Scorsese In Spoof of Hitchcock: Best Commercial Ever?
Martin Scorsese scores again in his best work since the American Express photography commercial ("I've lost the narrative thread!") some years ago. From Roger Ebert's Answer Man column, I clicked over to this site to watch Scorsese apparently make 3-and-a-half pages of a Hitchcock script called " The Key to Reserva."
December 6, 2007
Q. Have you seen the Scorsese short film paying homage to Hitchcock? Talk about thrilling! Do you think Marty captures the essence of old Hitch?
It's at:
www.scorsesefilmfreixenet.com/video_eng.htm.
Chase Holland, Tampa, Fla.
A. What a discovery! Scorsese begins with three pages purported to be from a lost Hitchcock screenplay (with a page missing), and re-creates them in the style of the Master. Yes, he uncannily captures Hitchcock's visual style, pace, tension and the sound of a Bernard Herrmann score.
Scorsese speculates (idly?) that this would be a way to "restore" the missing footage from Von Stroheim's "Greed," since its screenplay survives. I immediately thought of the lost ending of Welles' "Magnificent Ambersons."
I get the impression that Ebert and Holland think this a serious effort, but Ebert, ever the dry wit, has been known to go in for a bit of leg-pulling himself.
This has to be a commercial, and in the category of Honda's "Cog" film. It is 7 minutes of fun, sandwiching a great short film (which need not even be directed by Scorsese although that is the thrust).
Enjoy all the bits of pastiche, and the ominous Hitchcockian ending!
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