Martin Scorsese has submitted his third and perhaps his most ambitious passion project Silence for Oscar consideration. It's going to be a tough sell. Scorsese is a Commendatore of Directors but will audiences want to see a film about Jesuits in Feudal Japan. He's had a patchy record with passion projects in the past.
His first, The Last Temptation of Christ is one of his weakest films and he had to kiss Tom Cruise's ass (The Colour of Money also very weak) to get financing. Fortunately he rebounded with authority with Goodfellas.
His third Hugo was unjustly ignored at the box office. It's perhaps his warmest film with Ben Kingsley giving a killer performance as pioneer film-maker, illusionist Georges Melies. But again it disappointed, North American audiences weren't interested in Melies. I haven't seen his second passion project Kundun about the Dalai Lama, so no comment.
With his age and prestige Scorsese can do anything he wants - and critics usually wank to his films anyway. Quite possibly Silence could be his ultimate masterpiece.
As for Georges Melies: The Smashing Pumpkins did an excellent tribute to him:
His first, The Last Temptation of Christ is one of his weakest films and he had to kiss Tom Cruise's ass (The Colour of Money also very weak) to get financing. Fortunately he rebounded with authority with Goodfellas.
His third Hugo was unjustly ignored at the box office. It's perhaps his warmest film with Ben Kingsley giving a killer performance as pioneer film-maker, illusionist Georges Melies. But again it disappointed, North American audiences weren't interested in Melies. I haven't seen his second passion project Kundun about the Dalai Lama, so no comment.
With his age and prestige Scorsese can do anything he wants - and critics usually wank to his films anyway. Quite possibly Silence could be his ultimate masterpiece.
As for Georges Melies: The Smashing Pumpkins did an excellent tribute to him:
