L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 6 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS may go, we must never lose s i g h t o f i t s o r i g i n s , " h e remarked, recalling that the first film he sought to restore was the American version of Luchino Visconti's The Leop- ard, and the tragic fire in the mid-1960s in Santa Monica that destroyed Orson Welles' Citizen Kane. A t i r e l e s s a d v o c a t e f o r p r e s e r v i n g c l a s s i c f i l m s , Scorsese founded The Film Foundation in 1990, which h a s h e l p e d r e s t o r e o v e r 1 , 0 0 0 f i l m s . I n 2 0 0 7 , h e expanded this effort through the World Cinema Pro- ject, which restores and dis- tributes films from around the world. This dedication to cinema's preservation is evi- dent in his work as a director and producer, where he often pays homage to cinema's his- tory through visual refer- ences and tributes. W i t h a m o n u m e n t a l c a r e e r s p a n n i n g o v e r s i x d e c a d e s , S c o r s e s e h a s cemented his status as a cin- ematic legend, leaving an indelible mark on the indus- try. His impressive body of work grapples with themes of the American Dream, Ital- i a n - A m e r i c a n i d e n t i t y , Catholic concepts of guilt a n d r e d e m p t i o n , f a i t h , machismo, nihilism, crime, and sectarianism, often look- ing into New York's darker side. Through dynamic cine- m a t i c p a r t n e r s h i p s w i t h a c t o r s s u c h a s R o b e r t D e Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio —both of them Italian-Amer- icans — Scorsese's characters navigate complex internal and external conflicts that mirror broader societal and cultural narratives. Few filmmakers from the New Hollywood era, to which the Turin retrospective paid homage, continue to capti- vate audiences like Scorsese, more than 60 years after his debut. He remains one of the most influential directors of all time, reshaping the artis- tic and aesthetic foundations o f c o n t e m p o r a r y c i n e m a , revitalizing genres, and mas- terfully portraying the Amer- ican societal imagination. "Martin Scorsese's films," s a i d E n z o G h i g o a n d Domenico De Gaetano, president and director of the National Museum of Cine- ma, "have carved an indeli- ble path in the history of cin- ema and in our collective imagination. Regarded as o n e o f t h e w o r l d ' s m o s t important directors, Scors- ese has captured eras, styles, s o c i e t a l u n r e s t , a n d t h e uncertainties of a society in constant transformation." His intense two-day stay in Turin marked his first visit to the National Museum of C i n e m a , w h i c h , i n 2 0 1 3 , held an exhibition dedicated to him, featuring original c o s t u m e s f r o m G a n g s o f New York as part of the per- manent display. Scorsese described that film as "a mirror, still rele- vant today, of the United States." He explained, "Dur- ing filming, I often thought of Fellini and Satyricon. When I shot Gangs of New York at Cinecittà, we dug deep into the memories of the past, into the birth of the country we know as Ameri- c a , a n d t h e e x p e r i m e n t k n o w n a s D e m o c r a c y . " Looking to the future, Scors- e s e r e f l e c t e d , " W e d o n ' t know what will happen in t h e c o m i n g w e e k s — t h e experiment of Democracy may continue, or it may end. During Gangs of New York, it felt like we were making a reverse science fiction film, tragically predicting what could happen." W h e n a s k e d a b o u t t h e violence depicted in his films and whether he feels he is a "bad influence," Scorsese responded, "Violence is part of who we are. It was part of my story growing up on the streets. I saw people trying t o l i v e d e c e n t l i v e s s u r - rounded by violence, and I saw decent people doing ter- r i b l e t h i n g s . T h e r e ' s a n attraction to violence—it's ugly, but it's part of us. But w e h a v e t o c o n f r o n t i t , because ignoring it is a form of violence too." During his masterclass in T u r i n , c o m p l e t e w i t h r e d c a r p e t s e l f i e s a n d a u t o - graphs, Scorsese discussed the evolving nature of cine- ma. In his view, cinema is still in its "expressive infan- cy," much like theater was in the early 19th century. "The possibilities for cinema's future are unpredictable. It could end up on tablets or even be projected directly i n t o o u r m i n d s — i m a g i n e Orlando Furioso or Hamlet in virtual reality." Similarly, Scorsese's own career is far from over. "I'm not saying goodbye to cine- ma at all. I still have more f i l m s t o m a k e , " s a i d t h e director, who will turn 82 on November 17th. "I hope God gives me the strength and the funds to make them." He confirmed that he is current- ly working on a project in R o m e ( l a s t y e a r , h e announced a film about the life of Jesus after meeting Pope Francis, with whom the director of The Last Tempta- tion of Christ has a special relationship). Meanwhile, a documentary film is being p r o d u c e d i n S i c i l y : " I ' v e b e c o m e f a s c i n a t e d b y archaeological excavations to u n d e r s t a n d h o w a n c i e n t worlds functioned." He arrived in Turin dur- ing a break from filming, just b e f o r e r e t u r n i n g t o h i s grandfather's homeland: "I w a n t t o u n d e r s t a n d m y roots; it's a sentimental jour- ney, but I like to think that other films will emerge from this experience." Although the film about Sinatra is cur- rently postponed, Scorsese reflected on where his pas- sion for cinema began: "I discovered cinema at a very young age. I had asthma, so I c o u l d n ' t p a r t i c i p a t e i n sports. My parents, then, would often take me to the movies. I was fortunate to grow up during a time when cinema was being reinvent- ed, with new technology that no longer required the big studios." This artistic attrac- t i o n , h o w e v e r , c a r r i e d a more intimate, cultural sig- nificance: "It wasn't just the Neorealism of De Sica and Rossellini, which I discov- ered on TV as a child and found fascinating because the actors spoke Italian like my family, but also the films of Fellini, Antonioni, Belloc- chio, Bertolucci, Pasolini, and Rosi, who all emerged in the early 1960s. A different kind of cinema became pos- sible. I realized I wanted to express something through c i n e m a e v e n b e f o r e f u l l y u n d e r s t a n d i n g w h a t t h a t something was." Scorsese, who is turning 82 on November 17th, declared: "I'm not saying goodbye to cinema at all. I still have more films to make. I hope God gives me the strength and the funds to make them" CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Scorsese on the Turinese red carpet and, bottom left Giuseppe Tornatore, a moment of the award ceremony. Photo © Berti Giuliano

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