" comes from. Massimo Benvegnu

Film professor Lesley Stern has written what amounts to an enthusiastic love letter to the great postmodern film director, Martin Scorsese.

It's a good read, though text does not follow the usual stylistic protocol of essay or non-fiction book writing. Full of gushing observations about postmodernist connections between Scorsese's work and that of other film directors.

That's okay, because Scorsese is a brilliant postmodernist and pure film buff who happily steals (Hitchcock would be proud) from all kinds of filmic sources.

However so much fun reader will have, going after all the videos this book praises, the pace and path of the writing can be almost overwhelming. It is full of ricochets and breathless connections to all kinds of sources. I found it annoying, sometimes, how rather reactive the text could be... this is like this is connected to this is from this is similar to this, etc etc.

But I give it four stars because anyone who likes Scorsese will probably enjoy reading this.

very self-conscious and smart, often a bit show-offy and exhibitionistic, but that keeps your attention; great intro paragraphs on each chapter, great stuff on putrescence. Probably the best, most imaginative, and bravest book written on Scorsese.

The reader really gets a sense of Scorsese; the master of film direction. Beautifully written in extreme elegance. Whitty---well done...a must read!

When film lovers and critics talk about a director with a definite-yet-indescribable style, they usually talk about "the Lubitsch touch". Yet, during my first semester of film school, my professor showed our class the visual and rhythmic devices that Lubitsch used to create his touch. Frank Borzage, on the other hand, truly has a definite-yet-indescribable touch to all his films. And this book describes, analyzes and unites the director's work and life in a very impressive and interesting volume.

There are some flaws, mainly having to do with the author (a Swiss academic) writing about Hollywood. For instance, there are some lengthy phrases used to describe aspects of film-making that could be described better (and more accurately) by movie industry terms. Also, in writing about Borzage working at Warner Brothers, he confuses the 2 addresses of that movie studio: during the Depression Warners was on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, but by World War II they had moved to the town of Burbank. Dumont keeps referring to Warners Studios on "Sunset Boulevard in Burbank" and no such thing exists.

Still, my hat is off to this book, which crystalizes the thoughts and philosophy of one of the great artists of motion pictures.

I AM A BORZAGE!...After only reading the foreword by Martin Scorsese, I was already blown away. This book is incredible and I am ever so greatful that Frank's work has been cast into brighter light. I have spent so much of my life wanting to know more about my family and more importantly the Borzage film legacy and this book has been unbelievably satisfying. The pictures of Frank sitting next to Amelia Earhart or Joan Crawford are Mindblowing and only more intriguing. I feel like the dust has been lifted and Frank Borzage is ready to be re-discovered. Thank you Dumont and Scorsese!! It means the world to me...

In this little book, two of film's most visible critics, Roger Ebert and the late Gene Siskel, interview three of the most influential film directors of the last 30 years: Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas. (Scorsese is interviewed by both Ebert and Siskel. Spielberg is interviewed by Siskel; Lucas by Ebert.)

Much of the focus of this little book is directed toward film preservation, although the title of the book also refers to trends in filmmaking. It is interesting to see the predictions that all three directors made for the future of film when these interviews were conducted in 1990. Along the way, we gain a bit of insight into the passion these three directors (and these two critics) have for films and their future. An interesting look for the casual fan or the serious film lover.

116 pages

A must-have for film fans. In what other book can one get so intimate about films with acclaimed film makers Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and George Lucas, along with prominent film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert. Simply put, facinating, and a pure joy to read. Plus, the proceeds go to restoring films, such as JAWS, that are literally disappearing.

Very disappointed as the book is more like a movie script (i.e. "He enters the room, voice over") This makes it very dull and I couldn't get into the book altho I tried several times.

Book came in the time frame and in the condition specified.

It has been a long time since I fell on such a good book. Interesting characters intertwine in a decisive decade for Vegas. The story is based on the real life of Frank (Lefty) Rosenthal who left his mark in the gambling industry.

Money, power, greed, lust, and crime with flair intertwine in seventies' Sin City. Pileggi is a natural born story-teller who knows how to make it all work and keep you glued to the book with every turn of the page. The writing is style is spot on. It's so hard to find contemporary literature written with such a simple language, yet capable of conveying an intriguing story.

The fact that I had only seen bits and pieces of the movie, also helped. I could place the faces of De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Sharon Stone behind the characters while still enjoying the novelty of getting acquainted with the story for the real time.

I would recommend this to anybody who is interested in recent history, the mob, and the gambling industry overall.

This book is really great.Hate to tell that jackass who wrote the olsen casino review but its a non fiction story and it was written long before the movie came out. Anyone interested in the mob or vegas will love this book!

Perhaps a little more well known for "Wiseguys", the book that became the movie "Goodfellas", Nicholas Pileggi is as good as they get when it comes to writing about the Mafia, its people and the drama of living the life. It is unfortunate that he doesn't work very fast - more books would be welcome.
"Casino" is the true story of Vegas in its heyday prior to the mega resort/casinos we see today, like Excalibur, New York New York, The Luxor, etc. Before large corporations turned Las Vegas into a theme park with casinos, the Chicago mob pretty much controlled the then famous casinos of the day, like the Stardust, where the movie "Casino" disguises it with the fictional name of The Tangier. Skimming the profits was the mob's business. Perhaps the greatest handicapper of all time, Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal, ran three major casinos and ran them well. Chicago sent out the legendary Tony Spilotro to keep an eye on "Lefty" and protect him and the moolah. Spilotro, however, had ideas of his own and soon became mired in a horrendous mess, dragging Rosenthal and eventually all the mob controlled casinos to their demise with him. Rosenthal still lives, and even has a web site, but Spilotro at books' end learns the hard way that being insubordinate to the mob and skimming their skim has dire consequences.
Pileggi is a master at showing a picture of the lives of these people, the shady deals, the threats from every corner, from the state, other criminals and the Mob, and how difficult life is for those who choose the gambling scene as a way of life.
It's morbid but fascinating reading. A must for fans of organized crime books.

"Vertigo" is not only my favorite Hitchcock film; it is also one of my top five favorite films of all time.

It is a film that, at first viewing, seems merely like a slightly irregular, well-made, not quite formula murder mystery. You go away from the movie with doubts in your mind (questions keep pricking you over and over) and then the "Vertigo" vertigo starts: How did they do it? How did they get away with it and why? Why is James Stewart so obsessed with, at first, a living woman and then, tragically, a dead woman? Why does Kim Novak allow Stewart to manipulate her into becoming a different person? Why do the director and author tell the audience who-done-it long before the movie is over? (This is a particularly thorny point in Auiler's book). And those are only the questions which pop to mind after a first viewing with no preconceptions.

With a foreward (really a short appreciation of "Vertigo")by Martin Scorsese, Dan Auiler's book is a "Vertigo" encyclopedia: the author has collected color and black & white photographs from the film and from ad campaigns; he shows us reproductions of Hitchcock's famous storyboards; he has researched and explained how and why the screenplay was written (and by whom!)and lets us know how Hitchcock participated in the writing in this and everyone of his films and why the studio did not want Hitchcock to direct this movie, preferring that he do another African adventure after the success of "The Man Who Knew Too Much." We learn how Bernard Herrmann's score came about and was recorded, why the specific actors were chosen for their roles and how they worked with their director, how the movie was made ready for the public and how the public received it, originally and in its re-release. There is also a discussion of the process used in making VERTIGO which was called Vistavision.

Auiler also explains the process by which this great, sad, twisted, dark, mysterious, complicated, brave movie was saved from destruction by complete restoration, a painstaking process that directors such as Scorsese support and fund on a regular basis.

This book is a must-read for any fans of Alfred Hitchcock, of "Vertigo" and, indeed, for any film fans. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I have a strong interest in the film "Vertigo," as I live only 8 miles from Mission San Juan Bautista where some of the scenes were made, and a relative owns Hitchcock's former estate in Scotts Valley, CA (not Los Gatos, as Auiler mistakenly states in his book)where James Stewart spent the night right after making the San Juan Bautista scenes.

Auiler answered many of my questions -- like why Mission SJB has all rounded arches in the film, and a couple of large square openings in reality (answer - Hitch used plywood fillers in the film to give a more uniform appearance). I also wondered how Stewart and Novak drive through a well-known stretch of road bordered by tall Acacia trees on their way to SJB, when that road actually is south of San Juan Bautista, in the opposite direction of their route. (Answer: Hitch liked the trees and who in the audience would know?)

Another question: where was the Coroner's inquest held? I had looked all over the Mission grounds trying to find it without success. Auiler tells: the site was actually a Paramount set, and looked so real it appeared to be "on location."

I still enjoy wandering Mission San Juan Bautista on weekends, looking for Vertigo scenes. Auiler's book has turned me into an informed fan. It is a very well-researched and well written book.

Vertigo is one of the best films ever made. Sir Alfred Joseph
Hitchcock's masterpiece will keep you dizzy with the intricate
plot, the beauty of the streets of San Francisco and the great
acting of James Stewart, Kim Novak and Barbara Bel Geddes.
Aulier begins his book with a short biography of the rotund
Cockny genius AJH. We learn of his career and the outstanding
team he assembled to produce such timeless masterpieces as Vertigo.
Vertigo is Hitchcock's most personal film as he explores such
heavy topics as:
1. Romantic obsession as Detective John Scottie Ferguson seeks his lost love Madeline seeking to remake her in shopgirl Judy.
2. Voyeurism as Hitchcok lovingly photographs the Bay area and gets inside the mind of his characters.
4, The haunting score by Bernard Hermann adds texture to the dreamlike operatic quality of this masterpeice, Hitch looks at
dreams and the elegaic desire to return to the past.
The convoluted plot is well known but readers will learn the
nuts and bolts of how a great film is put together from business
deals; casting (Vera Miles was scheduled to play Madeline)special effects; sound and filming techniques,
Aulier illustrates his book with stills from the film as well as letters from Hitch. The book contains interviews the author conducted with such Hitchcock aassociates as Saul Bass who created the titles noted for their swirling imagery.
Vertigo is based on a French novel and is like a wheel within
a wheel in its complexity and insight into the mind of AJH.
If you love movies, San Francisco, mystery, glamour and haunting music then Vertigo is the film for you! This fine book
is a requisite primer and introduction to this filmic classic.

Great reference book, but I did get bogged down on all the technical information/processes of the films restoration. Otherwise it's very interesting and enjoyable.

Dan does a nice job here providing lots of information on the development of the script, the circumstances of the adaptation from the french novel, the shooting sequences, and the relationships of the actors and actresses once the camera stopped rolling.

Vertigo is my favorite film and I was generally pleased by this book. My only complaints concern numerous printing/spelling errors that I came across. These errors do not contribute to any misinformation about the film, but they are annoying. The reproductions of various movie posters and pictures from the set throughout the book are a nice addition. This book is a must for film buffs-especially Hitchcock film fans. Dan makes a convincing argument for the claim of many who say this is the master's best film. Hopefully some of the typographical errors in my first edition will be corrected in the future-nothing major, but enough to drop my rating one star.

Highly recommended.

A good script based on Robert Johnson. If you like movie scripts this one is very readable.

For me, it was the "Notes" area that accompanies the 'script' that make this book highly recommendable. In fact, the information in the "Notes" is a fine read by itself!

The story of Johnson is part myth, part dream and occassionally part fact. This book/script is best when read as part of a larger look at Johnson and the Blues. In other words, read this - but don't stop here or you won't be getting the bigger picture.

Recommended for blues or Johnson fans. Worth the read.

Any author who tries to su up the life of Robert Johnson is going to have a hard time. The life of this man is a mystery beyond belief. The one thing that stands out is the music. I really feel that owning Johnson music is better than any book. Pick up the two CD set that has the booklet. Read that booklet and then put the CD's in and get ready for an experience this book can not give you. This book is good after you have done this. The music helps explain things a little more.

I never read anything like this before--it was like watching an amazing movie in written form. This unique book is an undiscovered gem.

It's a long way from the Mississippi Delta to Australia but this screenplay allowed me to visualise and feel the passion and raw edge to the music and landscape of Robert Johnson. It seems a shame that no Director has been brave enough to attempt to put this tale onto film as it could surely be an outstanding work if properly attacked. The comprehensive attached notes provide the reader with an opportunity to fill in any gaps in their knowledge to the point where one can almost picture the juke joints with their duelling musicians. The brutality of life in this community was shocking to me and the early death of Robert Johnson now seems to be less of a tragedy and more of an inevitability.

Before I began to write this review I was quite surprised to read a few under whelming reviews by other people. The reason I am writing this is because I am so impressed by what has been assembled.

The more I think about Gangs of New York, the more I watch it, compare it to other films and to Scorsese's previous achievements the more I believe it is a truly great piece of filmmaking. Despite a somewhat disappointing central character, a love interest that lacks chemistry and a final third that erupts onscreen without pounding adrenaline in our hearts, this film remains miraculous. Many have criticised the script, which the shooting version is featured in this book, but having just read it I maintain it is one of the best scripts filmed in recent years. Rewritten, restructured and refined over 20 years the script boasts colourful characters, rich environments and exciting confrontations that are truly cinematic, so violently visceral in fact that maybe the screenwriters were pushing themselves knowing only Scorsese could pull it all off.

On a technical stand point Gangs is unrivalled. The ridiculously inventive and electrical editing, the epic, expensive, all-consuming set design, the raw, flamboyant yet accurate costumes, the densely researched music and flat out stunning cinematography render this film the true king of 2002, regardless of whatever miss-informed award ceremony decided at the time.

In this book you have interviews with all the production's key figures; the director, producer, an executive producer, scriptwriters, actors, costume designer, researcher, set designer, editor, cinematographer. I found Weinstein to be particularly interesting, with some humorous anecdotes that shed a smidgen of light on the much publicised heat between the director and producer (which they continuously refute as being overblown).

The film is responsible, like all films that portray real events, for igniting interest in the subject. As a result the press featured articles on New York during the 19th century and Asbury's book, among others, became Amazon bestsellers. The interviewees list a number of sources that they used to research to perform their jobs. As a result I will probably end up reading the referenced texts because I am now extremely interested in this period in America's young history.

I agree with one reviewer that the questions asked may have been repetitive and should have been more specific with each differing craft. I'm pretty sure the same person asked all these people the questions, however, in an ideal world, each person would have been interviewed by someone with a greater knowledge of what they do. So, to get to the point, why not get a student of editing to pose Thelma Schoonmaker questions regarding her process (what equipment did she use, how has her craft evolved, which scenes posed difficulty, what has influenced her, yadayadayada)? But that is not to say the questions asked are useless. In fact, having just read from cover to cover, I found all the interviewees to be extremely informative. Their answers were intelligent and CLEARLY showed that this film was made by great filmmakers. It would be interesting to just compile all the previous films these people worked on to see how experienced a crew it took to make this film. For a Making of publication, the content here is certainly of a high standard.

For me two things stood out in this book; Daniel Day-Lewis, and how Scorsese was revered by all the interviewees. Day-Lewis gave the performance of his career in this film, and in just a few pages this book reveals how complex, poetic, allusive and ultimately human his acting craft is. And then there is the main man himself, Mr Scorsese. His knowledge of film is legendary. His excitement and love of film unquestionable. His talent forever celebrated, and this book only reinforces the power of his image. He is an inspiration to us all.

The photographs are luscious however I wished there were more off-camera shots, revealing the crew, the cast at ease, where the set ends and where the Italian studio begins. There are however some striking images, especially one where Dicaprio and Lewis are sitting in their respective chairs, drenched in makeup following the final confrontation, distant in their own thoughts. This is where Making Of books tend to excel and this is no exception.

So, you get great pictures, great interviews, a complete screenplay AND a wonderful introduction from Luc Sante (who penned the most influential text for this film). If you are a die-hard fan of the film I would buy this book (no doubt obtainable at a discounted price due to the film's disappointing reception). It will be a priceless document in the future when people wake up from their comas and realise how great a film this truly is.

It's a given: if you love a movie, you'll love every "The Making Of..." that comes out about it. This is no exception. I loved this film. I enjoyed reading the script, and all the interviews and photographs were delicious gravy. The story of how Scorsese and his team captured, very accurately for the most part, the way The Five Points looked is itself worth the price. If there is anything negative to be said, it's that some of the photographs are not of the best quality. But I'm nitpicking. Treat yourself to this superb book!

The movie is astounding, but this book is less than great because the interviewer of cast and crew was amateurish at best. EVERYONE was asked: "What did you think of the sets?" and "What was it like working with (fill in the blank)?". Those are the type of questions one would expect of a high school journalist. Some of the interviewees, however, managed to rise above the questions and provided some interesting insights into the film and it's making. The photos are very good, but don't show much of the "behind the scenes" perspective that would have been interesting. Get the book if you loved the movie as I do, but be aware that it is more of a coffee-table book than an exhaustive making-of book.

I have seen the movie and read this book about the making of the movie. I am struck by the interviews done with the actors and the production people involved with the making of this movie. They all agree on two things: That Martin Scorsese is a genius and that they were not terribly impressed with "The Gangs of New York" by Herbert Asbury upon which this movie is based. Scorsese may be a genius but his movie is not a work of genius. It is a flawed work which never quite comes together and therefore does not satisfy. Asbury's book will live on long after the movie is forgotten.

Thumbing through this book in the bookstore, I decided to see Gangs of New York in the theater. The movie was an incredible experience -- gorgeous, stirring, horrifying, thrilling, heart-poundingly beautiful. A great story. Superb acting. What research! Direction, cinematography, set design, costume design, casting, on and on -- brilliant. A period of history seldom visited, little known, that has such a powerful effect on who and where we are today. (And since I had lived blocks from Five Points for five years, in the East Village, a personal connection... ) The next day I returned to the bookstore, thumbed through the book again, and understood even more. I'm ordering it now. If you love history, and love America, see the movie (though you will cover your eyes on some parts!) Then buy this book.

The Hidden God Contrary to another reviewer, I was not disappointed by this book. It takes an unusual angle into the subject of film and struggling faith, and although it doesn't say the last word on any of the fifty films chosen, it starts one thinking on new lines. The directors included are world leaders of cinema. While a few of the brief, four-page treatments are worthless, many are erudite and insightful. Try it!