Monday, January 24, 2011

Kubrick vs. Scorsese



A Visual History of Cinema

      Modern filmmaking is instinctively colored by an appreciation of the film world's past triumphs, and to a lesser extent, its noted failures. Contemporary filmmakers owe much of their successes to the seminal work paved by cinema's prodigious auters of past. A simple glance at film history and one will make some startling discoveries. There is, indubitably, a splendid abundance of distinctive and distinguished movie-making leviathans. 
      The best way to pay respect to the film medium is the creation of a fascinating visual montage. Leandro Copperfield, an impassioned film lover, agreed with this premise. He decided to pay homage to film's glorious past, specifically, the unquestioned brilliance of Stanley Kubrick and Martin Scorsese—two of his favorite directors—by masterminding the above video. Well, Mr. Copperfield, these are two of the most beloved American film directors of all-time; I especially cherish their work. If not for your diligence and adulation towards these two cinematic juggernauts, this awesome video would not exist. Thankfully, this is not the case.
      Copperfield masterfully assembled this riveting montage after watching 34 of Kubrick & Scorsese' films over a 25-day span. This composition is truly epic. There are over 500 scenes in this montage; this type of craftsmanship entails an exorbitant amount of editing. So, quite expectantly, I thank you Leandro, for your tireless work has resulted in one extraordinary video. In fact, I have not seen any montage quite like it—except his other video, which contrasts the work of Tarantino and the Coen Brothers. If you would like to observe that one as well, there is a link at the bottom of the page.

Lists of films Copperfield used:

Dir.: Stanley Kubrick















Day of the Fight (1951)
Fear and Desire (1953)
Killer's Kiss (1955)
The Killing (1956)
Paths of Glory (1957)
Spartacus (1960)
Lolita (1962)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Barry Lyndon (1975)
The Shining (1980)
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Dir.: Martin Scorsese

 
















Mean Streets (1973)
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)
Taxi Driver (1976)
New York, New York (1977)
Raging Bull (1980)
The King of Comedy (1982)
After Hours (1985)
The Color of Money (1986)
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
Goodfellas (1990)
Cape Fear (1991)
The Age of Innocence (1993)
Casino (1995)
Kundun (1997)
Bringing Out the Dead (1999)
Gangs of New York (2002)
The Aviator (2004)
The Departed (2006)
Shutter Island (2010)

Source: http://vimeo.com/12432238

Audio Copyright Notices:

'I'm Shipping Up to Boston' performed by band Dropkick Murphys remains courtesy Hellcat Records, ® 2005
'Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing' by Chris Isaak remains courtesy Warner Music Group Corp, ® 1996
'Nude' by Radiohead remains courtesy XL Recordings, ® 2008

15 comments:

  1. Badass video. All I can say about that. Two of the most epic directors ever. I'm glad you brought this to my attention!

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  2. No problem. Anyone who is a fan of American cinema has to, at the very least, respect the work of Kubrick and Scorsese. They have been instrumental in the growth of the medium.

    I'm glad you liked it. It is Samuel L. Jackson circa Pulp Fiction level badass!

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  3. A brief glimpse into two of the most brilliant film-making minds of our time. What an inventive piece Leandro put together. I loved the score as well.

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  4. I'm not so familiar with Kubrick's films but I definitely love some of Scorsese's works :)

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  5. good info!

    following

    hazdbot.blogspot.com

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  6. Kubrick has some nice films, but I never understood the love for Scorsese, most of his films are visionless and bland to me, and some even horrible like THE GANGS OF NEW YORK, SHUTTER ISLAND, and plus he adores Leo DeCaprio, whom I find totally talentless :)

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  7. @ Melissa

    Yes I agree. Leandro did an awesome job piecing together their diverse work. I also loved the score, especially "I'm Shipping Up to Boston."

    @ Jaccstev

    Yeah Kubrick passed away close to a decade ago. If you want to familiarize yourself with some of his work, your going to have to go back and watch a lot of his older films. They're classics!

    I'm also a huge Scorsese fan as you may already know. I love his sensibility and many of his movies are just so enjoyable

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  8. @ hwidman

    Thanks! I appreciate the support. The golden rule of blogging. You follow me, I follow you.

    @ Dezmond

    Haha I knew you would be the first to bemoan Scorsese. The fact is, I disagree. But I respect your opinion.

    Taxi Driver, The King of Comedy, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas are universally praised among a diverse slew of scathing critics. They have to be on to something.

    Plus, I think Scorsese is dually talented at creating enjoyable cinema while not compromising style or substance. It is a beautiful marriage of technical oeuvre.

    There has to be ONE Scorsese film you really liked!

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  9. I'm with you Matt. I thoroughly enjoy Scorsese's work. Taxi Drive, King of Comedy, Raging Bull, Goodfellas...all good movies. I'd also add Casino, Mean Streets, The Aviator and The Departed as Scorsese films I enjoyed.

    On Dez's mention of Shutter Island and Gangs of New York. Shutter Island I think got a bad wrap for some reason. I actually enjoyed the movie. Not my favorite movie of last year, but enjoyable nonetheless. And Gangs of New York is just awesome really. Great acting, fun vengeance tale, good period piece. I thoroughly enjoyed that one.

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  10. Thanks JL!

    One thing I have always appreciated about Scorsese (and also why I adore Tarantino's work) is his undying love for film. Scorsese has such a wealth of knowledge about movies, and this fact really shines through in his work.

    He makes a movie for the people, by the people, of the people. A democratic everyman of cinema. And his talent is undeniable. Watching Raging Bull or Taxi Driver will confirm this fact.

    I also enjoyed both Shutter Island and Gangs of New York. Shutter Island gets better with multiple viewings. Gangs of New York just oozes fun awesomeness, as you point out JL. I am also glad you referenced The Departed. That movie is phenomenal!

    I've seen every Kubrick film post-Dr. Strangelove (1964). Lolita and The Killing are two that I have to get around at some point. I've read only glowing reviews about these films.

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  11. I got lotza catching up to do:)

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  12. coolblogger,

    Thanks for joining! I'll return the favor.

    Lol, these two filmmakers have extensive filmographies, so you do have a lot to catch up on. But watching film is fun and some of their movies are legendary, so you'll have a good time doing it!

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  13. Indeed, superb directors, albeit, I prefer Kubrick over Scorsese.

    Interesting post :)

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  14. they are both very respectable directors for several different films, but if we're choosing one over the other, i'd say kubrick has more range. the shining remains as one of my favorite movies (even though i still think shelly duvall is kind of a twit). plus 2001, clockwork orange, full metal jacket, lolita...

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  15. @ Wendy

    Yes they are! Many film historians prefer Kubrick as well. Thanks for stopping by!

    @ jonwinters

    Thanks for joining!

    Touche! Kubrick's imprint on the medium is profound. 2001, Clockwork, Full Metal Jacket, and Lolita are all considered timeless classics, although, I have yet to see Lolita.

    In terms of a revisionist take on film, many scholars would make the same contention. Scorsese's work is widely revered, but Kubrick is iconic. His influence can be tied to any modern director.

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