On Sunday 13 October I saw a preview of Scorsese’s new film, The Irishman, at HOME cinema in Manchester. A new Scorsese film is always one of the cinematic events of the year and this applied even more than usual. I mean, just say these words – Scorsese, De Niro, Pacino, Pesci. A mafia film. What’s not to like?
This film currently has a Metacritic rating of 94 and having seen it, I can see why. This has to be Scorsese’s mature masterpiece and one of the crowning achievements of his filmography. It’s a logical development of his earlier films of this type, because it combines familiar gangster tropes with something new – depth, reflection, introspection.
At three and a half hours, this is Scorsese’s longest film, but I savoured every minute of it and whilst I was watching it I just didn’t want it to end. This film has a moral heft to it and, by the end, an elegiac quality which took the film to another level. The moral and spiritual bankruptcy of these people becomes all too evident.
But let’s go into some of the specifics, some standouts that immediately spring to mind. Joe Pesci came out of retirement for this film and – far removed from the unhinged nature of his earlier roles – he gives a performance of controlled, quiet intensity that makes him riveting to watch. If he doesn’t win a Best Supporting Oscar award then I will be astonished. And Al Pacino – surprisingly his first ever film for Scorsese – fully inhabits the role of Jimmy Hoffa, you can tell he relishes the part and he is equally riveting. I haven’t seen him as good as this in a long time. Similarly De Niro – someone who has really spread his talents thinly in recent times, and made some poor choices – comes back with a vengeance in this film. You can feel the weight of his choices on his shoulders by the end, and the sense that he has a hole where his soul should be.
Scorsese’s direction is as brilliant as ever. Beautiful tracking shots are deployed to great effect. Of course there is violence but he pulls back this time, the moments of violence are short, sharp and brutal but without wallowing in them for shock value. And the way he manages to so deftly tell a complex story which includes flashbacks and multiple plotlines, is a wonder to behold. We never lost sight of where we are in the context of the over-arching narrative.
I was also impressed with the dialogue which was dryly humorous throughout. There is some great verbal jousting between the characters, and scenes of wordplay which brought many chuckles to the audience.
The editing by Thelma Schoonmaker (geek alert – she is the widow of the iconic British film director Michael Powell) is sharp and precise. She has worked with Scorsese going right back to the Woodstock documentary of 1969. Geek alert number 2 – I once met her when she came to the Cornerhouse cinema in Manchester to give a talk in 1993.
From a historical perspective the film is also fascinating. It touched on several important events and, being a conspiracy buff, it was great to see the connection between the mafia and the Kennedy assassination. Anyone interested in the Kennedy assassination will know about David Ferrie. He makes a very brief appearance in the film. Geek alert number 3 – he was played by Joe Pesci in Oliver Stone’s brilliant film JFK.
You will note that I have not mentioned the de-aging technology, which enables the actors to play roles that cover decades. That’s because I was so engrossed by the film that I simply didn’t notice it. Which shows how effective it was. That’s all I need to say about it.
Hats off to NETFLIX for giving Scorsese carte blanche to make this film. If they continue to give the green light to films of this quality then I will forgive them for all the rubbish they show. There are scenes here which will be watched and quoted over and over again. It is an instant classic and am sure it will be seen to be one of the top 5 films of Scorsese’s career. I’m already getting excited about seeing it again.