Scorcese and the Consequences of Capitalism
The movies, Taxi Driver and Goodfellas, take on the philosophy of Capitalism.
Scorcese gives his audiences a first hand look at the toxic effects.
What is Capitalsim?
Adam Smith – the Father of Modern Capitalism
Smith’s philosophy posits that when individuals trade, they value the purchase more than the value they give in exchange for a commodity.
Carl Marx – the Anti-Capitalist
It is generally assumed that Marx was an avid reader and admirer of Smith’s work.
Marx criticized various aspects of Smith’s thought and developed them as part of his theory.
The main difference is that Smith primarily looks backward, sees that things are better than they were, and offers various reforms to improve society.
Marx looks mainly to the future and believes that the future could be so much better than the present and argues for a communist revolution.
Anti-Capitalism Goes to the Movies
Taxi Driver
A mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action. –IMDB
Year: 1976
Taxi Driver, starring Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle, the wayward psychopathic hero.
Bickle’s thinking is deeply rooted in Capitalism, yet he is totally unfulfilled by money.
He works long hours “anytime, anywhere” and has no problem paying thousands of dollars to an arms dealer.
The scene where his unhappy consumerism can best be seen when he strikes up a conversation with the girl at the concession stand (hits on her).
Unable to initiate a conversation, he buys his way out of the dilemma, requesting a type of candy that “lasts longer.”
He is trying to purchase an idea – something long-lasting.
Something meaningful.
Goodfellas
The story of Henry Hill and his life in the mob, covering his relationship with his wife Karen Hill and his mob partners Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito in the Italian-American crime syndicate. –IMDB
Year: 1990
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writers: Nicholas PileggiMartin Scorsese
Starring: Robert DeNiro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci
Goodfellas is a movie about how Capitalism structures our labor and our compensation, even affecting our families and relationships.
The film is a comprehensive dissection of the belief that if you get the chance to have a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.
Early in the film, Scorces’ protagonists choose work that is thrilling and fun.
Something they love and love doing together.
Though probably illegal and often immoral- their joy becomes contagious, even making the viewer envious.
But, as they age, the fantasy of the Goodfellas gradually becomes a cautionary tale.
Soon the pursuit of money, respect, and belongings became all-consuming.
Reflecting an exercise of exposing events that seem fun, glamorous, and aspirational – by revealing how people who seem wholly unbound by rules end up with lives just as limited as the rest of ours.
Lorraine Bracco’s “Karen” takes us inside and outside the illegal, immoral, and violent work.
In voice-over, she tells Henry, and his friends are “just blue-collar guys, gaming the capitalist system.
In a coarse movie, the boundary between polite society and its criminal underbelly is far too blurred for a simple character.
What are your thoughts?
A Short Film About Killing: An Analysis
A Short Film About Killing is not easy to watch. The film tells the story of a young man. His murder of a taxi driver. His capture by authorities. Followed by his trial. His sentencing. His execution.
Failed You, Joanna
I tried Joanna.
Please know.
I tried.
How I want them to like you. To hear you. To feel you. To experience life through your eyes. Your lens. Your perspective.
Analysis of a Frame: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
The director succeeded in creating a non-artificial world, anchoring the film’s pure visual poetry to the specifics of urban reality.
Barren: A Film Review
Thank you, Harav Vardi, for your courage. Your insistence on authenticity. Your tackling of such a challenging subject. For not shying away from such a loaded theme.
Sometimes a Cigar is Just a Cigar: Part II
Psychoanalysis and Freud’s breakthrough on the ego, super id, and id are evident in the movie Silence of the Lambs.
Ahed’s Knee: A Film Analysis
My fellow mourners – immerse yourself in the world of Y, the protagonist of Ahed’s Knee. Be prepared for Nadav Lapid’s gritty realism. Watch as your inner feelings are projected onto the screen.
Sometimes, a Cigar is just a Cigar
Freud’s in-depth analysis of dreams transforms the loose sense impressions, words, and symbols that occur to the dreamer.
The Straight Story: An Analysis
Lynch’s The Straight Story fits into the road trip genre, using movement, character, driving, scenery, and journey. Only departing from the genre when it veers into the Lynchian genre.
Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore: An Analysis
The use of color, composition, and iconography in the short film, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, enhance the cinematic experience for viewers of all ages.
Go With Yo: Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival
On the Go – Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival #24.
A Short Film About Killing: An Analysis
A Short Film About Killing is not easy to watch. The film tells the story of a young man. His murder of a taxi driver. His capture by authorities. Followed by his trial. His sentencing. His execution.
Failed You, Joanna
I tried Joanna.
Please know.
I tried.
How I want them to like you. To hear you. To feel you. To experience life through your eyes. Your lens. Your perspective.
Analysis of a Frame: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
The director succeeded in creating a non-artificial world, anchoring the film’s pure visual poetry to the specifics of urban reality.
Barren: A Film Review
Thank you, Harav Vardi, for your courage. Your insistence on authenticity. Your tackling of such a challenging subject. For not shying away from such a loaded theme.
Sometimes a Cigar is Just a Cigar: Part II
Psychoanalysis and Freud’s breakthrough on the ego, super id, and id are evident in the movie Silence of the Lambs.
Ahed’s Knee: A Film Analysis
My fellow mourners – immerse yourself in the world of Y, the protagonist of Ahed’s Knee. Be prepared for Nadav Lapid’s gritty realism. Watch as your inner feelings are projected onto the screen.
Sometimes, a Cigar is just a Cigar
Freud’s in-depth analysis of dreams transforms the loose sense impressions, words, and symbols that occur to the dreamer.
The Straight Story: An Analysis
Lynch’s The Straight Story fits into the road trip genre, using movement, character, driving, scenery, and journey. Only departing from the genre when it veers into the Lynchian genre.
Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore: An Analysis
The use of color, composition, and iconography in the short film, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, enhance the cinematic experience for viewers of all ages.
Go With Yo: Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival
On the Go – Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival #24.
Analysis of a Frame: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
The director succeeded in creating a non-artificial world, anchoring the film’s pure visual poetry to the specifics of urban reality.
Barren: A Film Review
Thank you, Harav Vardi, for your courage. Your insistence on authenticity. Your tackling of such a challenging subject. For not shying away from such a loaded theme.
Ahed’s Knee: A Film Analysis
My fellow mourners – immerse yourself in the world of Y, the protagonist of Ahed’s Knee. Be prepared for Nadav Lapid’s gritty realism. Watch as your inner feelings are projected onto the screen.
Sometimes, a Cigar is just a Cigar
Freud’s in-depth analysis of dreams transforms the loose sense impressions, words, and symbols that occur to the dreamer.
The Straight Story: An Analysis
Lynch’s The Straight Story fits into the road trip genre, using movement, character, driving, scenery, and journey. Only departing from the genre when it veers into the Lynchian genre.
Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore: An Analysis
The use of color, composition, and iconography in the short film, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, enhance the cinematic experience for viewers of all ages.
James’ Journey to Jerusalem: A Film Review
Like James, I, too, experienced the disparity between what I hoped to happen and the reality of the experience. For thirteen years, I have been absorbed into this foreign culture – a culture quite different than the one for which my younger self prayed, hoped, and yearned. This Pilgrim refuses to give up. This Pilgrim’s journey continues towards Jerusalem.
Ghost: A Film Analysis
A breakdown of the tory structure in the movie Ghost based on Save the Cat.
Meet the Parents: A Film Review
The Jewish presence is still a phenomenon in films, despite modernization of society and assimilation. The archetypal Jewish male can be watched at the movies, on television sets, on streamers, on phones, on the internet.