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Book Review: The Philosophy of Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese

&NewLine;<p>Martin Scorsese is an Academy Award-winning director and legendary filmmaker noted for his profound&comma; character-driven stories and fascinating explorations of moral and <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;philosophyinfilm&period;com&sol;2017&sol;06&sol;03&sol;10-existential-films-for-philosophy-students&sol;" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noreferrer noopener">existential<&sol;a> issues&period; His works frequently explore the darker elements of <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;philosophyinfilm&period;com&sol;2016&sol;08&sol;24&sol;human-nature-and-technology-in-science-fiction&sol;" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noreferrer noopener">human nature<&sol;a>&comma; crime&comma; and redemption&comma; demonstrating his passion for complex individuals and moral gray areas&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Scorsese is renowned for films like <em>Goodfellas<&sol;em> &lpar;1990&rpar;&comma; which explores the cost of navigating life in the mafia&semi; <em>Casino<&sol;em> &lpar;1995&rpar;&comma; which features the rise and fall of a casino manager as he and his cohorts <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;ignitioncasino&period;eu&sol;casino&sol;blackjack-games" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noreferrer noopener">play black jack<&sol;a> and dispute over power and money&semi; as well as <em>The Irishman<&sol;em> &lpar;2019&rpar;&comma; which looks at loyalty&comma; age&comma; and regret in the world of organized crime&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Martin Scorsese&&num;8217&semi;s personal ideologies are strongly interwoven in his films&comma; which tackle complex ethical concerns&period; These challenge the audience to confront moral dilemmas presented by defective characters and constantly blur the line between right and wrong&period;&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;amzn&period;to&sol;48iGeHG" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow"><em>The Philosophy of Martin Scorsese<&sol;em><&sol;a>&comma; edited by Mark T&period; Conard&comma; analyzes this thematic richness from a critical and philosophical perspective&period; The book covers nearly all of Scorsese&&num;8217&semi;s films&comma; and Conard&&num;8217&semi;s work provides a better understanding of how Scorsese employs cinema to investigate the human condition&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">The Philosophy of Martin Scorsese — An Overview<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p><em>The Philosophy of Martin Scorsese<&sol;em> is a collection of essays that delve into the deeper philosophical concerns and themes in Scorsese&&num;8217&semi;s films&period; The book is part of The University Press of Kentucky&&num;8217&semi;s Philosophy of Popular Culture series&comma; which combines high-level philosophical investigation and popular culture&period;&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Though cinema is widely regarded as an art form capable of exploring highly complex philosophical topics&comma; Conard&&num;8217&semi;s book provides thorough and approachable philosophical analysis&comma; frequently using Scorsese&&num;8217&semi;s films as &&num;8220&semi;springboards&&num;8221&semi; for analyzing pre-existing concepts and schools of thought&period; This framework is organized into three thematic sections&colon; authenticity&comma; flourishing&comma; and egoism&semi; rationality&comma; criminality&comma; and emotions&semi; and vision&comma; salvation&comma; and transcendence&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">Exploring Crime&comma; Violence&comma; and Ethics<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;lh7-rt&period;googleusercontent&period;com&sol;docsz&sol;AD&lowbar;4nXcKsqW7-ySoMH5xldCr3MiRCOtGkF3UNrQJvm-FAOIxny2vNnRKoMoGBqsB&lowbar;Zq4Fu5cNlJ5Ld4ptH6KY4lJgo0-UugdilaiYuuq67qyJX9vg-O8eNJjhwk1Q93uSanEHIy97rKbnwtzeWKuVokyWN8iSdk-&quest;key&equals;d0TMv24brSKXGJ0E54ah5C3H" alt&equals;"Casino movie"&sol;><figcaption class&equals;"wp-element-caption"><em>Casino<&sol;em> &lpar;1995&rpar;<&sol;figcaption><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Scorsese&&num;8217&semi;s films about crime and violence are among his most well-known&comma; and for this reason&comma; <em>The Philosophy of Martin Scorsese<&sol;em> focuses heavily on the moral and philosophical foundations of these works&period; Several pieces in the anthology examine subjects like friendship&comma; egoism&comma; and vigilantism through the eyes of Scorsese&&num;8217&semi;s criminal figures&period; For example&comma; Steven M&period; Sanders&&num;8217&semi; essay &&num;8220&semi;No Safe Haven&colon; Casino&comma; Friendship&comma; and Egoism&&num;8221&semi; concentrates on the film&&num;8217&semi;s somber study of human connections rather than gaming business methods&period; Sanders depicts Ace and Nicky&&num;8217&semi;s relationship as an egoistic friendship&comma; highlighting the film&&num;8217&semi;s neo-noir style&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Dean A&period; Kowalski&&num;8217&semi;s essay &&num;8220&semi;Goodfellas&comma; Gyges&comma; and the Good Life&&num;8221&semi; also takes a philosophical approach to the film&period; The essay raises a familiar question&colon; <em>why live a morally good life&quest;<&sol;em> Kowalski employs Plato&&num;8217&semi;s <em>Republic<&sol;em> and the myth of Gyges to investigate whether characters like Henry Hill&comma; despite their illicit habits&comma; can ever truly be happy&period; This investigation of unbalanced personalities and moral deterioration is crucial to how Scorsese portrays his crime-driven characters&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Aeon J&period; Skoble&&num;8217&semi;s essay on <em>Taxi Driver<&sol;em> &lpar;1976&rpar; is one of the collection&&num;8217&semi;s most notable pieces&period; Skoble investigates the ethical implications of vigilantism&comma; examining Travis Bickle&&num;8217&semi;s acts through the lens of John Locke&&num;8217&semi;s political philosophy&comma; while also utilizing comparisons with comic superheroes&period; This essay underlines Bickle&&num;8217&semi;s ambivalence as a man caught between moral justification and fundamentally defective judgment&comma; demonstrating the emotional depth and complexity of Scorsese&&num;8217&semi;s confused characters&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">Exploring Identity&comma; Temptation&comma; and the Human Psyche<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;lh7-rt&period;googleusercontent&period;com&sol;docsz&sol;AD&lowbar;4nXc-o7Svzzh664iQLI8KSfKDGXXEX0t6qX-GSAgg0hDkhwZPQH5pQ8h-VGVSdk8n4GonNGdrATCfmc4R7XyCI38cXeddzCJG01Ttq2&lowbar;qVChXk2wI6V2YENlzPfffwxCenY3x9Eecd9we3uDtcKJuPd4JTgNS&quest;key&equals;d0TMv24brSKXGJ0E54ah5C3H" alt&equals;"The Age of Innocence movie"&sol;><figcaption class&equals;"wp-element-caption"><em>The Age of Innocence<&sol;em> &lpar;1993&rpar;<&sol;figcaption><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>While Scorsese is most commonly associated with violent crime dramas&comma; his films also examine identity&comma; temptation&comma; and the human mind in more subtle ways&period; In <em>The Age of Innocence<&sol;em> &lpar;1993&rpar;&comma; Scorsese departs from the world of gangsters to explore the strict social norms of upper-class New York in the late nineteenth century&period;&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Deborah Knight&&num;8217&semi;s study&comma; &&num;8220&semi;The Age of Innocence&colon; Social Semiotics&comma; Desire&comma; and Constraint&comma;&&num;8221&semi; examines how Scorsese utilizes film to highlight the crushing emotional and moral shackles society puts on the characters&period; Knight claims that through the film&&num;8217&semi;s rich narrative and characterization&comma; Scorsese expertly recreates the social conventions that control his characters&&num;8217&semi; lives&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>This category of Martin Scorcece’s unique repertoire also includes an altogether different film&comma; <em>The King of Comedy<&sol;em> &lpar;1983&rpar;&comma; which explores personal identity and societal expectations&period; Richard Greene&&num;8217&semi;s essay on the film examines the irrationality of the lead character&comma; Rupert Pupkin&period; Pupkin&&num;8217&semi;s misguided pursuit of popularity is used to challenge rationality and self-worth&period; These themes run through many of Scorsese&&num;8217&semi;s works&comma; which deal with characters seeking recognition in a world that doesn&&num;8217&semi;t appear to recognize them&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">Religious Themes and Spiritual Struggles<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;lh7-rt&period;googleusercontent&period;com&sol;docsz&sol;AD&lowbar;4nXe6ZVp633SWQYjhFL&lowbar;1QMgUxWydW8xlrHNyfXfOg5UQidLBR3QCAfce8BbCklY0azhxf5I-uEc8PSQmF5NyeEZhqPpBlQcSwJ363VjZDR1gHa2&lowbar;NI0wWnov&lowbar;MgdXhdTgP6c&lowbar;MJJwCuVG8OQS5BdFsO5VKbp&quest;key&equals;d0TMv24brSKXGJ0E54ah5C3H" alt&equals;"The Last Temptation of Christ movie"&sol;><figcaption class&equals;"wp-element-caption"><em>The Last Temptation of Christ<&sol;em> &lpar;1988&rpar;<&sol;figcaption><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Religion and spirituality are common themes in Scorsese&&num;8217&semi;s films&comma; often intertwined with his characters&&num;8217&semi; <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;philosophyinfilm&period;com&sol;tag&sol;psychological-horror&sol;">psychological<&sol;a> conflicts&period; In <em>The Last Temptation of Christ<&sol;em> &lpar;1988&rpar;&comma; for example&comma; Scorsese examines Christ&&num;8217&semi;s dual nature as divine and human&comma; battling temptation and suffering&period;&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Karen D&period; Hoffman&&num;8217&semi;s essay&comma; &&num;8220&semi;The Last Temptation of Christ and Bringing Out the Dead&colon; Scorsese&&num;8217&semi;s Reluctant Saviours&comma;&&num;8221&semi; studies how Scorsese&&num;8217&semi;s portrayal of Jesus matches the problems of other characters in his films&comma; including Frank Pierce in <em>Bringing Out the Dead<&sol;em> &lpar;1999&rpar;&period;&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Both characters struggle with the weight of salvation and the conflict between personal pleasures and moral obligations&period; <em>The Philosophy of Martin Scorsese<&sol;em>&comma; in its entirety&comma; highlights how these religious themes extend beyond overtly spiritual films&period; For example&comma; Paul A&period; Cantor’s essay on <em>The Aviator<&sol;em> &lpar;2004&rpar; connects Howard Hughes’ relentless ambition to libertarian philosophy&comma; suggesting that Hughes’ entrepreneurial spirit reflects Scorsese’s interest in individualism and freedom&period; Cantor’s argument that <em>The Aviator<&sol;em> celebrates American entrepreneurialism connects Scorsese’s storytelling with more profound philosophical ideas about the relationship between the self and larger economic and societal forces&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">The Role of Madness in Scorsese’s Films<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;lh7-rt&period;googleusercontent&period;com&sol;docsz&sol;AD&lowbar;4nXdYPF7sdxgKjNtXx5wQ0Zm1bnZlmDwVlCaZ2LgqsgX7&lowbar;3f5ts-giVVYIISvDTn0XQJnEieviL1sRyUstbVcifdV&lowbar;mDkb3wBb4fXyFIp2NWt8AO4Tm9TYsbMS1pZWPPFZeM&lowbar;s6Bfq88&lowbar;KRXyxgI8XVER2naO&quest;key&equals;d0TMv24brSKXGJ0E54ah5C3H" alt&equals;"Taxi Driver movie"&sol;><figcaption class&equals;"wp-element-caption"><em>Taxi Driver<&sol;em> &lpar;1976&rpar;<&sol;figcaption><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Another frequent theme in Scorsese&&num;8217&semi;s films is &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;madness” and how it affects the lives of his characters&period; In his essay on <em>Taxi Driver<&sol;em>&comma; Jerold J&period; Abrams believes that Travis Bickle is a Nietzschean madman who transcends society&&num;8217&semi;s moral constraints&period; Abrams follows the concept of the maniac through other Scorsese films&comma; such as <em>Cape Fear<&sol;em> &lpar;1991&rpar;&comma; <em>The Last Temptation of Christ<&sol;em>&comma; and <em>Bringing Out the Dead<&sol;em>&period;&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>In these films&comma; Scorsese&&num;8217&semi;s protagonists embody both destructive and constructive impulses&period; They frequently contend with internal lunacy that alienates them from society while propelling them toward a greater understanding of their nature&period; Jennifer L&period; McMahon&&num;8217&semi;s article on <em>After Hours<&sol;em> &lpar;1985&rpar; compares the insanity of the film’s plot to Jean-Paul Sartre&&num;8217&semi;s &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Nausea and No Exit&comma;” claiming that Scorsese employs bizarre settings to underscore his characters&&num;8217&semi; existential struggles&period; McMahon even claims that Scorsese&&num;8217&semi;s absurdist comedies are therapeutic works&comma; allowing spectators to reflect on their own experiences through the prism of dark humor&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">The Philosophy of Martin Scorcese – A Rich Analysis of the Human Condition<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p><em>The Philosophy of Martin Scorsese<&sol;em> collects some of the most in-depth studies on Scorcese’s works and the philosophical issues that arise throughout&period; While some essays use Scorsese&&num;8217&semi;s films to illustrate pre-existing philosophical themes&comma; others look into his films&&num;8217&semi; cinematic and narrative depth&comma; providing new insights into how Scorsese addresses issues of morality&comma; identity&comma; and the human condition&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>The book skillfully crosses the divide between philosophy and pop culture&comma; demonstrating how a filmmaker like Scorsese can stimulate thought through intricate storytelling and character development — without sacrificing entertainment value&period; Whether discussing films about crime&comma; identity&comma; or spirituality&comma; <em>The Philosophy of Martin Scorsese<&sol;em> encourages readers to question the deeper implications and ideologies of one of America’s most beloved and celebrated directors&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>If you’d like to read more film essays like this one&comma; check out the <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;philosophyinfilm&period;com&sol;">Philosophy in Film Homepage<&sol;a>&excl;<&sol;p>&NewLine;

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