Originally called "I Call First", this is Martin Scorseses' directorial debut.
Whilst lacking in a fully immersive story - it is more of an environmental / behaviour study - it has many gems, and like many of Scorsese pieces to come, this film boosts many creative and intense characters, and explores much of human emotions and situations which provoke them.
Scorsese, even from his first few short films, has a knack for making the mundane and banal exciting with how he directs and edits the shots. We open with a woman (Scorseses mother in fact) baking a meat pie for some kids - but the intense rolling drum beat and the sharp close up cuts, makes this act seem pretty intense.
There are many key scenes dripping in Scorsese signature direction - there is a brief fight scene, which couldn't be any more unique to Scorseses genius editing and pacing. The film is littered with his signature static/stuttered zooms and cuts, and with his slow panning reveals etc. And of course, there is at one dramatic use of religious iconography.
Stand out scene for me was when JR and The Girl are making out on his bed. Generally in romantic scenes they are coupled with some music or enhance this feeling. But here, Scorsese thrills us with intimate close ups from various angles, and the background is just the noise heard from the streets below through the open window. This added such a dramatic realism to it - and made us focus on the lovers, hoping to hear or catch something in their movements, rather than trying to the cliché thing of enhancing the "idea" of romance by having some orchestral accompaniment.
The story is more about exploring the character of young men in the Italian American districts of New York, and about how relationships can grow or being strained within this paradigm - all overshadowed by a Catholic doctrine.
Not the best film, but worth it if you adore Scorsese and his style.
Whilst lacking in a fully immersive story - it is more of an environmental / behaviour study - it has many gems, and like many of Scorsese pieces to come, this film boosts many creative and intense characters, and explores much of human emotions and situations which provoke them.
Scorsese, even from his first few short films, has a knack for making the mundane and banal exciting with how he directs and edits the shots. We open with a woman (Scorseses mother in fact) baking a meat pie for some kids - but the intense rolling drum beat and the sharp close up cuts, makes this act seem pretty intense.
There are many key scenes dripping in Scorsese signature direction - there is a brief fight scene, which couldn't be any more unique to Scorseses genius editing and pacing. The film is littered with his signature static/stuttered zooms and cuts, and with his slow panning reveals etc. And of course, there is at one dramatic use of religious iconography.
Stand out scene for me was when JR and The Girl are making out on his bed. Generally in romantic scenes they are coupled with some music or enhance this feeling. But here, Scorsese thrills us with intimate close ups from various angles, and the background is just the noise heard from the streets below through the open window. This added such a dramatic realism to it - and made us focus on the lovers, hoping to hear or catch something in their movements, rather than trying to the cliché thing of enhancing the "idea" of romance by having some orchestral accompaniment.
The story is more about exploring the character of young men in the Italian American districts of New York, and about how relationships can grow or being strained within this paradigm - all overshadowed by a Catholic doctrine.
Not the best film, but worth it if you adore Scorsese and his style.