I had a dream, about a week before I even knew this film existed, that Martin Scorsese was talking to me about film in his clipped and articulate way. I was finishing the book, 'Easy Riders and Raging Bulls' as bedtime reading, so I didn't see this as a premonition.
I just got back from a month in Italy and was working on a home movie edit called, 'Jason's Trip to Italy' when I was invited to see this film called, coincidentally, 'My Voyage to Italy.'
I hate having movies 'ruined' by trailers and critiques that tell more about the beats and plot points than they do about the relevance of the subject so I read nothing before coming. I knew I'd see a Martin Scorsese film, so there was no need to know any of the actors or the plot.
It's not a travelogue.
Ironically, this film digests a whole collection of classic Italian films I hadn't seen. In one 4 hour and 16 minute fell swoop, Thelma Schoonmaker and Martin Scorsese reveal plot points and the endings of dozens of films! (There was a 10 minute intermission where I saw it.)
It's worth it. The films aren't 'ruined,' they're appreciated, and made more appreciable. So read what you can before, after and even -during- the film. Bring a notepad. This is an incredible opportunity to have Italian neo-realism taught by our apparent friend, Martin Scorsese.
He shows clips from Italian classics that -will- blow endings, important plot points and so forth, but will entice you to see them, too. You may want to see these films first, as a primer. I don't remember all the films he touched on, which is part of why I recommend taking notes, but some of them are:
*Michelangelo Antonioni: L'Eclisse, L'Avventura *Vittorio de Sica: Umberto D., I Ladri Biciclette, Matrimonia All'Italia *Federico Fellini: I Vittelino, 8 1/2, La Dolce Vita *Rossellini: Paisa, Europa '51, Il Miraculo, Stromboli, Germania Anno Zero, Roma Citta Aperta, Viaggio in Italia *Alessandro Blasetti: La Corona Di Ferro, 1860...and a few others that my brain is refusing to recall, including a fantastic color film about a degenerate Austrian officer that takes advantage of an Italian duchess.
This is a deeply personal film for Scorsese, and it's his impassioned plea to reinvigorate our modern culture to see these classics. If you see the films beforehand, you'll want to see this film even more.
If you love film, this will consummate that love. It's like finding a whole new dating pool!
I just got back from a month in Italy and was working on a home movie edit called, 'Jason's Trip to Italy' when I was invited to see this film called, coincidentally, 'My Voyage to Italy.'
I hate having movies 'ruined' by trailers and critiques that tell more about the beats and plot points than they do about the relevance of the subject so I read nothing before coming. I knew I'd see a Martin Scorsese film, so there was no need to know any of the actors or the plot.
It's not a travelogue.
Ironically, this film digests a whole collection of classic Italian films I hadn't seen. In one 4 hour and 16 minute fell swoop, Thelma Schoonmaker and Martin Scorsese reveal plot points and the endings of dozens of films! (There was a 10 minute intermission where I saw it.)
It's worth it. The films aren't 'ruined,' they're appreciated, and made more appreciable. So read what you can before, after and even -during- the film. Bring a notepad. This is an incredible opportunity to have Italian neo-realism taught by our apparent friend, Martin Scorsese.
He shows clips from Italian classics that -will- blow endings, important plot points and so forth, but will entice you to see them, too. You may want to see these films first, as a primer. I don't remember all the films he touched on, which is part of why I recommend taking notes, but some of them are:
*Michelangelo Antonioni: L'Eclisse, L'Avventura *Vittorio de Sica: Umberto D., I Ladri Biciclette, Matrimonia All'Italia *Federico Fellini: I Vittelino, 8 1/2, La Dolce Vita *Rossellini: Paisa, Europa '51, Il Miraculo, Stromboli, Germania Anno Zero, Roma Citta Aperta, Viaggio in Italia *Alessandro Blasetti: La Corona Di Ferro, 1860...and a few others that my brain is refusing to recall, including a fantastic color film about a degenerate Austrian officer that takes advantage of an Italian duchess.
This is a deeply personal film for Scorsese, and it's his impassioned plea to reinvigorate our modern culture to see these classics. If you see the films beforehand, you'll want to see this film even more.
If you love film, this will consummate that love. It's like finding a whole new dating pool!