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Index

Section 2:

Post A - Initial Ideas - https://s0021711a2film.tumblr.com/post/167197048795/section-2-post-a-initial-ideas

Post B - Synopsis - https://s0021711a2film.tumblr.com/post/167197058820/section-2-post-b-synopsis

Post C - Screenplay - https://s0021711a2film.tumblr.com/post/167515725845/section-2-post-c-screenplay

Post D - Storyboard and Shot List - https://s0021711a2film.tumblr.com/post/168007952035/section-2-post-d-storyboard-shot-list

Post E - Recce Report - https://s0021711a2film.tumblr.com/post/168007975650/section-2-post-e-recce-report

Post F - Casting Headshots - https://s0021711a2film.tumblr.com/post/168007983465/section-2-post-f-casting-headshots-and

Post G - Shooting/Editing Schedules - https://s0021711a2film.tumblr.com/post/168007989480/section-2-post-g-shooting-editing-schedules

Post H - Film Draft 1 - https://s0021711a2film.tumblr.com/post/173351072515/post-h-film-draft-1

Post I - Final Film - https://s0021711a2film.tumblr.com/post/173573615925/post-i-final-film

Post J - Evaluation - https://s0021711a2film.tumblr.com/post/173354909140/post-j-evaluation

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Post I: Final Film

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74_ofWOKBf0

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Post J : Evaluation

Micro Technical Elements

Macro concepts

Authorship

My creative investigation focuses on whether Martin Scorsese is the auteur of his films. Therefore, my short film was very much influenced by Scorsese from his auteur features to his stylistic techniques. I wanted my film to feel like a Scorsese film, however not explicitly copied from him.

Narrative

The narrative of my film is linear, which reflects the style of Scorsese. Scorsese often creates his films with a linear narrative, shown in one of my focal films, ‘The Departed’ (2004). Scorsese often uses non-conventional, non-Proppian character types, for example, in all three of my focal films, the plot revolves around someone embedded in a criminal hierarchy, and their daily life surrounding it. I wanted to emulate this with my short film, creating the character of Donnie, who is a mafia hitman, and the dilemma he is placed in.

Style

As Martin Scorsese influences my film, the style of the film was very much influenced by his own style and auteur features. This includes techniques such as long tracking shots, voiceover, long establishing shots and heavy dialogue. I feel these techniques helped create a film that is reflective of Scorsese’s filmography, however from my personal viewpoint with directorial choices made by me.

Themes

This macro concept links back to the authorship concept, as Scorsese has common thematic ideas throughout his filmography, some of which I employed within my film. The theme of violence is central to my short film. No violence is explicitly shown within my film, unlike Scorsese’s, however, contextually the plot revolves around violence, as the character of Donnie is a hitman, and the secondary antagonist, Paulie, is known as a very violent man.

Messages and Values

The messages and values of my film is tough to see at first, but is quintessentially about how people should not commit illegal acts as there is always a tough consequence. This is shown at the ending scene, where Donnie and Agent Conolley are in the interrogation room and Donnie rats Paulie out, but still ends up going to prison. This reflects on my focal films, as in ‘Goodfellas’ many people die after the Lufthansa heist, and Henry gets arrested after the police raid his house. In ‘Casino’, Joe Pesci’s character is brutally murdered after attempting to kill Ace.

Audience

The target audience of my film will be relatively wide, due to the fact Scorsese is considered one of the greatest directors to have lived. My film is heavily influenced by Scorsese and features a linear narrative, which would attract an adult audience who are fans of the crime genre and the films of Martin Scorsese. Reflecting on my focal films, Scorsese’s audience would most likely be similar, as his films are often 18+ and feature a linear narrative.

Critical Approaches

Auteur Theory

My creative investigation focussed on the auteur status of Martin Scorsese. Auteur theorist Andrew Sarris argues that to be an auteur, a director must have three things – technical competence, signature style and internal meaning. I took influence from these factors that could be argued to make Scorsese the true auteur of his films. However, a counterargument could be that Scorsese is not the ‘true’ auteur of his films, as he derives many of his films, including my three focal films, from previous films and books. I was the director, writer, editor and producer for my film, which could mean that I am the true auteur; however, I took heavy influence from Scorsese, so I lack internal meaning, one of Sarris’ three points to be an auteur.

Narrative Theory

Todorov’s Theory of Equilibrium – My short film follows a linear narrative, conforming to the conventions of Todorov’s theory, for example, Equilibrium- at the beginning of the film, Paulie and Donnie are conversing on a phone. Paulie gives Donnie one last hit before he retires. Donnie commits the murder off screen, and is later seen telling Paulie that he’s completed the hit. Disequilibrium – Agent Conolley shows Donnie pictures she took of him committing the murder, leading to the chance of his arrest and his family finding out what he does. Agent Conolley blackmails Donnie to tell her all about Paulie. New Equilibrium – Paulie is arrested, it looks like Donnie is free but Agent Conolley double crossed him and planted evidence in his house, making it appear that he possessed drugs, Donnie is also sent to prison.

Postmodern Theory

By having Donnie talk in voiceover through much of the film, it gives the impression he knows there is an audience there, catching the audience off guard as they now participate in the film, following Donnie and knowing that Agent Conolley double crossed him, but can’t do anything about it. This reflects upon Scorsese’s films, as Scorsese uses voiceover heavily throughout his films (especially in my focal film ‘Goodfellas’, where Henry talks in voiceover throughout most of the film). This gives the impression that the characters know there is an audience watching the events happening before them, however the audience can’t actually do anything about it.

Influences from entire course

One of the biggest influences from the entire course is the authorship argument for Section B of Year 2. We focussed on the authorship status of several people within the film industry (from directors to writers), to entire franchises themselves. I took influence from this, as we learnt a lot about the authorship theories put forward by Sarris and Truffaut, which I used in my textual analysis, which later influenced me to use certain styles I feel were influenced by Scorsese. I concluded that Scorsese is the true auteur of his films, as he holds internal meaning, a signature style and technical competence, which are Sarris’ three points for authorship.

The short film that I produced in Year 1 was also an influence for my short film. When filming my year one film sequence, I didn’t use a wide variety of shots and camera angles, and I mainly shot my film outside, something picked up in the class reception. I fixed this by adding a wide range of shots in my second-year film, and having a large portion of it filmed indoors. Another thing that I didn’t do in my first-year film was have conversation. My main character was heard through voiceover, which reflects upon the postmodern style I was influenced by. I put conversation within my year two film, but also postmodern techniques, such as freeze-frames and voiceover, reflecting on both Scorsese and my first-year film.

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Post H: Film Draft 1

https://youtu.be/3n4MSwC3_r4

Changes I need to make:

-Cut some sections

-Colour correct the interrogation room scene so the green room can’t be seen

-Sound editing

-Add credits

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(Section 2) Post G. Shooting & Editing Schedules

Schedule 1

Schedule 2

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(Section 2) Post F. Casting, Headshots and Direction

Casting (Pictures are taken from Facebook, will replace later on)

Headshots Direction

Dream Cast

Donnie: Leonardo DiCaprio

I believe that Leonardo DiCaprio would be an excellent choice for the part of Donnie. Scorsese has worked extensively with DiCaprio over the years, casting him in films such as The Wolf of Wall Street, The Departed and Shutter Island. DiCaprio is a very versatile actor, and I think that he would suit the part of Donnie very well. Donnie is a calm and collected character, who is extremely loyal to both Paulie and his own family (which creates a divide within the film, and gives Donnie an ultimatum of who he should choose to side with). DiCaprio’s acting in The Departed, one of my chosen films to study for my creative investigation, reflects this character type, which makes me think that he would be perfect for the lead role of Donnie.

Paulie: Joe Pesci

Joe Pesci’s roles within a number of Scorsese’s films show that he plays an excellent ‘powder-keg’ character type. Pesci is casted in two of my chosen films, Goodfellas and Casino, in which he plays a psychopathic character. I created the character of Paulie based upon Pesci’s acting within these films, being a complete ‘powder-keg’, exploding at the smallest of threats and notorious for being ruthless within the mafia family. Because of this, I believe Pesci would be perfect for the role of Paulie.

Agent Connolly: Jodie Foster

Jodie Foster is a very versatile and well-credited actor. She has won two Oscars for her performances in film, as well as working with Scorsese previously in Taxi Driver. I believe Foster would be perfect for the role of Agent Connolly not because of her acting within Scorsese’s films necessarily, but because of her acting in The Silence of the Lambs. In The Silence of the Lambs, Foster plays an F.B.I. agent, similar to Agent Connolly. Because of the nature of Agent Connolly- professional, manipulative and confident, and Foster’s versatility when acting, I believe she would be perfect for the role of Agent Connolly.

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(Section 2) Post E. Recce Report

Location 1: Villa Siempre, Lanzarote

I have chosen Villa Siempre as it is a perfect location for my scenes where Paulie, the mob boss, is in his tropical villa. I went here on holiday, so the scenes were very easy to film. The natural lighting was great for some aesthetically pleasing shots due to the easy access to sunsets and the ‘golden hour’. Sound was a slight issue to the sound aspect of filming here, as Lanzarote is a windy island, so there is some slight crackling in my film, however, this does not affect my film badly.

Location 2: Kellythorpe Industrial Estate, Driffield

I have chosen Kellythorpe industrial estate as it perfectly captures my vision of Donnie in the second scene, right after he has committed the murder. The estate is also very accessible for myself and my cast, so in the small chance that re-shoots are needed, it is easy to get to and very inexpensive in travel costs. The lighting and sound could be an issue, as the day I intend to shoot could be cloudy and windy, however, the weather report for Monday 12th Feb (see below) predicts that it will be sunny and partly windy, which shouldn’t affect shooting conditions too harshly.

Location 3: Cobblestones, 20 Riverhead, Driffield (My house)

I have chosen my house to film scenes four, five and seven. This is because my house is accessible for myself and my cast, and I can manipulate it to look aesthetically pleasing and 80′s-esque. Lighting and sound shouldn’t be too much of a problem, due to the fact I will mainly be shooting inside, so sound quality won’t be affected by wind, and I can manipulate the artificial lighting depending on the scene I’m shooting.

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(Section 2) Post D. Storyboard & Shot List

A rough storyboard using post-it notes. Each post-it note shows a different shot/transition, and each picture posted below is a new scene.

Scene 1

Scene 2

Shot list

Scene 3

Shot list

Scene 4

Shot list

Scene 5

Shot list

Scene 6

Shot list

Scene 7

Shot list

Links to my creative investigation:

I have used a number of techniques that Scorsese uses heavily in his film work. These techniques include freeze-frames, long takes, and ECU’s of important objects. I have placed these techniques within my film to add a sense of authenticity, similar to my script, which I believe will show that my film is heavily inspired by the work of Scorsese.

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(Section 2) Post C. Screenplay

My Screenplay:

Links to my creative investigation:

My script links to my creative investigation in a number of ways. I have included a very dialogue heavy script filled with mafia euphemisms that are found within Scorsese films (e.g. ‘whacked’, ‘rat bastard’). I feel like this will add a sense of authenticity to my film, making it feel like it’s heavily influenced by Martin Scorsese. I have also made use of things such as voice-overs and freeze-frames, something Scorsese uses extensively throughout his film work, which should also add to the authenticity of my film.

Exemplar Screenplays (The Lady in the Van and Straight Outta Compton):

The Lady in the Van:

Straight Outta Compton:

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(Section 2) Post B. Synopsis

Logline:

Donnie, a mafia hitman, is given a dilemma. Risk his family’s safety and trust the F.B.I., or face being locked up in a maximum security prison.

Main Characters:

Donnie (Protagonist)- Donnie is a young hitman for the mafia. He’s an asset to the Luchese crime family, carrying out hits and risking his life on a day to day basis. He’s very unique in the way that he’s not Italian- not even American. He’s a young man from Yorkshire, England, who met his mafia boss playing cards in London when he was 15.

Paulie (Antagonist)- Paulie is the powder-keg leader of the Luchese crime family. A young leader compared to the rest of the big crime family leaders, his age doesn’t mean he’s any less ruthless- he’ll kill you without a second thought. He’s currently situated in his beach villa in the Bahamas due to the fact he’s paranoid the feds are onto him. Little does he know, they’ve targeted his most valuable asset- Donnie

Agent Connolley (Helper/Antagonist)- Agent Connolley is a cool, calm and collected young F.B.I agent who’s gained a lead on an organised crime ring. However, she can’t take it down alone, she needs help on the inside. That’s where Donnie comes in. She needs Donnie’s help, and in return she can grant him freedom. If Donnie refuses, he’s locked up, and Connolley is back to square one.

Setting:

Industrial Estate- Donnie commits the murder here. It’s quiet and no one can hear you scream.

FBI Interrogation Room- The interrogation room for the FBI is in an undisclosed location and is used for interrogating people suspected committing federal crimes. This is where Agent Connolley spends most of her time interrogating suspects part of the Luchese crime family.

Bahamas Villa- Paulie’s villa in the Bahamas. He flees to the villa whenever he feels the F.B.I or the IRS are onto him due to the extradition laws in the Bahamas.

Syd Field’s Acts:

ACT 1- Paulie and Donnie discussing business on the phone, Paulie sends Donnie on a hit. He carries out the hit, but he’s intercepted by the F.B.I.

ACT 2- Donnie is interrogated by Agent Connolley who gives him an ultimatum- take down the Luchese crime family from the inside or be locked up for life. He decides to take down Paulie and his associates, but he has to be careful so the wiseguys don’t get suspicious.

ACT 3- Donnie gives the dirt on Paulie, thinking he’ll be let off, however Agent Connolley ‘finds’ a bag of white powder in Donnie’s room. He’s sent down for intention to deal.

Links to my creative investigation:

I have included the ‘double cross’ plot twist which is seen in all of my chosen films, reflecting on Scorsese’s choice of resolution within his films. Examples of this are Tommy being killed in ‘Goodfellas’, Nicky attempting to kill Ace in a car bomb in ‘The Departed’, and the general plot of ‘The Departed’, as it’s based around two double agents placed in the mafia and the FBI.

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(Section 2) Post A. Initial Ideas

How the micro elements from my focal films will influence my short film:

Iconography and Conventions of the genre (crime)- Moodboard:

Plot Synopsis

Character Profiles:

Links to creative investigation:

I have used a number of character types donned by Scorsese within his films. For example, the ‘powder keg’ type, which is seen in all three of my films (Nicky in ‘Casino’, Tommy in ‘Goodfellas’ and Frank Costello in ‘The Departed’. I have also linked all of my characters’ names to Scorsese character names in a small way, which is explained in the character profiles above.

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Post U. Final Draft

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Post T. First Draft

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Post S. Essay Abstract

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Post R. Collated Quotes

Style:

“The film is full of moral dilemmas that I grew up with, so I feel comfortable doing it”- Scorsese on Goodfellas [2]

“If someone’s a wiseguy they have a face, and Marty can see that face and he fills movies with that kinda stuff- he knows if it’s cliché and makes it so it’s not so”- Nicholas Peleggi (Author of the book ‘Goodfellas’ is based on) [2]

“People always say “you’re focussing on the antagonist”, the point is they’re also human and these people are also parts, the negative parts of who they are, an evil streak is something that could be in all of us and isn’t something to be afraid of, but rather something to explore”-Scorsese [2]

“And the ritual of filmmaking is akin to a religious ritual. 'Slate', 'Action', 'Cut'... You have to have a kind of rigour which is religious, just to plough through, to keep going.” [4]

“The movie has been beautifully cast from the leading roles to the bits. There is flash also in some of Mr. Scorsese's directorial choices, including freeze frames, fast-cutting and the occasional long tracking shot. None of it is superfluous.” [5]

“Of all the bravura visual effects in Martin Scorsese's dazzlingly stylish "Casino," it's a glimpse of ordinary people that delivers the greatest jolt. Strategically timed to offset three hours' worth of vintage Las Vegas glitter, it's a reminder that Mr. Scorsese has given this film's setting the surreal and breathtaking intensity of a money-mad mirage.” [6]

“Outlandish and yet becoming, the flashy 1970's costumes are a movie in themselves thanks to Rita Ryack and John Dunn, who show off Ms. Stone to traffic-stopping effect and find Ace more colors than there are in the rainbow” [6]

“Each Scorsese film comes freighted with so many expectations, as well as the enormity of his own legend, that it’s a wonder the director can bear the weight.” [7]

“The speed and Mr. Scorsese’s sureness of touch, particularly when it comes to carving up space with the camera, keep the plot’s hall of mirrors from becoming a distraction.”[7]

“Because Scorsese dealt with a drug addiction to cocaine during the 1980’s, he began creating characters that deal with the highs and the lows of the drug world. Drugs become the destructive force in Nicky’s life and lead to his violent outbursts that result in his own murder” (On Casino)” [9]

“It kind of feels like Goodfellas and Casino to me, so I asked if it was okay to write it in that style and everyone was on board with it”- Terrance Winter [10]

“He respects the actor’s prospects, you know that from seeing the movies he does- there really is nobody better… the film is ultimately structured around the actor- what he brings out. He keeps talking about plot being insignificant to him, when he does a movie it’s about the characters, about the people and that’s a process that needs to be nurtured” [10]

“Over a group of films, a director must exhibit certain recurring characteristics of style, which serve as his signature” [11]

“Tommy and Jimmy in GoodFellas are, like Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver, and Jake La Motta in Raging Bull, walking powder kegs. What interests you about characters like that?

There are a thousand answers to that. It's good drama. You see part of yourself. I like to chart a character like that, see how far they go before they self-destruct. It's interesting how it starts to turn against them after a while, whether it's shooting people in the street or arguing in the home, in the kitchen or the bedroom. How after a while the breaking point comes when everything just explodes, and they're left alone.” [12]

     Theme:

“I suppose there are a lot of Catholic references in the film, even if they're only my own personal reference. Like the moment when he burns the flowers before he goes out to kill. And when he's buying the guns and the dealer lays them out one at a time on the velvet, like arranging the altar during Mass.” [3]

“Gradually, Scorsese's adherence to the teachings of the Catholic Church – he even tried to get into a Jesuit university but poor grades sent him to NYU instead – began to crumble. "I learned about the streets as opposed to an edifice called the Church," he says, "because, living in the neighbourhood I'd see some really tough bastards do some really rotten things, then go to church on Sunday and everything was okay. And the moment they'd step out of the church, they'd start acting the same old way.” [4]

“The Catholic elements of the morality tale are accentuated by him, as befits a man who came close to entering the priesthood in his teens but chose instead to take up film studies at New York University.” [8]

“Scorsese broke ground in 1990 by straying away from the popular Arnie and Stallone shoot-em-ups and creating a mobster movie with real depth and universal themes” [9]

“The third and ultimate premise of auteur theory is concerned with interior meaning, the ultimate glory of cinema as an art. Interior meaning is extrapolated from the tension between a director’s personality and his material” [11]

“Living in New York, obviously violence is around you all the time. Oh, come on. I just took a cab on Fifty-seventh Street, we're about to make a turn on Eighth Avenue, and three Puerto Rican guys are beating each other up over the cab. Over it — from my side, onto the hood, onto the other side. This is just normal — to the point where the cabbie and myself, not a word. We don't say anything. He just makes his right turn, and we move on.” [12]

Adaptations:

“You know why [Goodfellas] stands the test of time? Because it’s truthful”- Lorraine Bracco [2]

“So "Casino," based on reportorial work by Nicholas Pileggi, comes equipped with the liabilities of investigative journalism: no conveniently sharp focus, a plot built like a centipede and characters with lives too messy to form conventional dramatic arcs. But the material unearthed by Mr. Pileggi also features truths much stranger than fiction, wildly histrionic showdowns, intricate mob trivia and people whose Faustian conniving and obsessive fury fit perfectly into the Scorsese canon. [6]

“But as fans of “Infernal Affairs” (and its two sequels) know well, the Hong Kong film owes an enormous debt to Mr. Scorsese, whose imprint, along with that of Michael Mann, is all over the trilogy. The Hong Kong and Hollywood action films are themselves doppelgängers of a sort, and Mr. Scorsese, himself larger than life, is one of their biggest, baddest daddies” [7]

“The script follows the Hong Kong original quite faithfully, and yet the final product is quintessential Scorsese.“ [8]

“I read a review of Wiseguy when I was directing The Color of Money, and it said something about this character Henry Hill having access to many different levels of organized crime because he was somewhat of an outsider. He looked a little nicer. He was able to be a better frontman and speak a little better. I thought that was interesting, because you could get a cross section of the layers of organized crime — from his point of view, of course. So I got the book, started reading it and was fascinated by the narrative ability of it.” [12]

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Post D) Key Sequences (Film 3- The Departed)

Introduction:

The scene I have chosen is the opening scene from ‘The Departed’ due to the fact it links to all my subtopics. For theme, there is the theme of violence (See screenshot 3), for style there is the crime/mafia genre that Scorsese is famously known for, and for adaptations there is the main antagonist (played by Jack Nicholson) being based on Whitey Bulger, and the fact that the film is a remake of 2002 film Internal Affairs.

Details of the scene

-The voiceover- Scorsese is notorious for using voiceover, as I stated in my analysis of ‘Casino’. Like ‘Casino’, this provides instant recognition of the character and foreshadowing.

-The found footage (See screenshot 1)- The real videos that are shown at the start reflect on any sociological context at the time- such as violence and riots.

-The music- Scorsese is known for using music to enhance the scene, which is used very effectively in this scene. ‘Gimme Shelter’ by The Rolling Stones is playing, which gives some idea of the time it’s set in, as well as the lyrics (”A storm is threatening”- gives the connotation of upcoming drama)

Important quotes/dialogue

-”I don't want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product...of me”

-This initial quote gives the idea of power, and creates an instantaneously powerful character without even physically seeing him. Scorsese has created the ‘mafia boss’ type character (See screenshot 2) with a single sentence.

-”Years ago, we had the Church. That was only a way of saying we had each other. The Knights of Columbus were head-breakers. They took over their piece of the city.”

-This quote reflects on the Catholic themes Scorsese places in his films- “years ago we had the Church”- this reflects on his authorship due to the Catholic themes he personally puts in his films.

Notes on sound/editing

-Cut between found footage and actual film- gives the idea that the film is set in the time and immerses the viewer

-The music playing- ‘Gimme Shelter’ by the Rolling Stones- a song about war and violence, could reflect on themes of the film?

Screenshots

Screenshot 1-

Screenshot 2-

Screenshot 3-

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Post Q) Completed references list

Hypothesis

Question:

-Scorsese as an auteur

Sub-Topics

-Style

-Theme

-Adaptations

Three Focal Films

-Goodfellas

-Casino

-The Departed

I chose these films because Goodfellas is considered to be one of Scorsese’s best movies, so I felt this would be a good film to analyse and dictate whether Scorsese is the auteur or not. I wanted to focus on Scorsese’s mafia movies, so I additionally chose Casino and The Departed, as these three films are very similar in their style, theme and the fact they are all adaptations (all reflecting my subtopics).

References

Source 1- Scorsese, M. (2017). Martin Scorsese on the power of film-making as an art form. [online] TheTLS. Available at: https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/public/film-making-martin-scorsese/ [Accessed 26 Sep. 2017].

-This source was useful to my research as it gave me Scorsese’s own personal ideas on the film industry and him as a director- which helped me with my argument whether he’s an auteur or not.

Source 2-YouTube. (2017). The Making Of Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas (1990). [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkNIOuZPXSc [Accessed 19 Sep. 2017].

-This source was useful to my research due to the fact it had interviews with Scorsese himself and many key actors and producers he’s collaborated with- including Nicholas Pillegi himself, who wrote the book ‘Goodfellas’ is based on. 

Source 3- Ebert, R. (1976). Interview with Martin Scorsese | Interviews | Roger Ebert. [online] Rogerebert.com. Available at: http://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/interview-with-martin-scorsese [Accessed 10 Sep. 2017].

-This source wasn’t entirely useful due to the fact it’s an interview conducted before Scorsese made any of the films I am studying, However, it does include Scorsese talking about the themes of violence and Catholicism in his films- so it was useful to some extent.

Source 4- Behar, H. (1990). Classic Feature: Martin Scorsese talks GoodFellas. [online] Empire. Available at: http://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/goodfellas-classic-feature/ [Accessed 1 Oct. 2017].

-This source was very useful to my research, as Scorsese talks about Goodfellas and the context behind the film- which can be used to reinforce the argument that he is an auteur.

Source 5- Canby, V. (1990). Movie Review -   - Review/Film;A Cold-Eyed Look at the Mob's Inner Workings - NYTimes.com. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C0CE0D6123AF93AA2575AC0A966958260 [Accessed 2 Oct. 2017].

-This source was partially useful to my research. It picks up on some stylistic techniques that Scorsese uses as well as comparing Goodfellas to some of the most well regarded mafia movies (’The Godfather’ being one), helping with the argument of Scorsese as an auteur.

Source 6- Maslin, J. (1995). Movie Review -   - FILM REVIEW;A Money-Mad Mirage From Scorsese - NYTimes.com. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C05E5D91339F931A15752C1A963958260 [Accessed 7 Oct. 2017].

-This source was also only partially useful to my research. The source picks up on the fact that the film is an adaptation (Linking to my subtopic of adaptations), as well as naming the costume designs as “a movie within themselves”, which helps with the argument that Scorsese may not be a true auteur.

Source 7- Dargis, M. (2006). The Departed - Movies - Review. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/06/movies/06depa.html [Accessed 8 Oct. 2017].

-This source, again, was only partially useful to my research. The source picks up on Scorsese’s camera skills (suggesting he could be an auteur), and also reflects on the fact ‘The Departed’ is an adaptation- which reinforces my subtopic of adaptations. However, the source doesn’t help with my subtopic of theme.

Source 8- Pilkington, E. (2006). Martin Scorsese on The Departed and DiCaprio. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2006/oct/06/awardsandprizes.martinscorsese [Accessed 9 Oct. 2017].

-This source was relatively helpful to my research. The source suggests that Scorsese alone is the cause of DiCaprio’s well regarded acting (which reflects on auteur theory), and also picks up on, that although ‘The Departed’ is an adaptation, it is most definitely a Scorsese film due to his placement of Catholic references, and the fact he can make an adaptation “his own”.

Source 9- Thomasson, J. (2011). The Auteurship of Martin Scorsese. [online] Cinema Cliché. Available at: https://filmcliche.wordpress.com/2011/03/24/the-auteurship-of-martin-scorsese/ [Accessed 9 Oct. 2017].

-This source was useful with contextual research. For example, it shows that Scorsese dealt with cocaine addiction during the 1980′s, so he created characters out of that addiction. Although they may be based on real life characters, they are almost certainly Scorsese’s characters.

Source 10- Galloway, S. (2013). Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese Reveal Secrets of Making 'The Wolf of Wall Street'. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBDsoW1ClJM [Accessed 11 Oct. 2017].

-This source wasn’t too helpful with my specific films, however it features key collaborator Leonardo DiCaprio- who mentions that Scorsese “lives and breathes cinema” (reflecting on him as an auteur), and that he places the camera around the actor- which reflects on Scorsese’s personal style.

Source 11- Hill, J. and Gibson, P. (1998). The Oxford guide to film studies. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp.34-45.

-This source was useful due to the fact it gave me some indication into what auteur theory is, and how to apply it to different directors.

Source 12- Curtis, A. (1990). Martin Scorsese: The Rolling Stone Interview. [online] Rolling Stone. Available at: http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/features/the-rolling-stone-interview-martin-scorsese-19901101 [Accessed 18 Oct. 2017].

-This source was useful as it reflects on all three of my subtopics. For adaptations, it mentions that Scorsese was “fascinated” by Wiseguy (the book ‘Goodfellas’ is based on), for theme it mentions that Scorsese often sees violence- to the point where he’s been desensitized to it (which is prevalent in his films), and for style it mentions that Scorsese creates ‘powder keg’ type characters that he’s instantly recognizable for.