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Director Martin Scorsese reunites with members of his GoodFellas gang (writer Nicholas Pileggi; actors Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Frank Vincent) for a three-hour epic about the rise and fall of mobster Sam "Ace" Rothstein (De Niro), a character based on real-life gangster Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal. (It's modeled after on Wiseguy and GoodFellas and Pileggi's true crime book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas.)Through Rothstein, the picture tells the story of how the Mafia seized, and finally lost control of, Las Vegas gambling. The first hour plays like a fascinating documentary, intricately detailing the inner workings of Vegas casinos. Sharon Stone is the stand out among the actors; she nabbed an Oscar nomination for her role as the voracious Ginger, the glitzy call girl who becomes Rothstein's wife. The film is not as fast paced or gripping as Scorsese's earlier gangster pictures (Mean Streets and GoodFellas), but it's still absorbing. And, hey--it's Scorsese! (Additional note: the digital video disc has a "layer switch," allowing you to watch the entire film without interruption.) --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (205)

Great film (it's Scorcese: what do you expect?)
"Casino" falls short of Scorcese's classics like "Goodfellas," "Taxi Driver," and "Raging Bull," and it covers too familiar ground (another mob movie? De Niro and Pesci again?). Nonetheless, it's an irrestistible glimpse at the mob scene in Vegas, and it's chock full of stellar performances. If Joe Pesci deserved an Oscar for his role in "Goodfellas," then he should have deserved two for "Casino," where he's in even better form. DeNiro also shines in his role as Rothstein, looking dapper in his flawlessly-tailored suits. But the film's revelation is Sharon Stone, who radiates as De Niro's love. She was rightfully nominated for an Oscar, but, to this day, she has never since had a role worth our while as this. Scorcese snobs will roll their eyes and call this film "Goodfellas"-lite, but, at nearly 3 hours, it's good enough to glue your eyes to the screen.

If you don't have my money for me, I'll crack your...
In many ways, Casino is the epic Goodfellas could not be. Casino is about relationships between characters in and around organized crime and gambling, and it's about the arc that an entire city of pleasure takes over these people.

It's Scorsese and Pileggi and DeNiro and Pesci and Frank Vincent again and it's a top-notch, gorgeous gangster epic.

In the early 70s the Chicago Outfit sends Sam 'Ace' Rothstein out to Las Vegas to manage the casinos they're skimming cash from. Ace is a gambling master, a sure-bettor who never loses; soon the Tangiers is raking in more dough than ever due to his management. In order to better 'manage', the Outfit also sends Nicky Santoro, a crafty but hot-headed soldiers (Pesci) to Vegas, to provide the muscle. Pretty soon Pesci is smacking people around, stabbing them with pens, putting their heads in vices, and even vandalizing their cars (not to mention flat-out threatening to crack their heads open) all as he looks to set up his own empire away from the Dons in the Midwest.

When Ace marries a call girl named Ginger (Sharon Stone) and attempts to start a family, things start going downhill. Ginger is still involved with her old pimp, for one. And let me pause to mention that James Woods has played possibly the sleaziest, most disgusting rat pimp of all time, from the subtleties like his mustache and mesh shirt to his cheap talk and bullying threats. Eventually, Ace, Nicky, Ginger, Nicky's Vegas crew, they all manage to bring the house crashing down on them.

This is all based on the true story of the Chicago Mob in Las Vegas and the hold the families had on the big casinos. Pillegi's source book is an interesting account for sure, with more commentary from some minor characters in the film, giving it different angles than just the Deniro-Stone-Pesci trifecta.

The film looks gorgeous, it has to be one of Scorsese's biggest budgets. The 70s clothes, the cars, the settings--they manage to scrounge up enough un-touched 70s Vegas left, and they film in real casinos quite a bit.

The film is three hours long; there's a lot packed into this. Along the way it can be fun; the voiceover sequences of Ace describing the workings of a casino, or how people cheat (and get caught) playing blackjack, or the montage of Nicky's gangster antics, all make this very engaging. The film is a lot bloodier than Goodfellas, and even had to be cut (during the infamous head-vice scene.)

This can't be recommended highly enough, HOWEVER, once again we have a very lame DVD, not as bad as Goodfellas, but not much better. You don't have to flip this one over, but for a three hour film, there are far too FEW chapters, making it very frustrating if you want to watch certain portions again. There's a trailer, wow! There's also some text you can read on the production and the stars, but quite frankly, that is one of the lamest features they try to put on discs. Can't they simply print production notes in a booklet?

If you haven't seen this or Goodfellas, come out of the cave. If you listen to some people who say 'It's like Goodfellas, but not as good', well, you can let them think for you. It's as good as Goodfellas, and arguably better.

And Joe Pesci has some of the most choice swearing lines...

Crippled American Version
This is a great movie that deserves a better dvd treatment. The layout and features are extremely vanilla. Not since Dracula have I see such a vhs content type dvd. Maybe in the future it will get a proper treatment in a boxset but in its current condition this release shouldn't be purchased to accompany any collection.

Also its important to note that this is not the uncut version. So far the only uncut version of this classic to make it to dvd is the Australian release.

A Scorsese Masterpiece.
'Casino' is a dominant film which is based on the true story of how Las Vegas was transformed from a simple gambling mecca into a place that has as much personality and colour as Disney World. Robert De Niro stars as a casino owner who is on the ground-level of the city's change. He is a high-class crook who's able to turn profits with the help of the mafia and crooked gaming practices (a norm for all casinos). Joe Pesci is on hand as the mob assassin with the short fuse who is De Niro's right-hand man. However, no one stays on top forever and De Niro's demise is partly due to his ex-prostitute wife (Sharon Stone, in her Oscar-nominated role). Bad decision-making, shady dealings, and questionable alliances will also be key factors in his ultimate downfall. Once again Martin Scorsese has created a film that is so multi-layered and smart that the viewer is completely engrossed for the entire 182 minutes.

'Casino' is a crime epic, in close contrast with 'The Godfather' series of films. Scorsese accomplishes what he did with 'Raging Bull' and 'GoodFellas'. Once again De Niro and Pesci shine with his direction and the unrelenting screenplay. Sharon Stone does the best work of her career. She does not necessarily shine brighter than De Niro and Pesci, but she holds her own and never lets either of them steal her thunder and lightning. Another great thing about 'Casino' is the supporting cast: Don Rickles, Kevin Pollak, James Woods, and Joe Bob Briggs all add great elements of both comedy and drama to this outstanding winner which has been overlooked on Scorsese's list of credits.

Pretty Good Movie
This one doesn't measure up in any meaningful sense to "Goodfellas" (one of the greatest films of all-time).
However I just wanted to voice my sentiments regarding one magnificent scene that gives me a bit of a vicarious thrill; when Pesci's character Nick Santoro (based on the true life mob enforcer Tony Spilotro) confronts the banker: "...I don't think you realize what it is that I do for a living. If I go down to your bank tomorrow and you don't have my money I'll bust your fckin' head open. And just about the time you're getting out of your coma I'll be getting out of jail and I'll bust your fckin' head open again. See, that's the business I'm in..."

I think just about every poor, working class and middle class person has had the urge to sound off to a bank official like that on at least one occasion.

Also Sharon Stone's legs are quite easy on the eyes. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It may have been underrated when first broadcast on PBS on consecutive nights in the fall of '03, but executive producer Martin Scorsese's homage to the blues is a truly significant, if imperfect, achievement. "Musical journey" is an apt description, as Scorsese and the six other directors responsible for the seven approximately 90-minute films follow the blues--the foundation of jazz, soul, R&B, and rock & roll--from its African roots to its Mississippi Delta origins, up the river to Memphis and Chicago, then to New York, the United Kingdom, and beyond. Because the absence of lengthier vintage clips is the principal drawback of the series, Clint Eastwood's Piano Blues is the best of the lot; a musician himself, Eastwood simply lets the players play, which means we get extensive file footage of the likes of Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, and Nat "King" Cole, as well as new performances by Ray Charles, Dr. John, and others.--Sam Graham ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Scorsese Over All!
I didn't think much of the Woody Allen segment (although he's one of my favorite filmmakers) and I hated the Coppola piece but I'm still giving this one 5 stars because of "Life Lessons" which in the first of three short films in this collection. No other movie that I can think of better illustrates the creative thought processes of the artist (Nick Nolte) or their sense of lonely isolation. He cannot live without women and even hilariously tells his young assistant, and I quote from memory, "I don't know anything about love? I was married and divorced four times before you were even born!" Nolte is tortured by his desires and his isolation but even lust will not allow him to compromise his artistic integrity. When Arquette pleads with him concerning whether she has any talent or not, Nolte refuses to lie to appease her. Instead he elects not to answer her question which infuriates her even more. Although he is downtrodden throughout much of the film the ending is a happy one. I own the VHS and have seen the 40 minutes of "Life Lessons" at least seven times over the years. I highly recommend it.

2/3 of a good film
There are two-thirds of a good movie in this movie, as New York's three most famous directors each contributed a short film about an aspect of New York life. The opening short, "Life Lessons" by Martin Scorsese and starring Nick Nolte and Roseann Arquette is a unforgiving look at the competitive, abusive, almost cannibalistic world of a megalomaniacal painter. I read somewhere that this short is flawed because Nolte's character doesn't change. That is not a flaw; that's the point. The ego of a successful artist, according to Scorsese, will not soften, will not learn what a conscience is, will not admit that there are other artists in his/her world. Even when the artist recognizes talent in someone else, it is quickly dismissed. The ego lords over all.

The final short film, "Oedipus Wrecks" by Woody Allen is typical comic genius. The plot is simple. Woody takes his overbearing mother to a magic show, and the magician makes her disappear. Completely disappear. The magician himself doesn't know how he did it. When mom appears as an apparition in the clouds, and speaks to the entire population of Gotham about her son, the laughs are endless.

In between these two films is one directed by Francis Ford Coppola. I can't tell you what it's about. I have yet to sit through more than ten minutes of it.

They are all good, but...
I cast my vote Woody's way. I just love the interaction between the over-the-top characters, wonderfully portrayed by Allen, Julie Kavner, and yes, Mia is good too -- can't always say that...

The real gem here is one of the final performances by Mae Questel, who once upon a time played "Betty Boop." Soon after this performance she began to decline due to Alzheimers.

This is the zany, neurotic fun that made Allen's early comedies my favorite part of his opus. Once upon a time when I was a teacher, I used "Oedipus Wrecks" with my students as a "visual short story." I had them write the ending of the story before they saw it. We had great fun with it.

Second I'd vote for Coppola's "Life Without Zoe" based, again, on the performances, especially Heather McComb's debut. She hasn't done much of note since, but I really enjoyed her here.

Scorsese's "Life Lessons" felt flat to me, despite Nolte and Arquette, both of whom I usually really like. It seemed talky and more like some of Allen's later work. There is a germ of a good idea here -- sexual obsession versus art and getting on with one's life, but I felt the film just didn't deliver.

I skipped everything but Life Lessons.
But that is an absolutely amazing film. I lived in that world for a very long time, and then got out. The film is dead ON in its presentation of the art world during that era, but what struck me most was the absolute dispassionate fairness with which the two main characters, a famous painter and his young "assistant," are presented.

Here are two people using each other, and at the same time dazzled by each other, each in a completely different way. We are given just a glimpse of the tenderness they must have shared early in their relationship when the dazzlement would have been enough to make them believe that what they felt was love.

The same story could have been told about any of the other NYC worlds where people tend to love mostly their own ambitions and only secondarily the idea of someone else. You get the feeling, watching Nolte, that he's on to himself, but doesn't have a choice. As really none of us does, when it comes to being what we are, and whom we love.

New York, the unperishable
Three directors to approach the diversity of New York.
Scorsese depicts the life of a painter in this city. He is a cannibal and needs to possess a younger woman, slightly artistic to find his momentum and his inspiration. He is the absolute vampire who sucks life out of her till she rebels and goes away, but he needs this resistance for inspiration to work.
Coppola looks at the city through the eyes of a young girl, the daughter of an internationally famous photographer, her mother, and an internationally famous flutist, her father. She lives in that rich world without any parents with her most of the time and finds a sudden pleasure when she can take a plane with her mother to fly to a concert of her father's somewhere in the wild wide world. Is that a life for a child ? It sure is the life of the children of that class of world-wide artists and celebrities and New York is an excellent base for them to grow somewhat normally.
Woody Allen goes back to his obsession of a Jewish possessive mother who cannot accept her son to be an independent person. She meddles and the trick is her disappearance and reapparition in the sky of Manhattan talking for weeks to everyone in the street and developing a consciousness of everyday life problems. New York, in that vision, is seen as the ultimate mother and the primeval family.
New York is thus shown as a multifarious entity where people live in a world of their own, a world suspended in mid air, somewhere in another space and time. Outlandish, eerie and fascinating. Nothing can destroy a city like this, and the vision of the twin towers of the WTC are there to remind us of that absolute perennity in resurrection if necessary... ... Read more

Amazon.com

Martin Scorsese was just another college film school grad with a student feature under his belt when producer Roger Corman tapped him to direct AIP's entry in the Bonnie and Clyde craze. Barbara Hershey stars as the real-life depression era orphan of the title, a charming, cheeky young woman who tramped the Deep South with a union organizer (David Carradine), a dandified New York con man (Barry Primus), and a blues-playing mechanic (Bernie Casey), turning her motley band into train-robbing outlaws. Scorsese was anxious to show his chops on a real Hollywood feature and does so admirably (if impersonally) with rough-and-ready style. If the rebellious spirit and social message behind the sex and violence is more Corman than Scorsese, the film references ("Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain," Bertha tells a customer while working at a cathouse) and often inventive direction are pure Scorsese. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Barbara Hershey!!!!
Produced by Roger Corman and directed by Martin Scorsese, BOXCAR BERTHA is a romp through the deep south of the great depression. Bertha (Barbara Hershey) is young, beautiful, and not at all afraid of taking her clothes off! This is good, since she's naked a lot in this movie! Plot?? Well, Bertha's dad is killed in an airplane accident, sending Bertha on an adventure of boxcar jumping, bankrobbing, murder, prison escapes, trainrobbing, prostitution, and lots of laughs. Bertha is accompanied by Big Bill Shelly (David Carradine) and two other cohorts played by Barry Primus and Bernie Casey. Did I mention Bertha's lack of clothing? It just keeps flying off for some reason! Anyway, Bertha and her gang decide to take down an evil railroad baron (played nastily by John Carradine), not realizing just how evil he really is. This leads to the gang's downfall. The finale is pure savage mayhem and revenge! Worth a peek. Oh, and Bertha spends a great deal of time in her birthday suit too...

Cormin, Scorsese Style
Boxcar Bertha is a Roger Cormin picture. Boxcar Bertha is a Martin Scorsese picture. What this means is that while it gave Scorsese the opportunity to show flashes of the genius we now know he possessed, he had to do it at the expense (or lack there of) of delivering a Roger Cormin movie. Now I am not knocking Cormin. Cormin was great because he gave young talent a low budget, some film, and a chance. His low risk approach gave stars such as Jack Nicholson, Dennis Hopper, Scorsese, and Francis Ford Coppola, their big breaks. Cormin films usually aren't that good, but their is no substitute for experience, especially to young filmmakers, so we should thank him.

On that note, Boxcar Bertha is sort of a take off on Bonnie and Clyde. A young Barbara Hershey plays the title character who essentially falls in with a group of disgruntled railroad union guys (David Carradine included) and starts knocking off banks and such in an effort to hurt the railroad's evil owner. The film suffers from terrible cliches and silly special effects (the blood looks like red paint). However, Scorsese makes the best out of it with his constantly moving camera, hard violence, and unorthodox editing techniques. Ultimately though, this is a film for die hard Scorsese fans interested in how he got started.

Beware this DVD
This is the cut and censoured version of that movie. Wait for the unrated version. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Start spreading the news... New York, New York is good!
Martin Scorsese's "New York, New York" is a good attempt at an epic movie musical. Liza Minnelli and Robert de Niro carry the movie's long storyline with outstanding performances that is to be expected from Minnelli and de Niro. The only flaw is that it does not seem the movie turned out as well as it was envisioned to be. It could have been better, but by no means was it bad. "New York, New York" could have been snipped a little more in ye ole editing room, for it is a tad too long. All the two and some hours are worth it in the end, however, with Liza's showstopping rendition of Kander and Ebb's "Theme from New York, New York," later made famous by Sinatra; but no one, not even the Chairman himself belts it out better than Liza! The soundtrack is great, a nice trip back through the Big Band era. Liza in her "period" costume and long hair make her resemble mother Judy Garland more than ever, but by the end of Liza's rendition of New York, New York, you'll be asking yourself, "Judy who?"

A Hidden Gem!
I am suprised every time I talk to someone about New York, New York, they tell me they havent seen it! I know I come from a different generation being the young age of twentythree, but I am a devoted fan of Martin Scorcese and Robert DeNiro. Being another collaboration from these two cinematic greats should lead you to believe more of the younger movie buffs should have seen it by now. We all talk about the usual Scorcese pics and gawk over how amazing Taxi Driver or Goodfellas is. On that note I just want to brag about the beautiful and touching picture about two creative people and their struggle to love each other and at the same time be creatively successful. Liza Minnelli is brilliant as Francine Evans and does nothing to bring the picture down. In fact after Caberet, this is the only other role I've seen her in. In any case she doesnt disappoint and actually comes off very sexy! Her eyes glow throughout he entire picture and especially in the opening ballroom scene. Robert DeNiro is always great as we all know but he really suprised me here with the character Jimmy Doyle. His razor-sharp toungue spits out the mostly improved dialogue with such fury that it sets the screen on fire. He is also very, very funny. Its also a very personal film obviously to Scorcese considering that it practically mirrored his personal life at the time of filming. Im not going to go into details but if you are a Scorcese admirerer, you will know exactly what I'm talking about. All in all, this is a movie that every movie lover, young or old, should get aquianted with. Scorcese's deft direction, along with the trancendant art direction and performances and with all the music including the title track, this is one gem you shouldnt miss!

A Great Epic Musical
This movie is a trully underated musical. The poor script and imprudent editing are its only flaws. But the performances, the direction, the story,the costuming, the art direction, cinematography and the music make those flaws virtually unoticable. Im sure if this had been the success it should have been back in 1977, Im sure the film, the art direction, the cinematography, the costuming, Scorcese, and above all else Minelli(who never looked or sounded better)and Deniro would all have gotten Oscar nods. The one that I truly cant beleive is that the title song didnt win the oscar. It has become such a standard it should have one. Overall a great film trully an underated classic.

Great music but not so deep emotions
Liza Minelli is great in this film that is a manifesto for New York jazz and Broadway musicals. She has a deep and mysterious voice and her songs are highly poetic. Robert de Niro is an aggressive lover and a very self-centered musician, music-doubled by Auld. In fact he looks like a remake of Fred Astaire in his courting techniques, but without the light humorous dimension of Fred and with a deeply egotistic and melo-dramatic dimension. But the film goes beyond this and shows how two artists could work together if they accepted to step beyond the small difficulties of life. Small is a way of speaking since it is a pregnancy that does not come at the right moment, breaking up a band and endangering a career. Robert de Niro just rejects the problem and saves his own career by dumping the wife he had had so much difficulty to conquer. Liza Minelli recaptures her own career after this event with her talent and also with her easy-going friendliness. The film becomes sad and has no Happy Ending because the two hesitate to recapture the past and meet again for reasons that are not really made explicit in the film, but that we can imagine to be the fear to go back to a cannibalistic relation on the side of Liza Minelli and the fear to get penned up into limitations on the side of Robert de Niro, in spite of the attraction his own son exerts on him. This shows how difficult it is for two great artists to live together and to work together, especially when one is tyrannical and the other diplomatic. Napoleon meets Queen Victoria in some way. But the film is too much centered on the music and not explicit enough on the love affair and sentimental experience if not experiment the two go through. It makes it a litle bit cold and unsensitive. We have to imagine too much about the relations between the two. So it makes the film slightly shallow and slow, in a word long.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

Robert DeNiro's character-the most unlikeable character ever
Robert DeNiro's character of Jimmy Doyle is, without a doubt, the most unlikeable and downright despicable character in film history.

He (DeNiro's character) does absolutely nothing in the film's nearly three hour running time to in ANY way ingratiate the audience to himself. He's an absolutely horrendous human being in every single scene. (Honestly, Hannibal Lechter is more likeable than this guy...at least Hannibal had some charm and an occasional sense of humor.:)

Liza Minnelli is wonderful, however, as is the set design, cinematography and music. But you can't have a successful film when the audience despises one of the two main characters. ... Read more

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Having scored a critical triumph with Mean Streets, Martin Scorsese accepted Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore as his first big-studio assignment, proving his versatility and further advancing his promising career. Hot off The Exorcist with her choice of projects at Warner Brothers, Ellen Burstyn sought a hot young talent (Scorsese was recommended by Francis Coppola) to direct Robert Getchell's fine, sensitive screenplay about Alice Wyatt, a newly-widowed 35-year-old lounge singer with a bratty 12-year-old son (Alfred Lutter) and a very uncertain future. Her pursuit of broken dreams lands her a waitressing job in an Arizona diner, where she befriends foul-mouthed Flo (Diane Ladd) and meets and falls in love with a divorced farmer (Kris Kristofferson).With absolute authenticity of emotion and incident, Alice--which earned Burstyn a well-deserved Oscar® and features supporting roles for future Taxi Driver costars Jodie Foster and Harvey Keitel--conveys a then-timely sense of strength and endurance from a single mother in desperate times. There have been several similar dramas made since 1974, but Alice (which inspired the popular TV sitcoms Alice and Flo) is still the best. Trivia buffs: Look closely for Ladd's daughter--a very young Laura Dern--and Scorsese as background extras in the diner scenes. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Mean Deserts
Although a stop-gap movie for Martin Scorsese, 'Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore' proved to be the pinnacle of Ellen Burstyn's career. Her academy award winning performance in this film crosses back and forth between careful tenderness and passionate intensity with intelligent ease. In most of his best work Scorsese encourages the actors in his films to play around with the script and improvise extensively. In 'Alice' he allows Burstyn's instincts about her character to come to the fore in the scene in the kitchen with Kris Kristofferson where she talks of her early showbiz career with her brother. Practically all of the dialogue was improvised by Burstyn herself, so much so that Scorsese had to cut the scene down to 3 minutes from 15! In fact there seems to have been a lot of cutting going on in this film. Alice's husband comes across as a totally unsympathetic character until you realize that much of his more tender scenes with Alice were cut in order to make the film move faster.

And move faster it does, for with Scorsese's deep aversion to static shots and his use of a hand-held camera in the small claustrophobic environments in which Alice and her son are confined, all the characters in this film look deeply unsettled in personality as well as in geography.

Ironically, filming had to be stopped on this movie for a couple of days because Ellen Burstyn had to go to the Oscars as she was nominated for her role in 'The Exorcist' that year. She returned unawarded to the work that would eventually reward her.

They Don't Make Movies Like This Anymore!!
This movie is the ultimate single mom movie..she faces abuse, tragedy and a life alone raising her child and she doesn't know how she is going to do it. I thought the acting (especially by Jodie Foster) was awesome and true to life. This movie has everything, it's funny, sad and in depth in what life is all about. This movie is for everyone who is just trying to survive life.

One Of Scorsese's Very Best. Time Will Tell...
Do you notice how little one hears about "Raging Bull"
lately? Well, there's a reason--it's not so hot. There is a
lot of repetition, a lot of improvisation, a lot of falsity in
that movie. And in "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore"?
There's a lot of truth and humor.

This was Scorsese's first studio picture; it was a hit,
and Ellen Burstyn got the Oscar for Best Actress. (In
England, the movie won Best Picture, Best Actress, Best
Supporting Actress, Best Newcomer, and Best Screenplay,
but--inexplicably--not Best Director). The movie was so
popular in America that CBS made a series out of it, and
the series ran for nine full years--the second longest
hit series ever made from a feature film (next to MASH).

I notice that some of the people who have visited this
site have downed the movie, but I also notice that the
one who downed it most didn't even know how to spell
the director's name correctly. (It's Scorsese).

Anyway, time will tell. This heartfelt, true little movie will
work its way very close to the top of Scorsese's ouevre.
It's hilariously funny and also touching and, at times,
harrowing. A well directed, well acted, well written
movie. What a rarity. Watch it and enjoy it.

She now lives on Nick At Nite.
Martin Scorcese's 2nd major feature, *Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore*, involves a thirty-something widow (Ellen Burstyn, brilliant per usual) and her 12-year-old kid as they find themselves suddenly thrust into the world without a safety net. From the cozy enclave of Monterey, CA, they wind up in Phoenix, AZ, where, after failing to make it as a lounge singer due primarily to her involvement with a maniac (Harvey Keitel), they're forced to push on to Tucson. There, she sensibly gives up her dream to be a singer and ends up as a waitress at a roughneck diner. At the diner, she meets a fading hippie / farmer / cowboy / musician (Kris Kristofferson -- who else?) who's currently divorced and seems to be a better bet than the [people who] surrounds her. Though he's breezy about his divorce ("She up and left, and I held the door open for her"), it's soon revealed why he's alone and hasn't seen his kids in some time: he's got a definite edge, a my-way-or-the-highway approach that extends to Burstyn's kid as well as herself. She must decide if he's worth the effort required to shape him up. Meanwhile, her son is giving her headaches by getting into trouble with his new girlfriend, a butch but cute Jodie Foster (her first film?). I don't know this kid's name, but what a performance: annoying as hell, but in a real-life way (as opposed to the *Home Alone* way). I've taken the trouble to describe all this exposition because it does seem odd, at first glance, that this is a Martin Scorcese film, with its Western setting, feminist subtext, so forth. Some have said that it's an anomaly in the Scorcese oeuvre . . . but the tendency for this movie's characters to go into theatrical screaming fits, often accompanied by near-murderous violence, and the overuse of the shaky, joggling, "cinema verite"-style camera-work, puts us in all-too familiar territory. *Alice* really shouldn't be this flashy. Scorcese's penchant for projecting to the peanut gallery harms the film. But the characterizatons, the abundant humor, and the sense of everything hanging by a fragile thread, somewhat alleviate the director's excesses. [Quick note for those too young to remember: not long after this slice-of-life dramedy's release in 1974, someone in Hollywood thought that this material would be a great idea for a TV sitcom. Hence *Alice*, starring Linda Lavin ("What a falling off was there!" to quote *Hamlet*) that was inexplicably popular throughout the entire decade. America thought "Kiss my grits!", a phrase often used by a brassy waitress on the show, was hilarious.]

Simply brilliant; beautifully acted, written, and realized
I saw this movie when I was very young (at least 16 years ago). To me it was just a comedy film that launched "Alice" (which was one of my favorite shows at the time). I now saw it after all these years and was amazed by all that I saw this time around.

This is one of the best-acted films I've ever seen. Nothing more needs to be said about Ellen Burstyn here other than she still remains in my mind as one of the luminary, top-drawer actresses in American cinema these past 30+ years. She is flawless here; even breathtaking! And the performance by Alfred Lutter as her son Tommy was one of the finest performances I've seen by a teen/pre-teen. And of course there's Diane Ladd as the infamous Flo, who revels (and excels) in a small meaty role that usually wins Best Supporting Actress Oscars (she unfortunately lost). And Jodie Foster (as butch as can be) is a riot. And Kris Kristofferson gets his part just right, as do Harvey Keitel and the late Vic Tayback as the overbearing but lovable Mel.

I don't know if the perfect acting in this film is a tribute to the actors or to Martin Scorsese (or both). But this film shows that Martin Scorsese is truly a monumental talent. High praise also goes to Robert Getchell for a screenplay that is as hilarious as it is moving. The purity and spirit of this film is obvious and very affecting.

I think this is one of the great films of the 1970s. Be sure to put it on your list if you're a student of cinema. I think it is a landmark film in the human comedy/drama genre. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

It would be a mistake to call Kundun a disappointment, or a film that director Martin Scorsese was not equipped to create. Both statements may be true to some viewers, but they ignore the higher purpose of Scorsese's artistic intention and take away from a film that is by any definition unique. In chronicling the life of the 14th Dalai Lama, Kundun defies conventional narrative in favor of an episodic approach, presenting a sequential flow of events from the life of the young leader of Buddhist Tibet. From the moment he is recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama in 1937 to his exile from Tibet in the wake of China's invasion, the Dalai Lama is seen as an enlightened spiritual figurehead. This gives the film its tone of serenity and reverence but denies us the privilege of admiring the Dalai Lama as a fascinating human character. There's a sense of mild detachment between the film and its audience, but its visual richness offers ample compensation. In close collaboration with cinematographer Roger Deakins, Scorsese filmed Kundun with great pageantry and ritual, and meticulous attention to details of costume, color, and the casting of actual Buddhist monks in the scenes at the Dalai Lama's palace. Certain images will linger in the memory for a long time, such as the Dalai Lama's nightmarish vision of standing among hundreds of dead monks, their lives sacrificed in pacifist defiance of Chinese aggression. Is this a film you'll want to watch repeatedly? Perhaps not. But as a political drama and an elegant gesture of devotion, Kundun is a film of great value and inspirational beauty--one, after all, that perhaps only Scorsese could have made. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (90)

wonderful
Other than the original 1950's "Seven Years in Tibet," which offered incredible first hand footage of H.H. the Dalai Lama from Heinrich Himmler, Scorsese's "Kundun" is the most definitive film on the life, trials, and tribulations of Tibet's Spritiual and Political ruler.

Scorsese's skills, as always, are first rate in the film. The photography, amazing for the original vhs or theater version, is even more amazing in the dvd version. Of course, the fact that Tibet is a beautiful country helps, but the angles and shots that Scorsese uses only accentuates the natural beauty all the more.

The film itself chronicles the life of H.H. The Dalai Lama from his discovery at the age of 2, the meticulous tests that go with the Buddhist traditions to be sure that Kundun is indeed the 14th Dalai Lama, etc. through to the dark days of post WWII, where Mao-led China declares that Tibet is a Chinese province and forcably annexes Tibet, to H.H. having to leave Tibet for the safer lands of India. All parts of the film are historically accurate, as H.H. lent his cooperation to the script and film itself. The co-operation of H.H. gives the film absolute legitimacy.

Scorsese's portrait of Kundun is that on an enlightened monk (which indeed, a Dalai Lama is), and some people will argue that the human side of H.H. is not painted in the film. I disagree with that assertion- indeed, the scene where H.H. dreams of being amongst monks who were killed for their pacifism, is an all too real image of absolute humanity. The fact that H.H. wanted to stay in Tibet and not flee to India is another sign of his humanity. While Scorsese looks apon H.H. as a spiritual leader, he does not leave out the human factor at all.

The film is boosted by a brilliant score by American minimalist composer Philip Glass, whose music accentuates the otherworldly quality of certain scenes, and keeps the overall dramatic nature of the film intact.

If you see one film of H.H. the Dalai Lama, choose "Kundun." Scorsese's work is brilliant, as is the acting by the cast of Tibetan unknowns, which adds more credence to the overall experience. Add Philip Glass and H.H. himself to the mix, and the overall experience is unparalleled.

Great Movie. Watch it again.
I found this this film quite astonishing. The way the Dalai Lama is presented from its early childhood discovery of Reting Rinpoche, and how the costumes are just beautiful. What stood out most in my mind was the Oracle scenes, and how the beauty of the Potala palace in Tibet. The acting of Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong is amazing, I fell in love with the compassion, thoughts and lines in this movie. The music is neither disturbing nor irritating, it simply was perfect. I recommend this video for anyone who want to catch a glimpse of tibetan buddhism imagery and just have a great time watching a film about the Dalai Lama.
As for the truthfulness of this film, since I'm aware of the dramatic licenses made here, I really could care less. Scorcese directing is superb, and I would sure hell watch this film again.

Skewed vision.
A lot of criticism levelled at 'Kundun' seems to fall into 2 categories. For some purists the movie is far too Hollywood, while for a lot of movie-goers, it's just not Hollywood enough. For one not familiar with Tibetan history, 'Kundun' gives a very one-sided view of events that occured at that time. The Tibetan hierarchy are portrayed as predominantly passive and peace-loving, seemingly free from any kind of authoritarian thinking. This may have been misleading. Martin Scorsese has admitted himself that he is not an authority on Tibetan history and the fact that the production of the film was overseen by the Dalai Lama himself gives some indication as to how the film was to convey a very specific outlook.

One could be forgiven for thinking that Tibet had all the vastness of Rhode Island, so centered is the film on the small, enclosed world of the Dalai Lama's upbringing. Bernardo Bertolucci's 'The Last Emperor' was much more successful at conveying the political intricacies that surrounded it's subject. For an objective viewpoint 'Kundun' is not the film to see.

On the other hand you have to ask yourself would the same amount of cynicism be aroused if this film was based around a major figure in Judaism, Christianity or Islam.

Having said all that, from a purely cinematic point of view 'Kundun' glows with beautiful cinematography, a spellbinding score by Phillip Glass and some pretty believable performances by previously non-actors.

Aristotle Would Call This Film "Epideictic Rhetoric"
Some novels, films, plays, poems, sculptures, music, dances, and paintings are meant to entertain us in various ways, and some are meant to alter our outlooks on the world we live in. This film belongs to the latter category. Specifically, it's an instance of what Aristotle called "epideictic rhetoric"--a work constructed to make us respect and admire (or disrespect and look down on) some person(s) or thing(s). In this case, as most reviewers notice, most of us come away feeling that we greatly respect and admire the Dalai Lama, who has developed into a highly enlightened and compassionate person DESPITE (or because of) great adversity. While our govt. has eagerly sucked up to Red China (which is guilty of "human rights abuses" against its own citizens as well as Tibetans), Martin Scorsese courageously unmasks the villains--none of that "most favored nation" stuff for him (which is why Red China has singled him out and forbidden him to go to Tibet). The film is genuinely touching and beautifully filmed. My only fault-finding with it is that the current Dalai Lama is presented as being IN FACT a reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lamas. Although I've been a Buddhist for over 40 years, I don't believe in reincarnation and doubt that many other viewers of this film--Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, atheist, etc.--do either; this COULD have been presented as part of a "belief system" and not as a "factual" condition. (Next time you watch one of the 57 different film versions of the crucifying of Jesus, look to see whether the director's approach is naturalistic or supernaturalistic and how that makes a difference on the impact. And look for the same factor next time you watch the Indiana Jones films, which are meant to entertain us. That may partly explain why the second of these films, which uses a non-Judeo-Christian array of beliefs as FACTUAL is usually rated lower than the other two.)

A visual and musical poem of an important religious leader
Because of his place in American Pop Conciousness, the Dali Lama too often suffers from shallow treatment and cartoonish representation because of his association with famous personalities. In reality, he is a serious religious figure and deserves serious treatment. This movie is a serious and, I think, beautifully poetic attempt to tell the story of his youth through his escape from Tibet into exile as the Communist Chinese closed their grasp on his sad homeland. The images are powerful and the Philip Glass score supports the visual means of telling the story very well.

I have no idea how much of the miraculous nature of the selection of Kundun as the Dali Lama or his remembering of his previous lives is based in perceived reality or is just poetry, but certainly the Dali Lama deserves some iconographical treatment.

For me, a most powerful scene occurs when Kundun has his last conversation with Mao and finally realizes his betrayal. In this scene Mao tells him that religion is poison in a most callous and condescending manner. In this, I see the emptiness of modern materialism and its inability to see anything of value in the spiritual and traditional. There is blindness in materialism's view favoring the new and the present as necessarily being progress over the past. It sees technology as always an improvement (it is the flip side of the coin of those who believe that all technology is soulless and evil).

This isn't an adventure film and certainly nothing like Scorsese's more famous and violent films. But I think he has accomplished something beautiful here and I have enjoyed watching it several times.

"Seven Years in Tibet" tells the same story a bit differently and less poetically and has the complication of the Brad Pitt's character being, well, a Nazi. But I think seeing both movies adds to one's understanding rather than seeing either of them alone. ... Read more

Reviews (71)

A Scorsese throwaway
If director Martin Scorsese ever made a throwaway film, this is it.

Cape Fear is a remake of a 1962 film of the same name. The story begins when a violent ex-con (Robert DeNiro) plots revenge on the lawyer (Nick Nolte) who put him behind bars. He begins harrassing the lawyer, but soon develops other plans when he sees that Nolte has a wife (Jessica Lange) and teenage daughter (Juliette Lewis).

Good premise. The problem is that Scorsese's film is a remake in the most literal sense of the word, and he goes so far as to use identical shots, dialogue, and even Bernard Herrmann's music from the original film. Like they said to Gus Van Sant when he remade "Psycho": Why bother making a film that's already been made?

DeNiro, of course, is great even when in mediocre films, and Cape Fear is no exception. With his over-the-top Southern accent and overly tattooed body, he is funny and chilling at once. He also gets the film's best scene: at a screening of "Problem Child", he puffs a cigar and yuks it up, to the chagrin of others in the audience. He's a vicious killer AND he talks during movies -- it doesn't get any worse than that, does it?

Viewers who don't mind the violence might get a kick out of DeNiro's performance. Everyone else would be well advised to get the original.

Very frightening film
I saw this film when it first came out in the movies years ago, and I can honestly say it scared me. I loved the camera angles Martin Scorese used; they were very effective. Robert DeNiro is great as the ex-con hell-bent on revenge against his defense lawyer (Nick Nolte) who deliberately lost the case so his client could pay for his shocking crimes. The ex-con harasses the lawyer and his family continuously until he starts attacking and/or killing people that are close to the family, and then the lawyer is forced into a confrontation with the criminal on a houseboat. Juliette Lewis' performance as the troubled teenage daughter is great too. Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum, who both played the main characters in the original 1962 film, also appear in this remake. The musical score was the very same as the Bernard Hermann arrangement in the original, and it is chilling...glad that they didn't change a thing with the music. If you like suspense, you will like this. As a previous reviewer said, this movie is not for children. It's very bloody and graphic...so wait until the kids are asleep and pop it in the VCR.

The worst horror movie I've ever seen!
The 1991 remake of "Cape Fear" is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Not only because it's graphically violent, but also it's horribly acted by most of its cast. I've never been a big Robert DeNiro fan, because he seems to play the same type of character in almost every movie he's in: the brutal, foul-mouthed tough guy who beats people up every chance he gets. In "Cape Fear", he plays that exact character, only this time it's in a slasher film rather than a drama. Juliette Lewis also overacts as the teenage daughter and Nick Nolte fares no better. Jessica Lange is alright but forgetable. Ultimately, for those who have not seen this movie, stay away and rent a more psychological horror/thriller like "Misery" or the 1963 version of "The Haunting".

A good movie,
But don't compare it to the original; that's not fair. In some ways, they're almost 2 different films. This one has entertainment value, for sure, including DeNiro's over-the-top performance and the cameos by the original's stars. Nolte, Lange and Lewis are all OK, but ultimately not really believable in terms of the whole picture. Worth watching, but catch the original too, for sure.
PS to a certain March 14 reviewer: First, learn to spell and use English properly. Second, the original "sucked" to you because it didn't have enough violence or tattoos, right? Yeah. THERE's a legitimate reason.....

Spot on!
A remake that is better than the original ... it rarely happens, but in this case it has!

CAPE FEAR is a very effective film that managed to pull me right in, I enjoyed every single moment of it. It is eery and tense, and you'll want to ensure your door is locked.

Robert De Niro is perfect as the criminal released from jail seeking revenge on his lawyer (who hid information that may have reduced his prison sentence). Jessica Lange plays the wife of the lawyer (nick nolte), and she is impressive as always.

CAPE FEAR is one of my favourite suspense thrillers of all time. Definitely worth owning on DVD. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Martin Scorsese's brutal black-and-white biography of self-destructive boxer Jake LaMotta was chosen as the best film of the 1980s in a major critics' poll at the end of the decade, and it's a knockout piece of filmmaking.Robert De Niro plays LaMotta (famously putting on 50 pounds for the later scenes), a man tormented by demons he doesn't understand and prone to uncontrollably violent temper tantrums and fits of irrational jealousy.He marries a striking young blond (Cathy Moriarty), his sexual ideal, and then terrorizes her with never-ending accusations of infidelity.Jake is as frightening as he is pathetic, unable to control or comprehend the baser instincts that periodically, and without warning, turn him into the rampaging beast of the title. But as Roman Catholic Scorsese sees it, he works off his sins in the boxing ring, where his greatest athletic talent is his ability to withstand punishment. The fight scenes are astounding; they're like barbaric ritual dance numbers. Images smash into one another--a flashbulb, a spray of sweat, a fist, a geyser of blood--until you feel dazed from the pummeling. Nominated for a handful of Academy Awards (including best picture and director), Raging Bull won only two, for De Niro and for editor Thelma Schoonmacher. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (135)

All The Rage
Director Martin Scorsese has a filmography filled with movies that are, unflinchingly realistic, sometimes not for the timid, and always an excercise in craftsmanship. These qualities are no more apparent, than in 1980's Raging Bull. As the film celebrates a milestone and beyond...it deserves to be reissued on DVD as a special edition.

The film tells the true story of middleweight boxer Jake La Motta, played with incredible intensity by Oscar winner Robert De Niro. As La Motta rises through the ranks to earn his first shot at the middleweight title, he falls in love with Vickie (Cathy Moriarty), a true "gal" from his Bronx neighborhood. Jake's inability to express his feelings pours out in the ring and eventually takes over his life and in his dealings with his brother, Joey (Joe Pesci). Irrational, consuming jealousy over Vickie, as well as an insatiable appetite, sends him into a downward spiral that costs him his title, his wife, and his relationship with Joey.

De Niro delivers one of the screen's most unforgettable performances. La Motta's smolder and and anger are played to perfection. De Niro plays it very unsympathetically, yet its graphic depiction is impossible not to see through to the end Pesci and Moriarty are just as intense as go toe toe with De Niro Scorsese and cinematographer Michael Chapman shot the film with a style that makes the boxing scenes overflow with a boundless energy and adds immediacy to the endless arguments that boil over whenever Jake is outside the ring. The use of black and white ends up, only enhancing the movie, was a masterstroke.

The current (and hard to find) DVD has very little bonus material on it. The theatrical trailer and MGM's hallmark, known as the "8 page booklet", with production notes and trivia, is all there is.

At the risk of repeating myself, Raging Bull--a masterpiece of the cinema--deserves the special edition treatment. Meanwhile, the current disc gets **** and a 1/2 stars

what a show
We all know Robert DeNiro was magnificent in the role of Jake LaMotta but he's not the only remarkable aspect of this movie. Cathy Moriarity, played Vicky LaMotta and she's something to see. What a shame this talented young actress's career never took off. Joe Pesci, in his first movie role plays LaMotta's brother and manager and he probably should've taken home an Oscar for supporting actor.

Raging Bull is part Greek tragedy and part Othello. Jake in this movie wants so much, finally gets it and blows it. His jealousy and paranoia drives his brother, the one person who knows and loves him best, out of his life and turns his marriage into a tragedy. The higher the boxer rises (interestingly enough the most beautiful scenes in the movie take place in the ring) the lower the man goes. The movie ends with LaMotta retired, fat, divorced and finally figuring out in his own mind what went wrong. The movie also features one of the most memoriable trailers ever made. You'll never listen to Cavaleira Rusticana again without thinking of Robert De Niro. This was one of the great movies of the 80s.

American pigs and their bad movies
Me being from france, I thought a film titled "raging bull" would be about a bull that was very angry, but instead it's about a stupid boxer named jake somethings. If they were to have a good actor play the boxer, they should at leest had Vin Diesel, or some person strong like a body buiilder. i waS ALSO expecting to see some other races than white, they diddn't have blacks or jews, i think the person who made it is a racist bigot. also there wasn't no nude chicks who jumped around the ring between rounds, like in Europe. in the end i think they sould ban the film because it is racist and un-entertaining.

ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE
Robert De Niro is SPECTACULAR in this amazing 80's classic about boxer Jake La Motta. I really don't think I should discuss this film any further, all I can say is that if you haven't seen it yet, then you absolutely must see it now, and if you've seen it already, well, see it again and relish in the brilliance of the entire thing. From the perfectly profane and in your face script to the excellent supporting performances from Cathy Moriarty and ESPECIALLY Joe Pesci, this film is a masterpiece of a character study.

The ending scenes are some of the best you will ever see, and Robert De Niro gives us all some of the truest,most wrenching, and unbelievably powerful acting-EVER. This is a masterful drama that can be watched over and over again and still punch you in the gut.And this is the film which solidifies(at least for me) that Bobby D here is one of the greatest actors of all time.A wrenching,intense, powerful picture-and one of my favorite films of all time.

Robert De Niro Is The Boss
Robert De Niro is an actor of absolutely unquestionable and indescribable strength and power.There is no acting in this film.Robert De Niro is purely and simply Jake La Motta; famous 1940's boxer with uncontrollable rage and bouts of jealousy that eventually cost him the care and respect of his loved ones.Robert De Niro put on about 50 pounds towards the end of the film; you probably already know that.What you will not know, and simply MUST expeirience is the sheer power of De Niro's intense, yet realistic, ultimately stomach churningly wrenching performance.My title is a little inaccurate.De Niro, isn't the boss, he's the God, at least in this film.

Pesci is stunningly effective as De Niro's brother, and 18 year old Cathy Moriarty marks a very impressive debut as the sultry Vickie.The script is perfect and every bit as profane and vulgar and in your face as it needs to be.

True, this film tends to lose it's compellingness as a drama during the film's tiny dry spots.But it's a wondrous character study, one of the best of all time; and the mastery of De Niro's performance is earth-shattering. ... Read more

Reviews (165)

Masterful and underrated modern noir
Martin Scorsese's film contribution of 1999 marks one'a his greatest graduations as a filmmmaker in the past decade. 'Bringing Out the Dead' documents three days in the life'a Frank Pierce, a paramedic whose journey into the abyss of human misery keeps him teetering on the brink of insanity. I mean, jus' look at the film's cover, a close-up shot of Frank's eyes, dark and stormy, narrowed in pain, and you already have a feeling of the mood that this film's gonna put forth. He cruises the streets of a gritty and growling early '90s New York City during the hellish after-hours reluctantly taking every call he gets from his dispatcher (Scorsese, in an effectively-droll cameo) and... well... he tries to save lives basically. But all these days, months, an' years'a watching people die and having to deal with the permanence of death up close has all harshly affected his psyche. Every night he must look the Grim Reaper in the face, and it teases and taunts him, a constant reminder of his own mortality. The symbol of his decent into madness is Rose, an 18-year-old homeless girl whose life he failed to save. He possesses so much guilt and regret at his inability to help her that each person he attempts to save each night, is in a way redemption for him, an' an attempt to save his OWN life. But lately he has been unable to save anyone. And the only connection or feeling he can muster up in himself comes in his consoling of a young woman named Mary Burke, played by Patricia Arquette, the daughter of a man Frank tried to save, and who is now in critical condition.

This is, using the term a little loosely, a modern film noir with its sharp-edged shadows and shots, strange angles and lonely urban settings. It is undoubtedly grim material and a very dark film, but you be surprised at how entertaining it is. There are actually moments which are very funny, even if sometimes you ask yourself why you're laughing. The supporting cast here is VERY strong, a slew of underrated and underappreciated actors and actresses (i.e. John Goodman, Ving Rhames, Tom Sizemore, Aida Turturro, among others) all of whom turn in first-rate work, particularly the ridiculously underrated John Goodman and the always-impressive Ving Rhames as a gospel Christian who is Frank's co-pilot on the second night; he uses emergencies as an opportunity to demonstrate the power of Jesus (the scene in the rave-club where they are attempting to save an overdosed gothic kid is close-to-hilarious if you can believe it).

Nicolas Cage, excellent actor that he is, plays the lead with a subtle intensity, his heedless emotional availability allowing him to make transitions from counselor to embittered miserable man, desperate for a peace that seems unreachable. One thing I really admired about this film was the way Scorsese never ASKS for your sympathy regarding this character, he merely puts the truth out there and allows the viewer to decide whether they can find some way to sympathize with him and his torments and problems. The entire film unblinkingly shows you the world in which he lives an' from his own eyes. Like Scorsese's timeless masterpiece 'Taxi Driver', which this film is being UNFAIRLY compared to, everything you see is what the lead character sees and every feeling the movie has is what he's feeling. But, here, the character of Frank Pierce is a much more merciful man and one who, rather than lashing out at the society which causes him this torment, merely wants to escape somehow and leave it all behind. I'm'a end this review by jackin' sumpin' from Roger Ebert: "To look at 'Bringing Out the Dead'--to look, indeed, at almost any Scorsese film--is to be reminded that film can touch us urgently and deeply." The man knows what he's talkin' 'bout.

Disquieting film, forcefully presented
This is a disturbing and realistic character study of Frank Pierce (Nicholas Cage) a burned out paramedic, who is slowly succumbing to the depressing reality of his job and the city he lives in. He is tortured by the futility of his efforts and haunted by self blame about a young woman named Rose whose life he was unable to save. We witness about a week of his life, mostly at work handling medical emergencies. There really isn't much of a plot here. It is mostly a succession of events in the life of an EMT and a psychological study of a man losing his grip under the crushing stress of his vain attempts at saving the dregs of humanity.

Martin Scorsese brings his trademark stark realism to the film, with authentic images of the sleazy underbelly of New York City. As always, his camerawork, lighting, sets and locations were delivered with raw power and great dramatic impact. Having grown up in NYC, I was amazed at his ability to capture so perfectly the essence of the city's street life.

Unfortunately, the story diverged too often into the bizarre antics of some of the surrounding characters like Noel (Marc Anthony), and fellow paramedics like Larry (John Goodman) and Marcus (Ving Rhames). In heavy handed stories like this one, it is often necessary to have some comic relief, but Scorsese takes this concept around the bend far too often.

Nicholas Cage was superb as the self doubting paramedic at the end of his rope. His sense of torment and bipolar mood swings were compelling and potent. Patricia Arquette played a pathetic young woman, the daughter of one of Frank's rescue victims to whom he takes a shine. Makeup did a great job of making her look unbelievably plain and mousy and her portrayal was extremely effective, playing the part with a good deal of angst and despondency.

I rated this film a 7/10. It is a disquieting film that is manic-depressive in its presentation and very downbeat and pessimistic in its general tone. Its greatest assets are Cage's performance, and its realistic presentation of raw emotion and the feel of the New York streets. Its flaw is its meandering flow and its excessive and often bizarre digression from the central character study. If you can appreciate a very dark and gloomy film with forceful and poignant portrayals, it's definitely worth a look.

Can't get enough!
I've watched this movie dozens of times, and it never gets old. I love the music, the camera angles, the way it makes you feel like you're some rag doll being dragged around the city by this crazed EMT. Forget it's got Nicolas Cage and that he did Gone In Sixty Seconds and Con Air; this one will make up for the others, and then some.

So, turn off the mobile phone, put the kids to bed, make some strong coffee and sit down to fully enjoy this piece of fine work.

THIS MOVIE....
....intociates you, i can see why sober minded or un open minded people out there might not appreciatte the intense choice of scenes and the beautiful musical score which sets the scene.....its a piece of art...awesome movie...bravo!!!
IMAGERY + MUSIC + DIALOG + GOOD ACTING=a good movie.

It doesnt have to make sense, use your brain and interpret it for yourselves, and enjoy the ride along the way...dont take it to serious.

A FILM THAT DEFIES GENRE (SADLY, IT ALSO DEFIES A PLOT)
As always with Scorsese "Bringing out the dead" has a shimmering technical finish, an overlay of dark humor, strong supporting performances and a splendid star cast: Cage plays a worn-out NYC paramedic with an appealing world-weariness and intensity. You could nearly suspect that he was himself one of the "Dead".

Yet, the whole movie never really caught my attention as I waited and waited and waited for something to really happen. Despite some interesting vignettes from people's lives in NY, many of which are repeated again and again, the film is never really engaging, possibly because the characters are never especially believable.

The crux of Cage's character's emotional ordeal -- why he became a paramedic, why he stays one, why he feels such smothering personal guilt -- somehow gets lost amid all of Scorsese's camera tricks and Schrader's cheap laughs.

Brilliant production values, boring overall output. ... Read more

Reviews (274)

WEAK LOOKING PRINT - POWERFUL FILM!
Travis Bickle (Robert DeNiro) has a big problem - and not just one. He's a seemingly ordinary New York cabbie who's stalking one woman, Betsy (Cybil Shepard) while playing savior to another, Iris (Jodie Foster). But ol' Trav' is just a few coins short of a full meter, a neurotic oversight that will allow him to turn vigilante, threaten the political reelection campaign of Senator Charles Palantine (Leonard Harris) and blow away Iris's pimp/drug dealer (Harvey Keitel). Suffice it to say, "Taxi Driver" is not your feel good movie of the summer. It is a cinematic snapshot of 70s pop culture gone horribly awry, with its crack and whore infested streets, its unstable social setting for easy scores and cheap sex, and a seething underbelly of corruption and dismal isolation as its acrid palette for moral decay. Travis' slow spiral into becoming the loner with a purpose is predicated upon warping the old adage and precedent that one man can make a difference. But when that one man is touched by his own sexual and financial inadequacies, his psychotic inability to bond with another human being and his self delusion - that he is on par with a deity, above the rest of humanity and the law - then the difference he can make is between destroying himself and bringing about the next apocalypse.
Martin Scorsese directs adeptly enough, drawing the viewer into this dark world of unsettling realities. The irony of the ending seems somewhat strained and rather a bit like the happy ending tack on associated with conventional Hollywood wisdom, but there is the frightening prospect that with a return to normalcy, Travis' alter ego is, like many a volcano, merely dormant, not dead, and destined to erupt in the future.

The transfer from Columbia is a rather disappointing remastering effort. There are moments when the color is bold, if dated, and moments when fine detail is generally realized to good effect. But the bulk of this video presentation is riddled with excessive grain - both film and digital, a barrage of compression artifacts, a lot of aliasing, some tiling, and a considerable amount of edge enhancement. Night scenes break apart with pixelization and exhibit a very muddy color scheme. There's plenty of age related dirt and grit to further detract from your viewing experience. The audio has been remastered - but just barely - with low to no bass and a really screechy high end that betrays the original mono elements. Extras include a 70 minute making of documentary with interviews featuring the director and principle cast, a photo montage, still gallery, theatrical trailer and storyboard sequences.

The Perfect Bad-Day at Work Movie
Now first off I should warn people that this is not a movie for all tastes. If the following offends you:

- Graphic, ultrarealistic violence.
- Porn films
- The idea of taking your date to a porn film.
- 12 year old hookers.
- Graphic language involving sex with a 12 year old.
- Graphic language in general.
- Racial slurs

...then don't watch this film.

OK, now that I sound like I'm giving the movie a bad rap, let me continue with the good stuff: this film is the only movie where you root for the depressed psycho stalker. It sounds incredible, but its true. Robert DeNiro's character Travis Bickle is described in the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Colossal Guide as "an ordinary guy with a few problems." Few problems includes not being able to sleep, having a steady job as a taxi driver only because he has too, and dealing with his hatred for the world around him.

He attempts to change things by turning to a young woman working on a presidential campaign. What starts out great turns rotten after Travis tries to make her watch a porn film. Stalking her doesn't work, so he gives up and decides to take his rage on the corrupt New York of the time on some one else. That being the hoodlums toying with Jodie Foster, a 12 year old prostitute. He sets out to save her from life on the street - a one man war on prostituting minors.

Like I said, its the only movie where you cheer for the psycho.

Any way, you might wonder why I rank this "the perfect bad-day at work movie." Thats because it really is. Travis has to deal with customers having sex in the taxi or making him park the vehicle outside a house where they explain on killing some one. Travis doesn't like it, but its the only job he can have at the moment so he has to put up with the horrible conditions. Finally, he breaks free of his torment and gets back at in any way possible.

One night I came back after working an exhaustive 9 hour shift as a clerk for a grocery store. I had had a HORRIBLE day, so when I got home I popped this movie in my DVD player. I tell you, you never see Travis so much a hero as when you've had a horrible day at work and know just how he feels. Even if you feel disgusted by some of his actions, in reality we all have a bit of Travis in us all, and there are times when we all just wanna break out in, "Listen all you f***heads, you screw ups, this is the story of a man who would not take it any more..."

Taxi Driver
To start this off, I'll just say this: Do yourself a favor and buy this fantastic film. If for nothing else, buy it for DeNiro's INCREDIBLE performance! I'm a movie buff myself, and I have never seen such amazing acting. It's a crime he didn't win the oscar. Secondly, it's directed by Martin Scorsese, one of the more brilliant filmmakers of our time, and written by Paul Schrader. This is the team that brought you Raging Bull. When these two geniuses get together, they make pure movie magic. And finally, Jodie Foster. She's only fourteen years old, and beautifully brings to life the child prostitute who is secretly hating the horrible city she lives in. One of the most brilliant touches of filmmaking was made here when Scorsese portrays NYC as hell, such as focusing on the smoke spewing out of the sewers, and making Betsy, Travis Bickle's love, seem like an angel among all the demons.

The story goes something like this: Travis Bickle (Robert DeNiro) Is a taxi driver who can't seem to sleep. He works at night, and the city around him fills him with paranoia, for the gangsters and the slime on the streets at night every day seem to be everywhere. Among all of these demons and devils, Travis sees an angel, a gorgeous woman named Betsy. He immediately falls in love with her, but his anti-social tendencies scare her off when he brings her to a pornographic movie on their second date, thinking it was just like all of the other movies. When she leaves him and won't return any of his phone calls, his depression rises until he meets a child prostitue named Iris (Jodie Foster) and her pimp named Sport (Harvey Keitel). Feeling the deepest sympathy for her, he tries to help her leave that terrible lifestyle, not believing her pleas that she loves her being a prostitute and loves her pimp.

To sum this whole review up, do yourself a favor and watch this great piece of work. See Scorsese's nightmarish vision of NYC, and Travis Bickle's slow descent into insanity.

Taxi Driver - A disturbing experience
After watching the classic 1976 film "Taxi Driver," viewers may be interested in their reaction. It can be depressing. Martin Scorsese directed this open-sore of a film and of his many classic works, this is the one most obsessively analyzed. "Taxi Driver" is such a raw, visceral experience that after viewing its nightmarish terrain one must decompress.

Seedy does not begin to describe the horror of "Taxi Driver," which details a world of pimps, prostitutes, drug addicts and a loner psycho brilliantly portrayed by Robert De Niro. This film established some of the great talents in motion picture history including De Niro, Scorsese, Albert Brooks and Jodie Foster. I wonder about disturbing epics like "Taxi Driver," "A Clockwork Orange," "Straw Dogs" and "Natural Born Killers." Whenever I visit the video store, I notice these films are usually checked out, empty boxes leaning against the shelf. Who's watching these films, and why so often? The films share a common thread in that they have likable actors (De Niro, Malcolm McDowell, Dustin Hoffman, Woody Harrelson) playing despicable men prone to violent rages. Alienated one and all, these characters have become anti-heroes for a world severely lacking in heroes. There are so many ways to view this film, with multiple levels serving as proof to its complicated brilliance. Urban alienation, cultural emptiness, veiled racism, Watergate analogy and Oswald repression are just a few of the metaphorical doors one can open in this nightmare.

De Niro's Bickle is a Vietnam veteran suffering from insomnia. He takes a job as a cab driver to work nights, driving through the most dangerous New York neighborhoods for fares. He becomes infatuated with a beautiful woman (Cybill Shepherd) who works at the campaign office of Palantine. Bickle takes the woman to a porno theater on their first date, and she dumps him immediately. To no one's surprise, Bickle soon begins to stalk her. He purchases a deadly arsenal of hand guns and intensely works out in preparation for his assassination of Palantine (and most likely the woman too). Along the way, Bickle stumbles across a 12-year old prostitute (Foster) whom he befriends. His attempted assassination fails and he walks over to the prostitute's home and kills her pimp (Harvey Keitel), landlord and an unlucky gangster. "Taxi Driver" unbelievably ends with the prostitute having been returned to her parents and Bickle becoming an inner-city folk hero. Shepherd's character tries to make a date with Bickle, but he's now at peace with the inferno around him and drives on disinterested.

This ending has been debated for years. It is so controversial that when the film first ran on television, stations posted warnings stating they did not consider Bickle a hero. They're right. Bickle's a whacked-out cultural icon, granted, but he's no hero. He wants to be a hero, and perhaps the final scene is Bickle at the moment of death dreaming of a happy ending. He's essentially saved the day and rescued a damsel in distress. Bickle was seriously wounded after the shootout, having been shot in the neck. So it could have been a dream sequence, though Scorsese purposefully made it too vague to be entirely sure.

It's clear Bickle wishes to be a cowboy hero in "Taxi Driver," as seen by the boots he wears and the guns he straps on like an inner-city John Wayne. His famously improvised "You talkin' to me?" speech is in fact a line of dialog lifted from the classic 1953 western "Shane." And the final showdown has Bickle taking on three men (outnumbered a la Cooper in "High Noon") in a bloody, ferocious battle that to this day is one of the most violent scenes in history. Bickle, adorned in Mohawk and Army jacket, fires at random. The violence is so sloppy one gets the feeling they are viewing an actual crime scene. There is no music, only the jagged noises of constant screaming and guns blasting within closed-in spaces. While we love the balletic violence of the final shootout in "The Wild Bunch," we turn away from the gore in "Taxi Driver." It's as repellant as reality.

Scorsese's masterpiece is not intended for the young or emotionally disturbed. Bickle is not a hero in a film populated by an army of non-heroes. Still, viewers just might get confused. I know Bickle is crazy, but I feel sorry for him. At times, I even identify with him. And that can be depressing.

classic tag hides amoral and poor film
This film is manipulative and exploitative. It DOES NOT really give you a portrait of what alienation, paranoia and dislocation are really like. It glamourises these things in the worst possible way ie very, very slickly and with a lot of craft and attention to detail. This film belongs in the same dustbin as similarly AMORAL and empty films like Seven, Goodfellas et al that purport to be 'truthful' investigations of the dark and disturbing - they are part of the problem, not the solution ! ... Read more