The Martin Scorsese Film Collection

The release of this four-title boxed set couldn't have been better timed: with the influential filmmaker once again Oscar-nominated, this time for The Aviator (but losing to Clint Eastwood and his Million Dollar Baby), it's a perfect opportunity to revisit and reevaluate some of his earlier successes. The Martin Scorsese Film Collection is a testament to the director's style, gathering together four diverse films, starting off with Scorsese's first studio-made film, Boxcar Bertha (1972), a Depression-era Bonnie and Clyde rip-off in which small-town girl Barbara Hershey falls in with charismatic train robber David Carradine. New York, New York (1977), another period piece, was the director's homage to such sprawling musical epics as Alexander's Ragtime Band; it detailed the turbulent relationship of a passionate sax player (Robert De Niro) and a star vocalist (Liza Minnelli) throughout the Big Band era. A box office flop upon its initial release, this exceptionally well made movie cries out for reappraisal. Shifting gears from pop music's past to the present, The Last Waltz (1978) was the most dynamic concert film ever made, and a quarter-century of music videos hasn't diminished its standing: filmed at The Band's 1976 farewell concert, it features exhilarating performances by such rock luminaries as Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, The Staples, Muddy Waters and, of course, Robbie Robertson and The Band. Raging Bull (1980) is still regarded by many as Scorsese's masterpiece. A vividly realized--if not particularly complimentary--portrait of prizefighter Jake LaMotta, it won an Oscar for top-billed De Niro, here paired with soon-to-be-Scorsese regular Joe Pesci (playing the fighter's brother). While Raging Bull is the jewel here, the other films offer a fascinating cross-section of movies by this highly feted filmmaker. Boasting solid-to-excellent transfers, DVD extras here include audio commentaries (sometimes more than one) on all films except the extra-less Boxcar Bertha, as well as alternate takes/deleted scenes on New York, New York, bonus footage and a behind-the-scenes featurette on The Last Waltz, and four featurettes, a documentary, a newsreel, and shot-by-shot comparison of La Motta's and De Niro's boxing in the double-disc Raging Bull. Highly recommended. (E. Hulse)