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Martin Scorsese and Film Culture: Radically Contextualizing the Contemporary Auteur by Marc Raymond, B.A., M.A. A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Institute of Comparative Studies in Literature, Art and Culture: Cultural Mediations Carleton University Ottawa, Canada January, 2009 > 2009, Marc Raymond Library and Bibliotheque et 1*1 Archives Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-47489-1 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-47489-1 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives and Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par Plntemet, prefer, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans loan, distribute and sell theses le monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, worldwide, for commercial or non­ sur support microforme, papier, electronique commercial purposes, in microform, et/ou autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. this thesis. Neither the thesis Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels de nor substantial extracts from it celle-ci ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement may be printed or otherwise reproduits sans son autorisation. reproduced without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne Privacy Act some supporting sur la protection de la vie privee, forms may have been removed quelques formulaires secondaires from this thesis. ont ete enleves de cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires in the document page count, aient inclus dans la pagination, their removal does not represent il n'y aura aucun contenu manquant. any loss of content from the thesis. Canada Martin Scorsese and Film Culture: Radically Contextualizing the Contemporary Auteur by Marc Raymond, B.A., M.A. A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Institute of Comparative Studies in Literature, Art and Culture: Cultural Mediations Carleton University Ottawa, Canada January, 2009 12009, Marc Raymond ABSTRACT Martin Scorsese and his films have been analyzed extensively since he began making films over four decades ago. Much of this scholarship has focused on formal analysis of the films themselves. Contextual analysis has been either concentrated on his religious and ethnic background or on the historical context of New Hollywood cinema from which he emerged. Scholarship has ignored Scorsese's broader activities in the culture, thus neglecting the ways in which these position his feature films. To fully comprehend Scorsese as a cultural figure, a more radical contextualizing is required. The purpose of this dissertation is to use historical and sociological approaches, particularly those of Pierre Bourdieu, to offer a corrective to the prevailing scholarship, not so much in terms of what has been written, but rather what has not been written. Each chapter focuses on an area of Scorsese's career from a different perspective than has dominated thus far. Chapter One deals with Scorsese's early career before he moves to Hollywood. Instead of analyzing these films in relation to the rest of Scorsese's oeuvre, this chapter places a greater emphasis on the university environment in which Scorsese was immersed. Chapter Two explores the critical environment around the films Scorsese made during his first decade in Hollywood. The chapter eschews formal analysis and/or critical interpretation in order to consider the contingencies involved in the gaining of cultural esteem. Chapter Three offers the most thorough revision of previous Scorsese scholarship. Instead of briefly skimming over the films made during the 1980s, this chapter argues that this decade was critically important to Scorsese's eventual canonization. This is not because of the films themselves, but because of Scorsese's other n cultural work, most notably his move into film preservation. Chapter Four continues this approach by analyzing Scorsese's documentaries on cinema history together with his fiction films on past worlds. The final chapter examines what "Scorsese" as a cultural marker has come to represent in contemporary cinema. The main argument is that it is extra-textual factors rather than the films themselves that have led to Scorsese's prestigious position as an artist. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation would not have been possible without the support of many people, both professionally and personally. First and foremost, my supervisor Mark Langer provided his sharp critical eye and his reassuring encouragement and enthusiasm. I could not have completed this work without his rigour and generosity. I need to thank the faculty of the departments of both the Cultural Mediations and the Film Studies programs, particularly Professors Christopher Faulkner and Paul Theberge for serving on my committee and Professor Andre Loiselle for allowing me the opportunity to teach a course on my dissertation topic. Many thanks are necessary to the students in that course for their participation and curiosity about the subject. The experience of the course definitely improved my ability to write about this topic. Additionally, I would like to thank the external examiner, Professor Murray Pomerance of Ryerson University, for his helpful suggestions regarding the manuscript. Personally, I am very fortunate to have a number of great people in my life. My oldest friend Dave Musgrave visited many times over the years and always left me feeling better than before he came. Andrew Wilkes was my most constant companion over my ten years in Ottawa, and he and his wife Angie remain two of my closest friends. James Missen was a great and supportive colleague and an even better friend. The times spent at his family's cottage in Boshkung Lake helped relieve the stress of the dissertation experience, especially during a particular difficult time in June 2006. And I could not have asked for a better friend and colleague to support me through this process than Nick iv Nguyen. Over these many years, we have talked endlessly about cinema (and probably every other topic), and his many insightful ideas about my topic have made this text much richer than it would have been otherwise. I am also lucky to have a large and loving family. I spent many wonderful times, especially during the holidays, with my father and his family in Barrie. Despite the physical distance between us, my grandmother in Halifax remains close to me in spirit. Most of all, I need to thank my mother. For many years during my childhood, my family home consisted of only my mother and myself. I am forever grateful for her strength in being able to give me a wonderful childhood despite the immense strain she was under. She was and still is both a great parent and a great friend. Lastly, this project would not have been completed without the emotional strength that my wife Lisa provided. We married over seven years ago, just before I started this journey. She moved to Canada, away from her home and family in South Korea. She adjusted to a new language and culture, worked many jobs below her educational qualifications, and yet always maintained her joy for life. She went on to finish her education degree and become a Canadian citizen. In many ways, her accomplishments over the years of our marriage far surpass my own. She is both a loving partner and a role model for me as a person. This dissertation is dedicated to her. v TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION MARTIN SCORSESE AND FILM CULTURE 1 CHAPTER ONE SCORSESE AND THE UNIVERSITY 12 CHAPTER TWO THE FORMATION OF SCORSESE'S CRITICAL REPUTATION 70 CHAPTER THREE SCORSESE AND THE FALL OF THE HOLLYWOOD RENAISSANCE: THE NEGOTIATION OF CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC CAPITAL 129 CHAPTER FOUR HISTORIES OF CINEMA AND CINEMATIC HISTORIES: SCORSESE AS HISTORIAN 187 CHAPTER FIVE WHAT IS SCORSESE?: SCORSESE'S ROLE IN CONTEMPORARY POSTMODERN CULTURE 242 CONCLUSION THE NEXT SCORSESE (?): THE FUTURE OF ARTISTIC REPUTATIONS IN AMERICAN CINEMA 298 BIBLIOGRAPHY 307 VI INTRODUCTION: MARTIN SCORSESE AND FILM CULTURE This dissertation examines the work of the American filmmaker Martin Scorsese. With few exceptions, this research covers Scorsese's career in chronological order and is structured by Scorsese as an object of study. In this way, it is similar to most of the critical literature written about Scorsese thus far. However, it differs in almost every other way. Unlike other studies, a textual analysis of the style and themes of Scorsese's feature films is not emphasized. Scorsese the auteur is less significant to this work than Scorsese's place in the field of cultural production. Scorsese as a filmmaker is less important than Scorsese as a cultural figure. Because of the vast amount of cultural activities in which he has been involved, it is more productive to examine the relationship among all of Scorsese's various projects and how this has formed the figure known as "Scorsese" today. The purpose of this analysis is to both explain the various connotations that have developed around the idea of Scorsese and how these associations developed over the course of his career. The main argument is extra-textual factors rather than the films themselves that have led to Scorsese's prestigious position as an artist.

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