‘The Irishman’ Re-Review: Does Martin Scorsese’s Epic Feature Play Better on the Small Screen?
Reviews Editor Alonso Duralde gets a second look at — and a second perspective on — Netflix film
Alonso Duralde | December 1, 2019 @ 10:47 AM
Last Updated: December 1, 2019 @ 11:32 AM
Netflix
Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” debuted on Netflix on Thanksgiving Eve 2019, and #FilmTwitter was immediately in agreement: The movie was clearly designed to be seen at home (except it should really be seen on the big screen), the digital de-aging effects look much better on TV (except that now they’re more jarring) and it’s absolutely OK to pause the film and watch it in chapters (except that you are spitting on the filmmakers by doing so).
No one’s having this conversation about, say, how or whether to watch “Avengers Endgame” on Disney+, because of course Scorsese produced “The Irishman” with Netflix’s backing, and certainly kept in mind that an overwhelming majority of viewers would indeed be watching the film on their home theaters. (He did not, apparently, think anyone would watch it on a phone, and he wishes you wouldn’t.)
The “How to Watch ‘The Irishman'” debate is just the latest incarnation of an ongoing rhubarb among moviegoers. No doubt film nerds in the 1950s had passionate discussions about whether “House of Wax” should be watched flat and not in 3D. And Scorsese himself was, in the 1980s and ’90s, a passionate advocate that “letterboxing” movies — maintaining an anamorphic aspect ratio on the old square TVs — should be common practice for TV channels and VHS tapes and not just limited to laserdiscs.
Creating a cinematic work of art with one eye cocked at the home theater isn’t anything new, either. Back when “Titanic” first hit VHS in 1998 (in both the letterboxed and standard versions), articles would illustrate how director James Cameron intentionally framed shots so they would look good in their wider, big-screen iterations and with the sides chopped off for TV. Now that standard televisions are all rectangular, and that viewers have gotten accustomed to black bars at the top and bottom of the screen when they are necessary to maintain a film’s original look, it’s a moot conversation, but this was a hard-won victory. (The combatants have now moved on to the “motion smoothing” setting on most new TVs.)
And in discussing “The Irishman” on Netflix versus seeing it on the big screen, we have to keep in mind that any second look is going to make viewers notice previously missed details or appreciate script or performance aspects that might have slipped by on a first watch. In his book “Cult Movies 3,” Danny Peary notes that critics who were lukewarm on Scorsese’s “New York, New York” in 1977 came around to loving the film when it was reissued four years later. And while those critics cited the inclusion of the climactic “Happy Endings” number — which comes far too late in the movie to drastically alter anyone’s perception of it — Peary quite rightly points out that it was a second viewing, with different expectations, that changed their minds.
Having watched “The Irishman” once, projected (in a screening room at Netflix’s Los Angeles headquarters), I had a second viewing on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. With the luxury of it not being a work day, I could have powered through all three and a half hours at one go. It’s a little baffling to hear the same people who will happily binge four to six hours of a Netflix TV show gripe about the running time of this epic Netflix movie.
I did, however, take a lunch break, and I took advice from #FilmTwitter and paused the movie right after Al Pacino’s Jimmy Hoffa orders that the flags at Teamsters headquarters be flown at full mast following the death of JFK in 1963. It’s close to the middle, and it’s around where an intermission would probably have occurred had this movie been released in the era when intermissions were common. Can you pause more frequently? It’s not ideal, obviously, but bathroom breaks and dashes to the refrigerator have always been part of the home viewing experience. Just, you know, show some respect when you can.
My home screen is fairly average — about 44 inches — and for me, Rodrigo Prieto’s cinematography didn’t suffer in the slightest. And while I never had a problem with the digital effects on the actors’ faces, my husband observed that said effects looked more seamless on a smaller screen. That certainly makes sense; the first time I ever saw an HD television, it was showing clips from Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland,” and what had looked jarringly awkward in a movie theater (and in 3D, no less) appeared to be much more cohesive on the monitor.
I’m glad I put my phone on “Do Not Disturb” mode, since at any size, “The Irishman” is a movie that requires (and rewards) your full attention. But otherwise, this film absolutely holds up in either format. The second viewing allowed me to more fully appreciate the structure and snap of Steven Zaillian’s screenplay, as well as all the emotion, judgment and realization that Anna Paquin and Lucy Gallina pack into the character of Peggy, even without that much dialogue.
Should you see “The Irishman” on the big screen if it’s available near you? Absolutely. Will the artistry and impact be diminished if you watch the movie on Netflix instead? Not if you turn off your phone and your laptop and allow yourself to be transported by it.
Martin Scorsese's Crime Films Ranked, From 'Boxcar Bertha' to 'The Irishman' (Photos)
Martin Scorsese has made 25 narrative feature films, and only eight of them have been about people who live a criminal lifestyle. Yet when we think about his work, we think about the gangsters. Not Alice (who doesn’t live here anymore), not Christ (and his last temptation), but wise guys in slick suits who break the law, look good doing it, and always end up dead, miserable or both.
That’s probably because Scorsese, who grew up in New York City and knows the culture intimately, brings a specificity to his crime movies that matches his well-known virtuosity behind a camera. He may have made more films about other subjects than he has about criminals, but he helped define the way we look at criminality on screen. And he keeps coming back to the subject, again and again, to refine his techniques and to approach similar topics from all-new angles.
Let’s take a look at all the Scorsese movies that can confidently be called “crime” films, and see how they stack up against each other, which ones are truly essential:
Netflix
8. "Boxcar Bertha" (1972)
Martin Scorsese’s first crime movie -- and second feature -- stars Barbara Hershey as the eponymous young woman in the Great Depression whose boyfriend Big Bill (David Carradine) tries to start a railroad union. But when the law turns them into criminals, they decide to play the part for real and begin robbing the rich. Hershey is great, and so is Bernie Casey as their most dignified partner in crime, but the subtle character work and commentary about 1930s racism, sexism and economic disparity get lost in the lurid violence and sensuality that producer Roger Corman demanded of his exploitation cinema in the 1970s. “Boxcar Bertha” is at war with itself, and although Scorsese’s work was undeniably promising, it’s a war that nobody wins.
Photo by American International Pictures/Getty Images
7. "Gangs of New York" (2002)
Arguably Scorsese’s most epic production, with elaborate sets that recreate mid-19th century New York City, “Gangs of New York” stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Amsterdam Vallon, a thief who sidles up to boisterous gangster Bill “The Butcher” Cutting (Daniel Day-Lewis), the man who killed Amsterdam’s father. Scorsese’s gigantic film is a masterpiece of period detail, from the sets to the costumes to the painstakingly recreated period-accurate accents. Unfortunately, the story gets lost in all the research; the film’s subplots are all more captivating than Amsterdam’s relationship with Bill, on which the entire movie supposedly hangs. Daniel Day-Lewis and most of the film’s supporting cast seem to fully inhabit this vibrant old world, with broad performances that could be straight out of a silent movie. In contrast, DiCaprio’s and co-star Cameron Diaz’s relatively contemporary acting styles make them look like they wandered in from another film.
Touchstone Pictures
6. "The Irishman" (2019)
Scorsese’s biopic about Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran, the man who allegedly killed Jimmy Hoffa, is a panoramic gangster epic unlike any of his other panoramic gangster epics. Robert De Niro stars as Frank, who develops close relationships with mobster Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci) and Hoffa (Al Pacino) over the course of many years, while short-changing his family and accomplishing nothing of consequence other than a body count. “The Irishman” goes right up to the point where all other gangster movies would end, then keeps going, as these powerful wise guys wither and die, giving Scorsese’s whole contribution to the gangster genre a fitting, thoughtful and melancholy denouement. But although the film is designed to play like the ramblings of an old man, it arguably does that job a little too well, and sometimes strains to justify its colossal running time.
Netflix
5. "The Departed" (2006)
Scorsese’s remake of Andrew Lau and Alan Mak’s sleek and stunning Hong Kong classic “Infernal Affairs” is huge and sloppy, but never less than riveting. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Billy Costigan, a cop sent undercover with demonic Boston mobster Frank Costello, played by Jack Nicholson. What Costigan doesn’t realize is that Costello has his own sleeper agent, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), who’s infiltrated the task force that’s out to get Costello. The plot gets more complicated and fascinating when Costigan and Sullivan are assigned to root out the mole in both organizations, forcing them to chase after each other -- and themselves. Scorsese keeps the tricky storyline easy to follow, and Jack Nicholson gives an iconic performance, with Vera Farmiga, Alec Baldwin and Oscar-nominee Mark Wahlberg popping off the screen with memorable supporting turns. “The Departed” isn’t Scorsese’s richest gangster movie, but it may be his most thrilling.
Warner Bros.
4. "Mean Streets" (1973)
Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro have breakout roles in Scorsese’s first film about Italian-American gangsters, a free-flowing slice-of-life drama about low-level thugs balancing friendship, romance and minor scams in New York City in the 1960s. Keitel plays Charlie, a young mobster who struggles to balance the lifestyle he loves with his Catholic upbringing, opposite De Niro as Johnny Boy, the carefree firecracker who’s got debts all over town and an ever-growing list of enemies. Charlie tries to keep Johnny Boy out of trouble, but he may be powerless to prevent this coming-of-age tale from turning into a bitter tragedy. Scorsese's film is so dense with incidental detail that it doesn't feel like you're watching these moments; it feels like you fell into them, and the eclectic soundtrack and inventive camera work make even lazy evenings at the bar with the fellas pop like fireworks.
Warner Bros.
3. "The Wolf of Wall Street" (2013)
White-collar crime gets filmed with all the overwhelming zeal of a violent gangster epic in Scorsese’s hilarious and bitter biopic about stock-market con man Jordan Belfort. Leonardo DiCaprio gives a masterful and bizarrely physical performance as Belfort, who stole millions and millions and doesn’t get treated like a mobster because he never put a gun to anyone’s head, even though he obviously should. “The Wolf of Wall Street” is a wild and vicious condemnation of a system that rewards the despicable, while admitting, in no uncertain terms, the shiny appeal of Belfort’s road to moral dissolution. DiCaprio gives his finest, funniest and most intriguing performance as Belfort, while Margot Robbie dazzles in her breakout turn as his wife, Naomi.
Paramount Pictures
2. "Casino" (1995)
Scorsese’s exposé of the Las Vegas criminal underworld isn’t one of his typical morality tales: It’s discordant and intensified, and it never seems to take a breath (just like Vegas itself), and its storyline doesn’t so much come to an end as get suddenly beaten to death. Robert De Niro stars as “Ace” Rothstein, a gambling expert who’s given the reins of his own casino, the Tangiers, while his childhood friend Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci) takes over the violent crime along the strip, and his wife Ginger (Sharon Stone) gradually dissolves into depression and drug abuse because Ace won’t let her go. “Casino” is excessive on every cinematic level, but Scorsese keeps it focused, employing dazzling imagery and stunning editing to convey the grotesqueries of Vegas with all of the majesty that cinema allows.
Universal Pictures
1. "Goodfellas" (1990)
As far back as Henry Hill can remember, he always wanted to be a gangster. Scorsese’s masterpiece follows young Hill from his early days as a street hustler to the inner mafia circles, into absolute desperation and decay, and onward into limbo. As Hill, Ray Liotta captures the slickness and the slime of criminal excess, while Joe Pesci’s hair-trigger temper offers a constant reminder that every single moment of this seemingly appealing lifestyle could lead directly to your own murder, only seconds later. Captivating cinematography (by Michael Ballhaus) captures the glitz, while the film expands and contracts to show how fleeting success can be, and how interminable your last day as a free man feels. Revealing, earnest, beautiful and cruel, “Goodfellas” is the ultimate Scorsese experience.
Warner Bros.
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Where does “The Irishman” stand in his bad-guys-doing-bad-things oeuvre?
Martin Scorsese has made 25 narrative feature films, and only eight of them have been about people who live a criminal lifestyle. Yet when we think about his work, we think about the gangsters. Not Alice (who doesn’t live here anymore), not Christ (and his last temptation), but wise guys in slick suits who break the law, look good doing it, and always end up dead, miserable or both.
That’s probably because Scorsese, who grew up in New York City and knows the culture intimately, brings a specificity to his crime movies that matches his well-known virtuosity behind a camera. He may have made more films about other subjects than he has about criminals, but he helped define the way we look at criminality on screen. And he keeps coming back to the subject, again and again, to refine his techniques and to approach similar topics from all-new angles.
Let’s take a look at all the Scorsese movies that can confidently be called “crime” films, and see how they stack up against each other, which ones are truly essential:
Netflix
Photo by American International Pictures/Getty Images
