Review of A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (1995) by Phillip S — 19 Aug 2012

Back in 1994, Martin Scorsese and Michael Henry Wilson decided to co-write and co-direct a near 4 hour series, hosted by Scorsese, about the history of American cinema, though done through the films, genres, and directors that personally struck a chord with Marty the most. It was an ambitious idea, and the resulting film is a real treat for cinema lovers everywhere.

Yeah, Marty only covers from silent filmsthrough the 1950s, with only a few entries from the 60s and 70s getting touched upon, and the genres are limited to primarily westerns, gangster films, and musicals for the most part, but this all gets made up for by Scorsese's obvious love, passion, and enthusiasm for the subject, and due ot the fact that, unlike a lot of documentaries, the clips that are shown here are often rather lengthy, and are given time to breathe, whether Scorsese talks over parts of them or not. Seriously, these clips sometimes go on for a few minutes at a time. Of course, along with this come a great many spoilers for the films he covers in depth, but if you've already seen them, then it's okay.

Even though the scope and depth in the broadest sense are limited, the fine print is where this film really shines, and why it happens to be nearly 4 hours long. Divided into parts, Scorsese looks at the changes within select genres over the years, the various factors related to those genres, and the effects this all had on movies and society at large. He also looks at technical innovations, social factors, and the messages, both discreet and overt, that directors threw in to really shape their visions.

It's basically a film class, taught by a real master, where you don't have to take tests or pay for textbooks. It's enjoyable and highly informative, and just listening to Scorsese ramble is a great pleasure in and of itself. If you love movies, then you really out to see this.