“When young , at a certain time in my life, I tried to be a photographer and took many pictures”Martin Scorsese
From October 14, 2015 to February 14, 2016, the Cinémathèque Française showcases the work of great Martin Scorsese.
Welcomed by a backlit portrait of the director, we are drawn into the shadowy atmosphere of the exhibition, where four big screens project film clips and slow motion scenes (The Last Temptation of Christ, Who’s That Knocking at My Door…).
Then we enter the director’s familial universe where he drew his inspiration: street life, the church, Italian immigrants. Always plunged in semi-darkness and shades of grey, we encounter framed objects and photos of his parents. The Scorsese family’s round dining table invites us to sit down to a meal. Like on a treasure hunt, we move from room to room connected by passages featuring film clips, posters, photos, sketches, letters, and hand-annotated scenarios. We go from the discovery of an original storyboard for the Taxi Driver to location shots for The Last Temptation of Christ, only to find ourselves contemplating Robert de Niro’s tattoo photos in Cape Fear or yet reading a thank-you note written to Scorsese by Jake LaMotta for the Raging Bull. Colors and screens are our natural guide through the filmmaker’s world. Everybody can find their favorite films or pause over a document. Two young people behind me: “This is the one where he gets killed at the end.”
You can catch your breath in spaces featuring audio or video recordings, starting with Scorsese’s initial inspiration up to the development of the scene screened in front of you. One takes note of the close relationship between the director and Robert de Niro. The whole visit is mastered both visually and phonically, allowing you to access, decipher, and absorb the essence of the great master. In one room there is a screening of an interview with Martin Scorsese, while the next one reminds you that “he made so many great films.” One never feels overwhelmed by the props; on the contrary, it’s fun stumbling upon de Niro’s driver’s license that he really took for the Taxi Driver. Throughout the exhibition one gets a look at Martin Scorsese’s various talents which reveal a curious, meticulous, cautious man and an avid collector. It is easy to understand his commitment to the restoration and preservation of films.
Even if one cannot escape the exit through the museum shop, the exhibition offers a well-documented creative and biographic tour, pulling us like some goodfellas into the universe of a pure New York filmmaker.
EXPOSITION
Martin Scorsese
From October 14th 2015 to February 14th, 2016
La Cinémathèque Française
51 rue de Bercy
75012 Paris
France
http://www.cinematheque.fr/
Metro Bercy Lines › 6 – 14
Buses › 24 – 64 – 87
Monday 1 pm – 7 pm
Tuesday Closed
Wednesday 1 pm – 7 pm
Thursday 1 pm – 8 pm
Friday 1 pm – 7 pm
Saturday – Sunday 10 am- 8 pm
19th december 2015 – 3rd january 10 am- 8 pm
25th december 2015 and 1st january 2016
