1 Evolving Authorship, Developing Contexts: 'Life Lessons'
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Notes 1 Evolving Authorship, Developing Contexts: ‘Life Lessons’ 1. This trajectory finds its seminal outlining in Caughie (1981a), being variously replicated in, for example, Lapsley and Westlake (1988: 105–28), Stoddart (1995), Crofts (1998), Gerstner (2003), Staiger (2003) and Wexman (2003). 2. Compare the oft-quoted words of Sarris: ‘The art of the cinema … is not so much what as how …. Auteur criticism is a reaction against sociological criticism that enthroned the what against the how …. The whole point of a meaningful style is that it unifies the what and the how into a personal state- ment’ (1968: 36). 3. For a fuller discussion of the conception of film authorship here described, see Grist (2000: 1–9). 4. While for this book New Hollywood Cinema properly refers only to this phase of filmmaking, the term has been used by some to designate ‘either something diametrically opposed to’ such filmmaking, ‘or some- thing inclusive of but much larger than it’ (Smith, M. 1998: 11). For the most influential alternative position regarding what he calls ‘the New Hollywood’, see Schatz (1993). For further discussion of the debates sur- rounding New Hollywood Cinema, see Kramer (1998), King (2002), Neale (2006) and King (2007). 5. ‘Star image’ is a concept coined by Richard Dyer in relation to film stars, but it can be extended to other filmmaking personnel. To wit: ‘A star image is made out of media texts that can be grouped together as promotion, publicity, films and commentaries/criticism’ (1979: 68). 6. See, for example, Grant (2000), or the conception of ‘post-auteurism’ out- lined and critically demonstrated in Verhoeven (2009). 7. That Corrigan is concerned with authorial star image is implicit in his adduc- tion of Dyer; see Corrigan (1991: 106). 8. For work on film authorship underpinned by such politics of identifica- tion in terms of sexual orientation, gender and/or race, see, for example, Medhurst (1991), Mayne (1994), Green (2001) and Projansky and Ono (2003). 9. Mike Nichols was first mooted as a replacement for Spielberg, but his work was finally seen to be, in Greenhut’s words, ‘too close to’ Allen’s (Nathale 1989: 27). 10. For a more detailed relation of ‘Life Lessons’ to its literary sources, see Librach (1996: 128–34). 11. Almendros shot the segments directed by Douchet (‘Saint-Germain-des- Prés’) and Rohmer (‘Place de l’Etoile’). 12. For the influence of the nouvelle vague on the development of Scorsese’s authorial discourse, see Grist (2000: 12–17). 311 312 Notes 13. The canvas on which Dobie works throughout most of ‘Life Lessons’ is a reproduction of a painting titled The Bridge to Nowhere by artist Chuck Connelly. 14. As Dobie’s canvas was painted by Connelly, so Paulette’s art was painted by artist Susan Hambleton. 15. ‘Empathetic’ and ‘anempathetic’ are terms coined by Michel Chion. Empathetic music expresses ‘its participation in the feeling of the scene, by taking on the scene’s rhythm, tone, and phrasing’ (Chion 1990: 8). Anempathetic music exhibits ‘conspicuous indifference to the situation, by progressing in a steady, undaunted, and ineluctable manner’ (8). 16. As Librach points out, Dobie’s asserting that he is ‘nothing’ to Paulette reflects a like assertion by Aleksei to Polina in The Gambler (1996: 130). 17. The conception of postmodernism informing these points is indebted espe- cially to Jameson (1984). 2 Scorsese and Documentary: The Last Waltz 1. Godard’s maxim is, ‘cinema is not the reflection of reality, but the reality of that reflection’; see MacCabe (1980: 110). 2. Apart from the material shot at Memmoli’s house and the filming of Prince and Scorsese in the Jacuzzi, Scorsese shot unused interviews with actor Albert Brooks and with singer-songwriter Neil Diamond, as well as some unused exterior footage. All filming occurred over two consecutive weekends. 3. Martin can, in addition, be seen briefly during the film’s final shot. 4. It is also an argument that has been both accepted and repeated by Scorsese; see, for example, Henry (1980: 7) and Christie and Thompson (2003: 113). 5. When Helm left the tour he was replaced first by Bobby Gregg, then Sandy Konikoff, then Mickey Jones. 6. ‘The Basement Tapes’ remain largely unreleased officially. In 1975 Columbia released 16 of the recordings, along with eight songs by The Band, as The Basement Tapes. Another two recordings, ‘I Shall Be Released’ and ‘Santa-Fe’, were released as part of Bob Dylan, The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991 (Columbia, 1991). 7. Although American Boy was shot and released after The Last Waltz, it was conceived of following Taxi Driver; see Henry (1980: 6). 8. The third chandelier was ‘from the Fox prop department’ (Corliss and Clarens 1978: 51). 9. See, for example, Sutton (1981) and Altman (1989: 59–62). 10. Gimme Shelter represents the free concert held at Altamont, California, in December 1969, during which one person was murdered and three others died. 11. Even after Manuel’s suicide, Danko, Helm and Hudson, augmented by other musicians, continued to tour as The Band. This was maintained into and during the 1990s, when they also resumed recording. 12. Gimme Shelter, with its darker vision of the late 1960s, offers a contrasting perspective on the counter-culture, one that centres upon its latent tensions and violence. 13. For more on the postmodernist nostalgia film, see Jameson (1984: 66–8) and Grist (2000: 160–1, 191–2). Notes 313 3 Masculinity, Violence, Resistance: Raging Bull 1. From the early 1970s, the X rating had become largely the province of, and was associated in the public’s mind with, hard-core pornography. 2. Scorsese has noted that Schoonmaker looked at The Last Waltz ‘once or twice and gave some opinions’ (Schickel 2011: 337); she is among those granted ‘special thanks’ in the film’s end credits. 3. The films included Rocky II (Sylvester Stallone, 1979), The Main Event (Howard Zieff, 1979) and The Champ (Franco Zeffirelli, 1979). 4. For more on Scorsese’s campaign, see, for example, Stern (1995: 154–5) and Christie and Thompson (2003: 84–7). 5. This was Mickey Lo Faro, father of a childhood friend of Scorsese. 6. For more on the narrative operation of Taxi Driver, see Grist (2000: 140–1). 7. Correspondingly, this chapter uses ‘La Motta’ when referring to the biographi- cal individual, ‘Jake’ when referring to the character played by De Niro. 8. Most influentially in the arguments propounded by Cook (1982) and Wood (1986: 245–58). 9. Not only was each sound effect ‘different’, but, according to Scorsese, super- vising sound effects editor Frank Warner ‘wouldn’t tell’ what ‘many of the effects were’ and ‘even burnt them afterwards so nobody else could use them’ (Christie and Thompson 2003: 83). 10. ‘Rendering’ has a specific – and apposite – meaning in relation to film sound, being a term appropriated by Michel Chion to refer to the ‘use of sounds to convey the feelings or effects associated with the situation on screen – often in opposition to faithful reproduction’ (1990: 224). 11. La Motta’s biography describes how at the age of 16 he thought he had murdered one Harry Gordon, only for him to turn up alive, after La Motta had been racked by guilt for years, at the party celebrating La Motta’s world championship victory; see La Motta with Carter and Savage (1970: 8–9 and 190–2). 12. For more on the mirror motif in Scorsese’s work, see Grist (2000: 24–7, 74, 138). 13. David Friedkin describes it as ‘a climactic sublimation of the sexual act’ (1994: 128). 14. The choice of the speech was another element of Raging Bull influenced by Powell; see Ehrenstein (1992: 159) and Schickel (2011: 145). 15. Robertson’s list comprises ‘Hank Williams, Buddy Holly, Otis Redding, Janis [ Joplin], Jimi Hendrix, Elvis’. 4 Back to Travis #1: The King of Comedy 1. The persons nominated were Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, Michael Chapman and Donald O. Mitchell, Bill Nicholson, David J. Kimball and Les Lazarowitz. 2. For a discussion of this cycle of father–son melodramas, see Britton (1986: 24–7). 3. Given the relation of The King of Comedy to Taxi Driver, which will in part structure the subsequent discussion, a recapitulation of the latter’s narrative is probably necessary. Taxi Driver involves Vietnam veteran Travis, a cab 314 Notes driver appalled by New York’s depravity. Amidst this he spies Betsy (Cybill Shepherd), a campaign worker for Palantine, whom Travis perceives as pure. On their only date Travis inexplicably takes her to a porno cinema. Rebuffed, Travis buys some guns and begins a regimen of exercise and target practice. He stalks Palantine, and becomes obsessed with the welfare of Iris, a 12-year- old prostitute, whom he seeks to save from her pimp, Sport. After failing to assassinate Palantine, Travis storms Iris’s building, killing Sport, Iris’s timekeeper (Murray Moston) and a mafioso (Robert Maroff ). A coda shows Travis – who has returned Iris to her family, and been hailed a hero – appar- ently readjusted and able to drive Betsy without reaction. 4. More specifically, the mothers of Murray, J. R. and Pupkin are either seen or heard, for while the mothers of Murray and J. R. appear visually, they never speak. 5. And that is as well evidenced by Langford’s stand-in, Randall. The costume designer on The King of Comedy was, as on Raging Bull, Richard Bruno. 6. Baudrillard writes specifically of the ‘precession of simulacra’ (1981: 1); that is, of the images that constitute simulation. Evoking Plato, Fredric Jameson defines a simulacrum – simulacra in the singular – as ‘the identical copy for which no original has ever existed’ (1984: 66).