A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (1995)

100% of critics liked it
(11 reviews)
90% of users liked it
(1,529 ratings)

In 1994, the British Film Institute commissioned a set of films to mark the centenary of the movies. They would trace the history of several national cinemas, and the BFI's choice for interpreting the history of American film fell to director Martin Scorsese, a longtime champion of film history and… More In 1994, the British Film Institute commissioned a set of films to mark the centenary of the movies. They would trace the history of several national cinemas, and the BFI's choice for interpreting the history of American film fell to director Martin Scorsese, a longtime champion of film history and preservation. Scorsese's approach to his subject is director-centered, as he examines the tension inherent in the struggle of an artist wishing to make a personal statement against the collaborative nature of films and the commercial pressures of the Hollywood moviemaking factory. Segments of this series are devoted to the director as storyteller (examining narrative devices in the Western, gangster film, and musical), illusionist (technical tricks), smuggler (imbedding personal messages), and iconoclast (bucking the system to make films his own way). The series is replete with telling clips, not just snippets or shots, but entire scenes which illustrate Scorsese and co-director Michael Henry Wilson's points. Other filmmakers, including John Ford, Francis Ford Coppola, Billy Wilder, and Orson Welles, are seen in archival footage or interviews created for the series, offering their own take on the art of filmmaking. Scorsese doesn't discriminate between filmmakers with glossy reputations and those who always worked on the fringe of public awareness. If anything, he goes out of his way to champion mavericks like Samuel Fuller whose "visceral cinema" never enjoyed box-office success or awards. Personal Journey was first shown on British TV, released in limited fashion to theaters in the United States, and shown here on TV as well. A tie-in book was published in 1997 by Miramax Books; it contains the entire script for the series, excellent black-and-white stills, and dialogue from some of the clips. ~ Tom Wiener, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 3 hr. 46 min.
Directed By: Martin Scorsese
Written By: Martin Scorsese, Michael Henry Wilson
Genres: Documentary, Television

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1995 Wide
On DVD: Sep 12, 2000

Critic Reviews

Rob Nelson, City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul
Obviously, the man knows his movies.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
Essential and joyful--a real blast.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Film buffs will savor Scorsese's enthusiasm for the medium and his championing of those who remained true to their vision.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Watching this documentary, we not only raise our appreciation for film art in general, but we also better understand Scorsese's vision in particular.
Ben Stephens, culturevulture.net
A dizzying and tantalizing skate across the surface of a deep and wonderful lake.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Graham J

Film class is in session, take notes.
Stella D

a joy to watch. scorsese is an encyclopedia of film knowledge and believes that cinema fulfills a spiritual need. his passion and intelligence make this fascinating viewing for film buffs. it's not meant to be a complete history, just a catalog of some mostly lesser-known… More
a joy to watch. scorsese is an encyclopedia of film knowledge and believes that cinema fulfills a spiritual need. his passion and intelligence make this fascinating viewing for film buffs. it's not meant to be a complete history, just a catalog of some mostly lesser-known films that made a lasting impression on him, beginning with duel in the sun, age 4! he could've easily gone on for four more hours with no complaints from me; in fact i wish he had :D
Eduardo T

What a very well written and produced documentary. I loved every minute of this and it was very interesting to hear what the best director in film had to say. Their is not much to talk about his except that he kind of spoiled a couple of films I been meaning to watch. Well,… More
What a very well written and produced documentary. I loved every minute of this and it was very interesting to hear what the best director in film had to say. Their is not much to talk about his except that he kind of spoiled a couple of films I been meaning to watch. Well, that's what I get for watching a film that considers it self a journey. I also really liked the song they would play at the beginning and end credits. It was so classy and elegant. So to end this really short review I would like to say for all the cinephiles out their you have to watch this. Their is no exception.
Tobias X

This should be required viewing for people with a sincere interest in film. If you can find a print of the dvd, you should snag it quickly. Give yourself 3 hours to view this amazing documentary, you won't regret it.
Dimitris S

Carving documentary for the long-gone era of silent productions and going up to the newest studio additions of the U.S. industry,Scorsese becomes the host and even if this is an incomplete journey,it brings a sweet smell of success.