Write whatever you'd like about the film, but I encourage you to backup your likes and dislikes by referencing specific scenes, sequences, or moments. The more specific you are with your language and your examples from the movie, the better.
Additionally, please be sure to watch these two video essays about women in the works of Martin Scorsese, and based on the three early features we've screened up to this point - including Alice - and let me know what you think about the director's representation and treatment of women so far.
And if you can watch Scorsese's documentary about his family Italianamerican (1974, 49min) and incorporate observations from your viewing experience of that film into your comments here as well, that would be amazing.
Have fun, and I look forward to reading your thoughtful and thorough responses here by no later than midnight next Monday, February 13.
While Jean-Luc Godard was promoting his 1980 feature Every Man For Himself, he appeared on two segments of The Dick Cavett Show. During the second show Godard was asked briefly, as the show was about to end, what was the last good American film he had saw. His answer, after a brief moment of reflection, “Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.”
ReplyDeleteThe film’s premise is one when first described sounds like the last type of picture Scorsese would make, to simply cite Scorsese on Scorsese, “a complete departure from the male dominated worlds of Scorsese’s autobiographical films.” But despite this departure from the gritty streets of New York to the sunny southwest, Scorsese doesn’t lose one ounce of his enthusiasm and ambition as a director. Having only seen the picture once before in my youth, remembering only the opening scene and Kris Kristofferson’s beard, I found the picture absolutely refreshing after watching his two of his earlier features. Considering the way that one is used to the depiction of women in Scorsese’s films, it’s almost hilarious how one thinks to themselves halfway through the film, “Anybody’s who’s ever called Scorsese a misogynist has clearly never seen this film.”
Alice, as well as ItalianAmerican, both mark pivotal moments in Scorsese’s career that will come to shape him as an auteur. In the case of ItalianAmerican, Scorsese’s presents his first true documentary feature that tackles subjects that both are semi-autobiographical as well as worthy of documenting; themes that’d reach their zenith with My Voyage To Italy. In the case of Alice, it could be described as Scorsese’s largest gamble until Taxi Driver. His first Hollywood picture, Scorsese took significant luxuries with his budget that was three times that of Means Streets, which included an $85,000 Douglas Sirk, Wizard of Oz-sqe set for the opening scene. Despite the differences of subject matter and overall style of filmmaking, both ItalianAmerican and Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore are two pieces of evidence to support that by 1975 Martin Scorsese was on his way to being an auteur.
The opening credits of the film resembles a melodrama that could have been made by Douglas Sirk in the 1950s. In comparison to Mean Streets, the world of young Alice is completely unrealistic with its use of bright, bold colors. It’s obvious that this is a highly stylized studio set, but this correlates with the idea that Alice is stuck in her childhood fantasies. Scorsese literally pulls us out of this world and into her present. Although we are removed from it, Alice’s happiness still there. She wanted to return to Monterey because she was hoped to be a successful singer there, but she never thought of what it would be like in the present. By the end of the film, we know that she realizes that Monterey isn’t the only place that she can be happy, and it isn’t the only place that she can sing.
ReplyDeleteI think that it’s important to note that even though this is a “hollywood film”, it still has that honest, organic Scorsese feel, similar to Who’s that Knocking and Mean Streets. The portrayals of the characters are realistic. Even when Alice is being authoritative over her son, she is still hilarious. I tried to imagine this film as a documentary: A widowed mother trying to get back to her hometown to become a singer. If Alice and her son had the same dialogue, it would still feel genuine. Alice is faced with the challenge of taking of her son on her own, without any work experience. She was brought up in this world where women relied on their husbands for income and comfort, so she had to realize the reality of her situation.
The men who entered her life, with the small exception of David, assert dominance over her. Despite this, I didn’t really feel like she submissive. In Who’s that Knocking and Mean Streets, the women aren’t very submissive either. This especially goes for The Girl because she didn’t believe that she was this ruined woman that no man would ever marry like J.R believed. He wanted to marry her to make her pure again. In regards to the video essay, it’s clear that Scorsese is not a misogynistic filmmaker who demeans his female characters. They may be in relationships and situations that are less than ideal, but quite frankly, they don’t take any shit. I think Scorsese seeing the way that his mother interacted with his father contributes to how he wrote his female characters. They can be tough, but they are also gentle. He portrays them as complex humans who feel several different emotions and each of them are unique.
"Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" was a nice change of pace from what we had watched in class so far, and also from the movies that I was used to seeing from Scorsese as I grew up. This movie was different and a tad more heartfelt than his mobster portrayals such as "Mean Streets”, "Who's That Knocking At My Door”, or “Casino”. That’s not to say that those movies don't pull at your emotions, I just felt like he tried something different without losing the recipe that makes his movies entertaining. I think one can attribute the latter to his masterful use of narrative, and his ability to communicate to the audience using subtle, and obvious tactics. No matter who the character is, or what the story is about, Scorsese finds ways to immerse you into the world and life of the POV character. You feel for Alice in the same way that you feel for Charlie. You want to see them both win at life, and escape the exterior elements that chip away at their shells so to speak. For Charlie, it was getting away from Johnny, so he can look out for himself. For Alice, it’s escaping the archetypal men in her life who restrict her from finding true purpose and the feeling completeness that all human beings instinctively seek.
ReplyDeleteThere were various moments throughout that spoke to me in a multi tiered fashion where you are given the story through character dialogue, action, and character motivation, but also through his use of narrative, mise-en-scene, and composition. A few scenes in particular stand out in my mind when considering the latter. The first that jumped out at me is when David and Alice argue after David disciplines Tommy because brattishly voices his displeasure with David’s music. There are many layers to this scene. You have the idea in narrative that David wants to be Tommy’s father figure and Alice’s knight in shining armor as he steps in as a pseudo step father, and sweeps Alice and Tommy off their feet. The latter is coupled with the motif that is the party celebration for Tommy, but also a representation of Alice and David’s relationship. They are kinda in the honey moon stage of their relationship where everything is “peaches and cream. David then transforms into the very thing Alice left behind when she moved after Tommy’s father died, and the crisis she escaped when running away from the abusive fiery Ben. David discipling Tommy is the end of the honey moon, and they breakup, which happens through dialogue, but also as they tear down the party accessories which represent the happiness they had prior to that moment. I thought this scene was real clever mix of subtlety and directness.
The next scene that stands out is the makeup scene in the diner at the end. Prior to that moment we always see David and Alice in kind of an OTS sort of manner where we are with them experiencing the courtship and love, but in this moment we get a higher angle and we are pulled out of the experience to witness the two as David begs for forgiveness, while Alice wants no part of his apology. It’s if we’re spectators to the makeup moment as opposed to being apart of it. In a sense we are kinda like the patrons in the diner, who clap once the two eventually make up. In this moment the David and Alice put on a show on for the customers and us. I also found it interesting that in a couple of shots within this scene, Scorsese physically shows the counter bisecting the two of them, which emphasizes the divide that now exist between them as a result of the breakup.
ReplyDeleteMoving along, I think they way Alice is portrayed in this film isn’t different from how woman are portrayed in his other films, in the sense that they are an after thought, weak, or helpless like archetypal women can be in a lot of films. Contrarily, the women in his film feel very powerful and in charge in my opinion. I just feel like we get more screen time to live with this idea or reality, because Alice is the main character who we follow and connect with, and it makes her feel stronger than the other women in other films who are often not the center of the storm; as we know, many of his film track and follow the story of the male POV’s and how they treat women in their eyes.
Moving further away from those idea, I found it amusing that he always has a character in his movies “breaking another character balls”. In “Mean streets”, it’s the whole “mook” comment in the pool hall. In “Goodfellas”, it’s the “clown” Comment Henry makes towards Tommy. In “Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore”, it’s the way the main waitress pokes fun at Mel with comments such as, “ I could lay under you, eat fried chicken, and solve a crossword puzzle.” I think this idea of putting his identity and his sort of upbringing on the film, to make it feel authentic to him is spot on. This idea of tough love or how we joke around and signify as a way of endearment, is one I'm very familiar with in my community, but also one that shined through very clearly when I watched “italianamerican”. The way Scorsese father and mother “break each other balls” over and over as they give each other(and Scorsese) shit while providing insight into their upbringing in America is the same dynamic he paints inyo his movies. I loved “Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore” because it showed me a different side of Scorsese as a director, while also staying true to the work I had seen, and showcasing his development as an auteur. I was thoroughly impressed and entertained.
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore is a very well made film. From the edits, to the cinematography, to the acting and the directing, it truly reminds me of a classic Hollywood film. Surprisingly though, it does not feel, look, or act anything like a Scorsese film whatsoever. In fact, if I had seen this film on television outside of class, I honestly would never think it was directed by Martin Scorsese.
ReplyDeleteThis really seems to be something of an explorative film for him. In the reading, Scorsese talks about how this film was the first that he was able to build a set, and the last set to be built on that particular stage. I think the main reason this does not feel like a Scorsese film to me is the cinematography. Scorsese’s style, especially in his early work, seemed very documentarian where this film was anything but. The character dynamics and the story of Alice and her son also does not carry the Scorsese brand of macho men, guns, and violence. This film was definitely a departure for the director, yet it has been the most enjoyable I have seen in class so far because it’s story actually seems to be structured in a way that my brain can easily follow and empathize with. Everyone has a mother, and everyone can put themselves in Alice’s shoes of not feeling happy in their current situations. I have no idea what the struggles of a gang member has living in New York, so it is very hard to empathize with the characters in Mean Streets or Who’s That Knocking on My Door.
Even though Scorsese took on a hollywood plot for "Alice Doesn't Live Here Aymore", I still believe this film has Scorsese written all over it. For example, this film opens with the use of red and it can symbolize a number of things in Martin's films. Much like the film "Mean Streets" where red is used a lot in the bar to kind of create this fantasy feel, just like the beginning of "Alice" to show that she is still trapped in her fantasies. Additionally, "Mean Streets" further explores the use of red when Charlie puts his hand over a flame, which resembles hell fire. In "who's That Knocking At My Door" the use of red also is used to cut through time. For example, the scene where the girl is being raped has a red glow to it, which kind of shows a fantasy take on a perspective. Furthermore, the men seem to always want to control a situation. In "Mean Streets", Charlie seems to be balancing every order of business if it means look after Johnny Boy, dealing with his uncle, or thinking about his future with Theresa. He even goes as far to tell Theresa to shut up. Similar to "Who's That Knocking At My Door" where Harvey's character called his girlfriend a whore. "Alice" is kind of refreshing in the sense of it does have men that like to control, but their are no redeeming quality about the first two because Alice is the main character. Unlike "Mean Streets" and "Who's that Knocking" the male characters are more complex and developed because they have more screen time, in "Alice" her first two lovers are very one sided. It's nice because you connect to Alice a female character, a lot more than them. However, the film does humanize "kris Kristofferson's" character allowing him to be dominant, but the end be the one who apologizes.
ReplyDeleteMartin Scorsese represents women in a plethora of ways in his films, especially in the three we've screened so far. For one, the male gaze is shown heavily throughout these three films. For example, there is a scene in "Who's That Knocking" where Harvey's character checks out the girl before he starts talking to her. These shots are very sexual mainly focusing on her mouth, close-ups of her face, and close-ups of her eyes. Much like "Mean Streets", the first time we see Theresa is from Charlies gaze and she is undressing in front of a window. Also, Charlie talks about a stripper that he is infatuated with, which is sexualized with more close-up shots of her body. In "Alice" the moment Kris Kristofferson's character notices Alice that shot is done from the male gaze again showcasing Alice in a close-up. On the other hand, Alice checks him out as well because it cuts to Close-ups of him, which is a step up for a female character in a Scorsese film. More over, verbal abuse is definitely shown throughout these three Scorsese films. Like I said earlier, the men seem to be in control and either tell their significant others to shut up or that they are a whore like in "Mean Streets" "Who's That Knocking". In a similar fashion, there is a scene in "Alice" where Kris's character yells at Alice for not knowing how to raise her son. Unlike Scorsese's first two films, Alice takes charge at the end, which allows Kris to apologize to her and want her back. Even though Alice still ended up going back to a man at the end, this film was still very refreshing for a female role because she was a lot more opinionated than the last two. As of now, there is definitely a growth for female roles in Scorsese films from "Who's that Knocking to "Alice". There is hope!
DeleteAlice Doesn't Live Here Anymore is a very singular work in Scorsese's filmography, it features his only leading female character, its a road film, and has a specific tone that mixes humor and heartbreak in a sunnier more comedic way unlike any of his film before or after. Even with these distinctions,it fits into Scorsese's filmography perfectly with similar themes, character arcs, and filmic styles. It makes sense that this was Scorsese's first Studio picture, because this film acts as his commentary on the American Studio system and its recent turbulence it had reached at the tail end of the sixties. While Scorsese's first two features (excluding Boxcar Bertha) are clear descendants from the French New Wave filtered through Scorsese's unique stylistic sensibilities, Alice takes major influence from classic Hollywood era films of the 1950's and The American New Wave, spearheaded by such films as Easy Rider and Bonny and Clyde in the 1960's. This contrast is poignant in the way he frames the evolution of American Cinema into the individual psyche of Alice. The opening of the film takes place during Alice's childhood and is shot on a massive sound stage with a large farmhouse set right out of the Wizard of Oz. It feels nostalgic, simple, and fantastical, but something is off, her parents faces are concealed by darkness and the constant barking of dogs seems slightly unsettling.This is perfect set up for the dream that Alice is chasing throughout the film, she remembers her childhood as a perfect and innocent time and wants to give that life to her son, but over the course of the film realizes that you can never go back, and maybe your rose colored yearnings of childhood are just that. After the prologue, the films flies into a series of quick movement jib shots that fly over a small town. This quick cutting style, and emphasis on long takes with emotional motivated cutting are immediately familiar of the early American New Wave films, which were a refutation of the style of film Scorsese referenced with the prologue. That was fantasy, this is reality, that was then this is NOW. The parallels become even more apparent when the film becomes a road movie in the vein of Easy Rider, two people set out on an uncharted future with a vaguely defined destination and run into a variety of characters (good and bad) along the way. By using this distinct style Scorsese does what he does best, using an awareness of film to delve deeper into the psychological complexes of his characters.
ReplyDeleteWhile Alice is the sole female protagonist in Scorsese's filmography, she has many of the traits of a normal Scorsese protagonist. Alice is caught in a transitional period in life, having to chose between her environment and her personal drive. She owes two debts in this world, a debt to herself and her dreams and individual happiness, and a debt to the week being of her son. While these are not mutually exclusive they clash often and result in Alice making compromising choices to try and balance them both. Just like JR/Charlie and their personal commitment to God and their social commitments to their "family" or Mob.
Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore was such a delightful surprise. I was looking forward to being able to see Scorsese’s first female fronted film, and I was only a little disappointed. And that disappointment really only stems from the fact that this film makes me wish Scorsese would direct more films about women. He made this film with the desire to learn more about women, especially single moms. And I do wish that it had driven him to want to explore that facet of the world even more, but overall, I’m very glad he did.
ReplyDeleteThis is a film that absolutely rides on the performance of the lead actress, and Ellen Burstyn absolutely knocks it out of the park. She’s funny, fragile, and human. Having grown up with a single mother, I saw a lot of my mom in Alice. The nervous energy, the guilt of leaving her son for work. Alice was flawed, but she was completely real.
At the same time that she’s figuring out how to be a single parent, Alice is also figuring out who she is, separate from being Tommy’s mother. What does she want? What does she need?
I understand why people might be disappointed with the happy ending, but for some reason, I didn’t find myself upset with Alice ending up with a man. Because I don’t think that is the defining relationship in her life or even in the film. It is very clear that Tommy will always be her priority. And I don’t think Alice was necessarily built to be alone, some people aren’t. Although she may not technically need a man, she wants one, and that is totally fine. She is never defined by her relationship with David.
One of the more rewarding aspects of the film for me was Alice’s relationships with the other women around her. Her friendship with Bea in New Mexico provided her with an escape from her turbulent marriage. And although Flo does not make a perfect first impression on Alice, their relationship leads to one of my favorite scenes in the movie. When Flo pulls Alice into the back of the diner to talk her through her breakdown, it leads to a beautiful scene of female camaraderie that also has a fantastic humorous element to it because of the editing. The back and forth between their conversation and Vera trying to run the diner by herself had me laughing hysterically. I’ve never seen the reality of working in a restaurant displayed so accurately onscreen before. Scorsese does a great job of exploring anxiety in this film, and that particular scene is a stellar example of this.
I liked this film the best of the films we've viewed in class. Personally I enjoy films with a little more of a narrative and plot driven story and this film has more of that than any of the others we've viewed. I think that Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore does a good job to combined both plot and characters. The other films we viewed, like Mean Streets and Who's That Knocking at my Door?, are more character centric. Alice does a good job to showcase it's characters and tell a compelling story about a single mother trying to get by.
ReplyDeleteI also really liked the acting in this film. I think Ellen Burstyn did a tremendous job bringing the character to live. But for me the most compelling performance of the film comes from Alfred Luther, who plays Tommy. It's tough to make children characters likable but also kind of annoying. There were points when I was annoyed with Tommy as a character but I felt like you were supposed to be annoyed with him and I think that Luther did a great job in portraying this character, especially for someone who was never acted before this. Also the chemistry between Ellen Burstyn and Alfred Luther is incredible. I really felt like they were mother and child.
I also really like this film because of the conversation we had in class after it. The conservation about how Alice comes to realize what her life is in reality and not the fictionalized version she previously had. It made me realize how Alice comes to live in reality and how she doesn't live in her fictionalized memories of Monterey anymore, like in the opening sequence.
The opening scene of this film is incredible because, for starters, I love the way it was shot and the style it is in. I think it looks really cool and is really compelling as an opening to the film especially when a viewer puts it in contrast with the rest of the film. The opening and the rest of the film are two completely different styles and I like that because it makes the viewer question why the opening was so drastically different than the rest and it makes the viewer look at the picture in a more broad sense. Someone can't just take this movie at it's surface value because if they do they will always be questioning the opening of the film and why it is the way it is.
Having never seen Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, I honestly wasn't sure what to expect. Every Scorsese film I'd seen prior had dealt heavily with the fragility of the male ego, and I was excited to see how that would be handled in a female led feature. I was happily surprised to find that the focus was taken off of broad themes of masculinity and religious masochism. I can honestly say that Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore is the first Scorsese film that surprised me in terms of the story that was told, as well as the first one I've seen that passes the Bechdel test.
ReplyDeleteDespite these differences, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore is a Scorsese film, through and through. The humor was more integrated into the script than it was in Who's That Knocking At My Door and Mean Streets, but the presentation and execution are very similar. There is a sharp tonal contrast between the comedic and dramatic moments of the film. Just compare the water fight scene to the scene where Ben comes to the hotel room. They seem like they are from completely different films. yet both scenes reveal key information about Alice.
Perhaps my favorite scene is the introduction. Previously, Scorsese has used the color red to inject a sinister, violent tone to scenes where he has displayed the vices of humanity. In Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Scorsese doubles down on this motif, using it to symbolize the sinful nature of Alice's attachment to her childhood. The blood red sky and bizarre set design give the sequence a dream-like quality to it.
I'm currently working on a feature screenplay revolving around the theme of escapism and the inherent risks involved. If I had an opportunity to produce and direct my feature, I would likely try to adopt these cinematic qualities in order to make fantasy distinct from reality.
Like Who’s That Knocking and Mean Streets, Scorsese blends formalist classical filmmaking with “rule breaking” cinematic language to portray the story of a human experiencing a total anxiety of their station in life. Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore feels like a Douglas Sirk melodrama dragged through the eye-opening realism of the French New Wave. This time, Scorsese’s protagonist-in-crisis is Alice, a woman in her mid 30s who packs up her son and very few amenities and hits the never-ending road to Monterrey after her abusive husband suddenly passes away.
ReplyDeleteHere Scorsese offers converging styles to emphasize Alice’s crisis of individual happiness. The opening scene reflects this, as Alice’s Monterrey childhood home is depicted using an overtly artificial soundstage with overpowering sunset light.We first see Alice as a little girl, frolicking along a hilly trail. Alice critiques her singing skills, talking about her dream to become a great singer. Her mom calls to her from inside. Alice mutters to herself that she’ll be the best in the business, and anybody that stands in her way can kiss her ass. The scene ends with the audience being literally launched from the frame, causing the shot to free fall into black. It’s worth noting that both characters in this scene are voiced by Ellen Burstyn. The non-diagetic echo of Alice’s romanticized singing ping-pongs around the overhead crane shot before the frame launches. Scorsese uses the artifice, vocal replacement and abrupt structural transition to weave a projection of Alice’s life dream, one that’s been re-written and distorted as the frank happenings of her reality bring her further and further away from what thinks she needs to do to achieve happiness. By the end of the film, Alice achieves her own happiness with her newfound power in her relationship with her boyfriend, her restless dedication to her son, and her newly cultivated sisterhood with the waitresses at the diner. The sign of the restaurant Monterrey appears in the background of the final shot with Alice and her son. Scorsese uses this visual marker for Alice expelling the dream of Monterrey as she discovers the power within herself to be happy.
I really enjoyed Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, and I thought it was a large tonal shift from Scorsese's other films. Mean Streets and Who's That Knocking On my Door are very similar tonally that this movie caught me by surprise. Still, between Martin's first film and this one, I saw a lot of similarities. While he built on the setting, characters, and plot points in Mean Streets, I think Scorsese built upon the subtleness and reflectiveness in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying that Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore is by any means subtle in most moments, but I think it does show a more personal and intimate side to its characters than Mean Streets does. While Mean Streets maintains a gut-reaction type style of filmmaking, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, by comparison, shows a softer side--the mother/son relationship demonstrated isn't typically shown on screen, but it feels true and almost improvisational, just like certain scenes within Who's That Knocking At My Door.
However, certain scenes felt very reminiscent of Mean Streets; take, for example, the almost cameo-like appearance of the young hunk Harvey Keitel. When he appears at the motel to threaten Alice and his wife, this scene could've come straight out of his previous films (maybe by Joey in Mean Streets). So, I guess in conclusion, I can see this matching with other Scorsese films, but if I had to guess initially who directed, Scorsese would not be my first guess.
Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, at the start doesn’t really feel like a Scorsese film. Beginning with the open title crawl, the choice of music and graphical style, gives of the feeling that we’re watching a melodrama. Also the decision to use an over the shoulder camera position felt odd and uncomfortable, but it gives off the feel that we are getting somebodies POV shot, giving certain scenes an intimate look at these characters lives. Kind of like Who’s that Knocking at my Door? Instead of little vignettes, we get at a first row look. The longer it goes on the more we see Scorsese’s fingerprints on this movie, the snappy back and forth conversations we see with Alice and Tommy and using music to compliment certain scenes.
ReplyDeleteAlice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, feels like Scorsese’s attempt to prove to himself that he can do more, instead of male leads playing wise guys, he tries a recently widowed mother, with dreams of becoming a star. I think it worked, on some level the movie felt like a departure from his previous films. While looking closely it’s meant to be a gradual progression of Mean Streets and Who’s that Knocking at my Door? For example all three films tend to deal with some sort of personal crisis, Mean Streets was a decision between protecting his friend or advancing his position in the mob. Who’s that Knocking at my Door? Was more of J.R. dealing with catholic guilt. While in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Alice is trying to find a better life for her son, and at the same time trying to achieve her own dreams.
What I admire about Scorsese's work is the unpredictability that his films always promise, in some ways I expect it. I was disappointed by the ending of Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore because it was a Hollywood ending. Not only did it end with her settling with David but she settles in an area that wasn't what she wanted or thought she wanted. I also noticed the large sign at the final scene has "Monterey" written on it, representing Alice finally reaching Monterey, metaphorically but not literally. Perhaps this is a satiric expression of the cult of domesticity affecting housewives, specifically during the 1970s. The film did show the reality of a wife living in a hostile environment and having to care for her child. What this film does succeed in is the structure and development of the protagonist. Similar to J.R. and Charlie, Alice struggles with her identity internally and her actions externally speak to her character. She wants to be her own person and perform on stage but has her son to support; therefore, settles with a waitressing job. Alice isn't a weak character and we see her strength when Ben comes to her motel room and her determination to sing. Regarding the way women are perceived in Scorsese's films is as much about the way men are represented as women. When a woman is being thrown across a room, I think Scorsese is saying more about the person inflicting the violence than the one being abused.
ReplyDeleteI knew little about the film before watching it and my previous assumptions about its plot were completely shattered in just seeing the opening. Though we were told this film was Scorsese’s attempt at a traditional Hollywood film, I still expected the setting to be a modern city, and based on his other protagonists, I thought this woman would be single. Though, after closer examination, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore has more similarities to Mean Streets than at first glance. Both films follow characters that are suffering identity crises, just in completely different ways. We see Charlie struggling with morality and his place in the world/what kind of person he’s going to be, and similarly, we see Alice trying to juggle the responsibility of raising her son and following her dream of being a singer.
ReplyDeleteI also really liked Alice as a character. She was vulnerable, and yet had an incredible strength about her. Here she was newly widowed and instead of mopping around, she went to follow her childhood dreams without a second thought. I liked that she was a bit childish at times, and that she wasn’t afraid to laugh. Though, what I liked most about her was her relationship with her son: she spoke to him as a person, telling him about her “plans”, though they weren’t very fool proof, and would constantly reassure him that things were going to work out. Some of her decisions were definitely questionable, like leaving him alone at the motel day in and day out, but at the heart of it you knew she actually cared for him deeply.
I think that Who’s That Knocking at My Door, Mean Streets, and Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore are all really rather similar. They all focus primarily on how people navigate relationships and exist within the context of those relationships. In Who’s That Knocking we watch JR juggle his relationship with “the guys” and the girl, ruining the latter via his own insensitivity and stupidity. In Mean Streets the very nature of Charlie’s existence is seemingly defined by his relationships with Johnny, Teresa, and to a certain extent his uncle and the mob. Alice is in this regard similar. Out of necessity she is first and foremost defined by her relationship to her son. She faced with the challenge of juggling the roles of caretaker, provider, and to a certain extent, friend to Tommy. The diametrically opposed nature of the caretaker and friend roles is the source of some of the most interesting interactions between Alice and Tommy as well as a lot of comic relief (the scene where they run around their hotel room dumping water on each other comes to mind).
ReplyDeleteThe other major defining element of Alice is her attempts to navigate the dating world after the death of her abusive husband. The first man she meets, Ben, is every bit as bad as Donald was. For a time it seems as if David will end up being the same as well. This raises an interesting point that is sort of left up to the viewer. It’s a sort of spin on the nature vs nurture debate. Does Alice end up with three shitty guys because she is attracted to them, or does she end up with three shitty guys because men are shitty? Or does she end up with shitty guys because society tells her she should be attracted to them and lets men get away with it, or some other combination thereof? It is in a way similar to the conflict between JR and Charlie’s catholic guilt and their more profane desires. I think this first “trilogy” of films is rather interesting when viewed through the lens of the frequent conflict of what is best for us, what we think is best for us, what we want, and what we think we want and why.
Now onto the video essays. There is no denying that the men in Scorsese’s films have a propensity for treating women poorly. We all watched two video essays for a combined 20 minute’s worth of that. But I think it is unfair to say Scorsese is a misogynist. Just as with data correlation does not always mean causation, in film just because a director depicts certain things it does not mean he condones them. I would argue that in these films he is admonishing such treatment of women. While the female characters aren’t particularly three dimensional in Who’s That or Mean Streets, I don’t feel like that can be said of Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Alice is a rather complex character and after getting out on her own doesn't take much of anybody's shit. "Well, look at my face. I don't sing with my ass."
I thought “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” was a very interesting choice for Scorsese’s first foray into Hollywood filmmaking, mainly because of how the film opened exactly like the majority of films the director is inspired by. The opening of the film has a very distinct classic Hollywood feel. As the young Alice crosses the field and goes home, it was very clear that that entire scene was on a constructed set. The background behind the house in particular was obviously painted. It was too perfect, but it works. The opening shows Alice’s fondness for Monterey, the destination she is trying to reach throughout the film. It was clear that this is how Alice remembers the town. Its a perfect place to settle down and raise children. While it feels like a classic Hollywood opening, Scorsese was able to put his own spin on it with a little touch of his signature vulgarity. Walking across the beautiful, vibrant scenery was a foul mouthed little girl who talks like she belongs in “Mean Streets”.
ReplyDeleteBut that isn’t the only tie in to Scorsese’s earlier works that I saw. Alice, herself, is a typical Scorsese character type. She is desperate to escape her hard and troublesome life, only to constantly get into more trouble. While she constantly gets into trouble, she never loses hope that she will one day be saved. Its very similar to Johnny Boy in “Mean Streets” and is a type of character that is in many of Scorsese’s later works, including his most recent film “Silence”.
“Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” is a film all about family. You can tell that when Scorsese was looking for inspiration for family, he didn’t have to look too far. The way Alice and her son banter is unbelievably close to how Scorsese’s own family talks in real life. There is a ton of evidence in “Italianamerican” to support this. Even the opening minutes of that documentary contained hilarious banter where everyone was playfully insulting one another.
I would call “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” a successful film for Scorsese. With it, he has proved that he could enter the machine that is the Hollywood film industry, but still have his creative voice heard. His style and artistic integrity was never compromised. In fact, its what made this film unique and kept it from being just another film Hollywood rolled out to get your money.
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore was Scorcese's dip into some very different subject matter than he had previously explored. Personally, it was the first and only Scorcese film I'd seen that didn't involve someone being shot or stabbed onscreen. This seemed to be a change of pace for Scorcese as a director. I think that the film exemplifies how skilled Scorcese can be with any script he's given. Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore puts a female protagonist front and center. The single mother character has to deal with the challenges of raising a child after her husbands death. More so though, she has to deal with the hard facts of life. She is an idealistic woman, a trait that is introduced in the opening sequence. Shot in a dream-like fashion, this sequence stood out because of the symbolism Scorcese seemed to be exploring with coloration. Alice seems to be looking back on her childhood literally through rose-colored glasses. The red filter makes this obvious, but it also adds a nightmarish quality to the scene. As jarring as this opening is, the rest of the film seems to be relatively white bread in comparison. Not in a bad way, as Scorcese is a master of making the inane seem interesting. The child actor in the film was incredible, and his chemistry with Alice was the glue that held the dialogue-heavy parts together. Scorcese loves using Harvey Keitel in his films, and you can see why. He adds a boyish charm to all of the date scenes with Alice, and an imposing presence when he loses his temper. Scorcese's treatment of gender roles is interesting in this film as well. He doesn't seem to take a side in terms of which gender treats the other worse. Alice is not heartbroken at all when her husband dies, after the initial shock of the event wears off. Harvey Keitel is a piece of shit, but for a fleeting moment seems like Alice's resurrection. And of course, Alice comes full circle at the end of the movie when she ends up marrying a man who so clearly is willing to beat her child for small grievances, much like her deceased husband was. What the fuck is Scorcese really saying about men? Are there no redeeming male characters in this film? To me, there didn't seem to be. But then again, there are hardly any shining examples of perfect men in real life. I think that good art reflects reality, and in this film Scorcese manages to treat complex gender issues in a way that stays true to real life.
ReplyDeleteAlice doesn’t live here anymore means Alice doesn’t live in wonderland anymore.
ReplyDeleteCompare to Martin's previews work, Alice doesn't live here anymore has totally difference style. The opening scene with flat red I believe it's technical issue as they cannot make the whole image looks like painting. In Spielberg's war horse, the film end up with classical European farm landscape, the whole image looks like a painting. I would say that Martin tries to make the opening scene looks like the Oz in fantasy. Now the pure red looks like blood and horror somehow. In terms of character, the little son is talky like Johnny in Mean street. Martin cares about character's development in real world. So in mean street Johnny is been punished, Alice is suffering because her idealism, in the end Alice decides to chase her dream but in reality she has to take care of her son. Alice grows up, but this won't change the world, she changed herself and encourage herself to keep moving. Nobody knows what will happen later, maybe she will give up because of her age. Not like other film maker, Martin's character is always tragic and live in misery. Misery makes character grow up, most of the time in real world, people collapse. Martin is fascinate with misery is because his religion. So whatever male or female character in Martin's film, they all have reflection of Martin. To a certain extension, Martin as an auteur, Alice doesn't live here anymore still has strong brand of Martin. Though Alice doesn't live here anymore looks like dramedy, the most comedy part is because their lines. The conversation between Alice and her son. Then rest are sad part. Compare to his previews work, his characters are not happy in his film. there isn't any big moment that the protagonist immerse himself/herself in the happiness. Through Alice doesn't live here anymore, we can see that Martin how to harness different material and how to make them fit to his style.
Regard this video essay about female in Martin's film. What I think is because all Martin's character has misery destiny, the female's scarification is inevitable. Violence, sex, money, drugs, blood, redemption, all this common theme in Martin's films doesn't looks fancy. No one could leave unscratched. Everyone will be hurt somehow, I think Martin shows the destiny in his film is trying to tell audience to review themselves. This is wrong way to treat women, vice versa woman will act in another way. of course the characters in Martin's film is exaggerated and theatrical. During his interview I could feel he loves his mother very much and he respects female.
Through the documentary I learned the first generation Italy immigration's life. They are hardworking, smart and optimistic. There's detail about how the family tell the story to each other, I think this influence a lot to Martin to becomes a film maker. This documentary tells me his family. Martin grows in a normal family but becomes a master. I feel more close to him now.
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore is defiantly a different direction then Scorsese's previous films, or even his future ones. Women in some of Scorsese's film are shown as this under appreciated dames, while their characters do have these undercover independent woman inside of them. For example, the whole movie Alice is trying to find her way back home to dream like land and provide for her son. But along the way she meets multiple men whom she thinks she needs in her life to make it complete. However, every time she finds a man they are women beaters or they hit her kid. She does totally fine on her own but can't help want a man, when she doesn't not need one. That being said going more in depth with her more life once again gave this realism that I feel most people can relate to. Constantly on the search to find stability, at the same time have her dream come true about being a singer and go back to her home town. Where she doesn't find her dream of being a singer or returning to her childhood home, she does find stability and bit of happiness. Like I said before this is a different Scorsese then I'm used to, but I enjoyed it. Not the action pack thriller, even with Harvey Keitel busting down her motel door, but all the same the substance was there. The substance of a good story teller no matter the material.
ReplyDeleteI watched Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore for the first time in class, and as of now, it’s my favorite film of Scorsese’s. The relationship between a mother and son is portrayed beautifully in this film, and certainly comparable to 20th Century Woman, a film I also loved. In his book, Scorsese defends criticism from feminists who were upset that Alice ends up with a man in the end. He mentions that the final scene was between Alice and her son, Tommy. It’s hard to look at the film and say that because Scorsese or Robert Getchell made these decisions, that it’s their ideal world. They created a fictional character who is very real. She’s strong, and flawed, and independent, and in need of compassion. By looking at Scorsese’s prior films, women are depicted through the eyes of the protagonists. He’s not saying that this is how men should view and treat women, but he’s putting these relationships onto the screen and telling you that this is how it is. I think it’s the same situation with Alice, but we see the story from her perspective. One line that stood out to me in this film is when Alice and David get in a fight over Tommy, she says “aren’t you gonna open the door for me” as she storms out. She can feel herself being shoved into this little box with “woman” tagged to it. Someone mentioned in class that this films ending wasn’t as happy as everyone made it seem to be, and I have to agree with that. Alice and Tommy don’t make it to Monterey, but they make it to their own version of Monterey. Alice settled.
ReplyDeleteItalianamerican was like a visit to see the Italian American grandparents I never had. We learned how to make pasta, and heard lots of stories. The first 5 minutes of this film had my undivided attention. Watching Mr. and Mrs. Scorsese interact with each other was hilarious. I loved the way they defended their own parents so much. They have a very different relationship than my parents, but more similar to my grandparents. When Catherine pulled out the scrapbook and started showing us her trip to Italy, I slowly began to lose interest, just as I would if anyone showed me a scrapbook of their trip to Italy.
Martin Scorsese not only takes his first stab at Hollywood filmmaking in “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”, but also demonstrates that he is far more diverse than his relatively similar earlier pictures might suggest. He intelligently incorporates women both in the production of the film, as well as the story of the film. His approach of being completely honest with Ellen Burstyn, when he essentially asked for her help in understanding a woman’s struggle, was a major player in why the film had such authenticity. I think one of the best things about Scorsese films are how complete they are. Everything fits together perfectly. Things at the beginning like the blue and red title cards with “You’ll Never Know” by Alice Faye the flashback, play in later in the film. When Alice sings in the bar for the first time, blue lights shine on her, reminiscent of the opening scene with Alice Faye. The entire film they talk about getting back to the place where it was great, Monaco, i.e. the flashback. These recurring themes and motifs, while satisfying, is also a bit sad. It seems that Scrosese’s characters are trapped within themselves and can’t break out. They succumb to the same forces at the end of the movie as they did in the beginning of the movie. Though there might be a few moments where you think they’ll learn, like when Alice runs from Kietel’s character, but in the end, it’s almost as if she says “this is fine” and that’s that.
ReplyDeleteThe video essays create a great collage of women in Scorsese’s films. While many people might suggest that those characters are horrible stereotypes, it is those stereotypes that Scorsese plays off so well. Each character in his film, say Charlie from Mean Streets or even Alice from Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, are caricatures of daily life. Their flaws snowball into massive problems and are eventually their downfall. Each one of his previous features has a fairly dark ending. The girl rejecting JR in “Who’s That Knocking At My Door?”, the drive by in “Mean Streets”, and Alice’s acceptance of her reality and not making it to monaco in “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”. Female characters that live within this kind of world are going to experience hardships along the way. The beauty isn’t in how the men treat the women, it is how they fight back. They are put in a shitty situation but choose to assert their own dominance like when the girl doesn’t take JR back and when Alice runs from Keitel and “almost” from Kris Kristofferson. Admittedly, however, the backlashes usually fall to deaf ears (which also could say more negative things about the men).
Italianamerican was a great, simple film. I loved the structure of simply having two older immigrants recount stories of their childhood and was it was like; it reminded me of spending time with my own family. Both Charles and Catherine are interesting subjects and teach a lot about the culture and community of past times through both their stories and their behavior. Also, the commitment to sauce is impressive… what a recipe.
I have been meaning to watch Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore for awhile now. I've never heard a lot about this film, and was blown away with it. It's definitely a step into a much different genre/themes for Scorsese, but this just shows his range as a director, especially early on in his career.
ReplyDeleteEllen Burstyn's performance was phenomenal and oscar worthy. Her ability to showcase a character like Alice who is living through and dealing with very adult situations, but is still child-like in some instances. Which we get to see played out with her hilarious interactions with her son.
The son was another role that impressed me. This kid had never acted before, and didn't do much else after, which in my opinion shows that Scorsese was a big part in his fantastic performance. The kid's ability to put a character on top of his own character, (when he is acting like a cowboy/the many bits he does when messing with his mom) are signs of a strong understanding of his character.
Italianamerican is such a sweet, simple look into his parent's past. It had the simplicity of a school project that most kids have to do where you have to interview your parents about their lives. The intimacy of the location they are filming, and the fact that it is their son they are talking to, altogether make it an enjoyable film, as well as an interesting look into Scorsese and the people who raised him.
What can I say about Scorsese's classic, "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore?" Well, for starters, this was the first film that specifically centered on a woman's point-of-view. This was my third viewing of the film, and I have come to appreciate its cultural significance that much more. First, I have to say that Ellen Burstyn's performance was remarkable; and totally deserving of her Oscar win for Best Actress. Ellen Burstyn fully encapsulated this character, by making her vulnerable, free-spirited, resourceful, and relatable to many single mothers struggling to raise their children; while also trying to assert their own identities. I appreciate the thematic, philosophical motifs on women and I appreciate the evolutionary journey of the relationship between Alice and her young son. While viewing this film, I discovered many similarities to "20th Century Women" and "Almost Famous", two other films that also chronicled the relationships between two mothers and their young sons. However, the relationship between Alice and her son is developed more authentically. Throughout the film, you see mother and son disagreeing on many things, and fighting; but you also see the love, trust, guidance and respect each one has for one another. They do not a traditional mother-son relationship; which makes it all the more enjoyable to watch. Their unconventional relationship resembles that of best friends who can confide in each other about anything. Their relationship had very few boundaries attached to it. This made the development of their relationship all the more beautiful to watch.
ReplyDeleteThis was also the first film to demonstrate Scorsese's immense versatility and range as a filmmaker. The film chronicles a relationship between a single 30-something mother, named Alice Hyatt, and her 12 year old son, Tommy. We see the two embark on a roadside adventure; going from place to place; trying to find a place where Alice can pursue her singing career. Scorsese intelligently and thoughtfully portrays single women's struggles to discover their identities; while also trying to raise their kids. This film does not demean, patronize or insult women in the slightest. In fact, it is a pretty progressive film for its time. It accurately depicts a strong, independent, tenacious, and empowered and stubbornly resilient woman who can stand on her own two feet. The film is the first from Scorsese's repertoire to intelligently and thoughtfully portray a woman; not as a damsel-in-distress/ victim, or an over-sexualized, promiscuous man-eater; but instead; Scorsese has written a female character who wants more out of her life than being just a housewife and mother.
Throughout the film, Alice is on a journey to discover exactly where she fits into the world and absolutely refuses to be defined by a man. From watching this incredible, groundbreaking film for the third time, I have in turn fallen in love with it even more. To say I thoroughly enjoyed the film would be an understatement. I was blown away by this incredible film. I was stunned that Scorsese; being a novice filmmaker in his early 30s; could even direct a film primarily chronicling a story from a woman's point-of-view. I have to say that Scorsese was certainly a bold, revolutionary filmmaker by making a feminist film; when many filmmakers; even female filmmakers at the time, were not doing so. He made this journey enjoyable and beautiful to watch from the first frame to the last. However; the true praise solely belongs to Ellen Burstyn. She gives a truly beautiful, remarkable performance as a woman experiencing an existential crisis in her life. Ellen Burstyn perfectly exemplifies a woman that has too many idealistic illusions on what her life should have been, or still could be. Throughout the film, the central protagonist, Alice Hyatt, let her idealistic, unrealistic dreams and illusions help guide her on what path her life should take. However, she soon comes to realize that her idealized fantasies on her life were simply just unrealistic, unattainable fantasies she had manufactured in her head to help cohesively facilitate her life journey. She ultimately gets married young and has a son named Tommy; which puts her dreams on hold. However, her emotionally distant, cold husband ultimately dies in an accident; which sets the plot of the film.
ReplyDeleteWhile viewing "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore", I found that it did resemble a few of the same aesthetic and thematic elements of Scorsese's previous films: "Mean Streets" and "Who's That Knocking At My Door." One specific example that stands out to me is the overwhelming issue of its treatment and complete objectification of the female protagonist. Even though this film is essentially a "feminist film", Scorsese does not steer away from objectifying its female characters. An example that comes to mind would be when Alice's country singing boyfriend, David, played by Kris Kristofferson, get into a huge argument over how she is raising Tommy. In the scene, David says that he needs more discipline and structure in his life; and that she needs to stop indulging and spoiling him.