A Companion to Martin Scorsese, one of many books in the series Wiley Blackwell Companions to Film Directors, is edited by Aaron Baker. Aaron Baker is a professor and area chair of the Film and Media Studies section within the English Department at Arizona State University. His expertise lies within film authorship and race, ethnicity and gender in American films. A Companion to Martin Scorsese is one of the first books of its kind, examining the career and works of Martin Scorsese through a collection of essays. Considered as one of the industry’s best directors, Martin Scorsese has traditionally done poorly with general audiences (until recently) though the film industry both in Europe and the United States holds him in great esteem and respect. The chapters included provide critical analysis of Scorsese’s work and the way his beliefs, cultural heritage and ethnicity play a prominent role in his films.
The contributors to A Companion to Martin Scorsese come from a variety of backgrounds, though all are experts in the subject area. With 23 contributors, from both Europe and the United States, the authorship has international coverage. The work is divided into four distinct sections: The Pious Auteur, Social Contexts and Conflicts, Form and the Filmmaking Process and Major Films. The work is presented in a well-divided collection with each section taking on a different aspect of Scorsese and his films. Part 1 presents a section on Scorsese’s career and his rise to become the most prestigious director in the American film industry, as well as the role of religion and its imagery in his films and film settings. Part 2, taking a slight shift from the previous section, looks at the social challenges and conflicts that are depicted in his films as they relate to his own personal heritage, culture, masculinity and ethnicity. Part 3 focuses more on his process and film-making technique as well as the use of music, geography and cultural territories depicted in Scorsese films. Part 4 concludes this work with the examination of six films, thought to be the best of his work: Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ, Good Fellas, and Hugo. Throughout the work, the authors consistently discuss the impact and presence of Robert De Niro including his relationship with Scorsese, his roles in the director’s films and his own authorship in Scorsese films. Also throughout the text, the authors consistently argue that the influences on Scorsese’s work can be linked back to his own personal education, religious background and his views on gender and ethnicity, as well as many other influencing factors.
While the reviewer is not an expert in filmmaking, nor the works of Scorsese, the importance of this tome is readily apparent. This work takes into consideration the director’s own ethnicity, gender, culture, beliefs and personal experiences and how those areas are identified in Scorsese’s work. The authors demonstrate the genius that is Martin Scorsese and, with deep critique and analysis, the subliminal and encoded themes that are present in his films. The authors have persuasively demonstrated that Martin Scorsese is one of the greatest filmmakers in American (and possibly international) cinema.
While this is an excellent and truly important work for the film and media studies subject area, it is probably most suitable for academic and special libraries that have strong programmes in film or media studies, cultural studies (Italian-American focus) or cultural history as depicted in alternative formats. The audience for this particular work is most likely to be upper level undergraduate or graduate level, though knowledgeable general readers may enjoy it. There is an expectation that the audience will have an understanding of auteur theory, which is a significant part of the monograph’s argument. It is not recommended for public libraries due to the scholarly audience level and narrow subject matter. Due to the cost, libraries should take into consideration their user groups and whether sources of this type are requested and circulated.
