Customer Reviews

ItalianAmerican and The Big Shave [VHS]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you grew up around Italian Americans, then you'll certainly feel right at home with the Scorseses. This is not a documentary for Protestants or Swedes. Catherine Scorsese (Katie), Marty's mama, is a hoot. Just like every Italian American mother you've ever met--couches covered in plastic, heavy wall fixtures, sleeveless house dress, and wisecracking all the way through. We see her preparing the sauce (the gravy) with the information of cooking tidbits her mother-in-law gave her (the recipe for the sauce is at the end, so don't turn the video off too early). A more than ample addition to this video (which I show to my university students in an attempt to get them thinking about heritage and the power of storytelling) is the cookbook by the same name: ItalianAmerican, by Catherine Scorsese, with Georgia Downard (available through Amazon.com). The sound quality on this 1974 documentary is not the best, so you must pay attention, and you'll probably need to sit through it more than once. But it's worth it, as the Scorseses reminisce about the old country and the family and what life was like in New York's Little Italy many years ago. The video starts out with Catherine telling her son how he should be directing the documentary--pure hilarity. We also see a minor squabble between husband and wife--Catherine and Charlie. Of course Katie wins. It makes you feel right at home. You know, part of the family. Pull up a chair. Have some macaroni with sauce. And be part of the family. Abondanza!

Four and a half stars actually. A documentary classic for sure, from one of America's most important filmmakers. The choice to interview his own parents pays off big time, as they're willing to get much more personal with Martin than they would with a stranger. The interaction between mother and father in front of the son, who's already a longtime participant in their relationship, and who they're already accustomed to pointing cameras at things, is as natural and honest as you're likely to get. The recipe, the stories, the threat on the cameraman's life: Classic. Of Scorsese's shorts, only American Boy with Freddy Prince gets a higher rating from me; and why is that not part of one of these DVD boxed sets? Release it already, what are'ya waitin for!?!

The big shave was a short flim Scorsese made for his flim class in NYU. A Man shaves his face off with a razor. Bizarre, Yet Interesting.

Italianamerican is a Short flim/Non-Fiction Bio about his lovley Mother(Who has been in more then a few Scorsese movies) and Father, Who immagrated from Italy to the big apple and had a hard "working-class" life. Easy to relate too. Mama Scorsese reminds me of my mother.

Two early short film directed by Martin Scorsese.

ITALIANAMERICAN (1974; 49 minutes) Documentary in which Scorsese interviews his parents, Catherine and Charles, about their lives and family histories. This is a charming film that anyone interested in Scorsese should enjoy, and is as important to understanding his sensiblity, in its way, as Raging Bull or Taxi Driver (Collector's Edition), if not more so. Plus, you get Mrs. Scorsese's recipe for marinara sauce! (NOT, as some reviewers have stated, her recipe for meatballs.) My rating: 4 stars (out of 5).

THE BIG SHAVE (1967; 6 minutes) A nightmarish film that is believed to be Scorsese's commentary on America's involvement in the then-current Vietnam War. Piquant and disturbing, if not overly subtle (though I doubt it was intended to be). The reference to "whiteness" in the closing credits is an allusion to Melville's Moby-Dick (Dover Giant Thrift Editions). My rating: 4 1/2 stars (out of 5).

Note: I think both of these films have been uploaded to YouTube if the VHS tape is not an option for you (or if you're trying to save some dough).

If you think the attitudes, humor, and plastic covered sofas were limited to Italian American immigrants, you are sadly mistaken. Anyone who grew up as first generation Americans with parents who immigrated (legally) during the 40's and 50's will relate to Scorsese's affectionate look at that generation.

If you enjoyed the mom in Goodfellas, who cooks up a big dinner "snack" for Pesci and his pals at 2 in the morning, that's Scorsese's mother playing herself, featured here in this documentary.

As nutty as it was growing up in a European immigrant household in the 60's and 70's, those who did so will forever share a common bond, and this documentary will make you smile. If you didn't have the pleasure, but you enjoy the kooky parental observations Jerry Seinfeld made on his show, you'll enjoy this too.