Marty's on Letterboxd! Are You?
Friday, November 10, 2023 at 1:00PM 
During the actors' strike, many directors were put front and center of their films' promotion, stepping into the place usually occupied by their stars. It's an understandable strategy, alright. That's what happened to Killers of the Flower Moon, which, regardless of the industry's actions, would have hinged much of its publicity on Martin Scorsese. However, his centrality in the marketing meant we got to see more of him than expected, including a social media surge that can probably be attributed to the director's daughter, Francesca Scorsese. Between TikTok videos and snappy interviews, the old master even joined Letterboxd…
Let's be honest: Martin Scorsese is not personally curating his Letterboxd account. The man recently expressed aversion to new technologies, even something as commonplace as email. However, he did sit for a talk and provided a couple of lists that bear his voice. Take a look at the "Companion Films" list, and you'll find an incredible resource full of anecdotes about most of the director's pictures, including non-fiction work. In it, he provides sources of inspiration and comparison, revealing fascinating details about one of the most essential filmographies in American cinema history.
Some of my favorite tidbits include the shadow of The Heiress over Lily Gladstone's work as Mollie Kyle, The Irishman's roots in midcentury French cinema, and many a Dreyer-Rossellini reflection. In fact, one of the most exciting details in Scorsese's rumination falls back on Bringing Out the Dead and its maker's vision as a film about how much you give of yourself when helping others. It puts in perspective how the director often regards his protagonists in a negative light, building features as dissections. Another curious point, more rhythmic than narrative, is his connection between tonally distant films – like Gertrud's flashbacks and Raging Bull's fight scenes.
Hopefully, his influence can guide audiences to more obscure titles. Think of Take Care of My Little Girl in relation to Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, or the many underseen influences on After Hours. Going through the list, I almost want to start a Substack or something of the sort, just to analyze every pairing with due attention and detail. In any case, beyond these "Companion Pieces," Scorsese also listed what he considers to be the top ten Widescreen Films of all time. Some titles are obvious, while others offer pleasant surprise. More people should watch Miklós Jancsó's work, and Lola Montès deserves to be appreciated as top-tier Ophüls.
Are you on Letterboxd? If so, give Marty's profile a look and follow some of the Team Experience writers while you're at it. There's a bunch of us there, including me, Nathaniel, Baby Clyde, Ben, Camila, Chris, Elisa, Glenn, Jason, Juan Carlos, Murtada, Nick, and more!
Reader Comments (3)
I've been on Letterboxd for more than a decade months after it had been launched. I love it.
Can you even be a cinephile nowadays and NOT be on letterboxd? It's the only "social media" I actually love to pay for though of course you can easily use it for free. It's been extremely helpful keeping track of all the films I watch and to be able to browse all the lists people share as well as know exactly if a movie is available to stream (or not and where). Damn, I sound like an ad. Anyways, yeah it's great.
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