A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies

....so intense and intimate is this rundown on the films that shaped

the greatest filmmaker this country has ever produced. Centered

around the idea of "The Director's Dilemma"--how to reconcile art

and commerce--Scorsese treats this century-long war as one

largely fought through subversion (by the auteur heroes whose B

movies he champions), then triumphing through the birth pangs of

the Personal Movie...represented here by Cassavetes, Kubrick,

and (though he modestly declines to say it) himself. PERSONAL

JOURNEY rivets not just because of its exquisitely chosen scenes

(nobody on this planet has better taste in or a more encyclopedic

knoeldge of movies), nor because of its idiosyncrasy (Scorsese

finds every imaginable scene of hideous violence in the section on

musicals), but because of its acute, delirious subjectivity. This is

the closest to spot-on Scorsese autobiography we will probably

ever get.

As a "rebuttle" of sorts to the AFI's top 100 films, the British Film Institute worked out a documentary with Martin Scorsese.

Now. I am a huge film fan and pride myself on having seen many, many films. But, I am nowheres in comparrison with my idol. In this fantastic (though long) documentary, Scorsese walks the viewer through several stages of the American History on film. This is divided in to several sections including the Western, the Gangster film and the Noir. Full of bouncy enthusiasm, Martin Scorsese is a great tour guide as well as a fantastic professor.

A personal & comprehensive look at American film history through the eyes of one of the most revered filmmakers of our era, this almost 4 hour long, 3-part documentary presents Martin Scorsese describing his own initial fascination & growing obsession with films and takes a look at both the acclaimed classics & forgotten gems that helped shape Scorsese as a person & a director while also enlightening us with the works of a few select luminaries whose bold creativity paved the foundation on which American cinema stands today. A must-see for film aficionados.

Huge, exhaustive and passionate summary of American cinema as seen through the eyes of Martin Scorcese. Needless to say, there is never a dull moment in all of its 4 hour running time. Many genres, periods and directors are all examined, discussed more from the perspective of cinephile rather than contemporary director. For anyone even remotely interested in American films, or cinema in general. A masterpiece, and the best of the BFI's Century of Cinema series.

There's a mystical air you get when Martin Scorsese's talking about movies, his passion, especially if it's a shared passion with the viewer. The second his mouth opens you start to slowly realize, he knows what he's talking about.

What a tremendous opportunity to listen to such a brilliant director discuss his inspirations. It was especially magical to watch over and over this three part documentary set for that reason. It's a wonderful gift to be able to find out what your inspiration is inspired by. I especially enjoyed listening to Scorsese directly credit films that effected the way he made some of his films. HIGHLY recommended to any movie buff with the balls to learn something new from a fantastic teacher.