Scorsese's "The Irishman"

[Larry Kart]

Finally signed up on Netflix and got around to seeing it yesterday. Flawless it ain't, but in the end (literally and figuratively) it moved me a good deal. First, there's the fact of Frank's rather distanced relationship to everyone around him, including the members of his family, and even I would say his distanced relationship to himself, to his own feelings, such as they are, the way he accepts that in virtually every tight quarter he finds himself in during his long life he has no choice other than to do  what he's told to do. Then, finally, there's his demise, with the door in the seniors home left open a crack at his request, and his refusal to the priest and to his would-be biographers to confess to any of the many crimes he has committed. What I got from this, what I think Scorsese may have had in mind, was that the film conveyed the sense of an entire life that was lived piecemeal, albeit quite eventfully at times, and then it just dribbles out, which will be the case for many of us

BTW., in the WWII flashback we see Frank murdering two  disarmed enemy soldiers in Italy and dumping them into the grave he has had them dig. One review  said that these were Italian soldiers. I didn't take in the nature of their uniforms, but it seems unlikely to me that at any point in the Italian campaign where and when Frank was active there were Italian troops still opposing us in combat (hadn't Italy surrendered by then, so its army would have been dissolved?)  and that Frank's victims more likely would have been disarmed Germans on which Frank was revenging himself. Of course they could have been Italian stragglers, and Frank just might have been bloodyminded. Any thoughts?

[jlhoots]

"Dribbles out" is the operative phrase. 

[Larry Kart]

57 minutes ago, jlhoots said:

"Dribbles out" is the operative phrase. 

For sure, in terms of storytelling, but if that's a fairly common end for many people, I found its depiction in the film to be uncommon and moving.

[jlhoots]

9 minutes ago, Larry Kart said:

For sure, in terms of storytelling, but if that's a fairly common end for many people, I found its depiction in the film to be uncommon and moving.

Actually I did too.

[JSngry]

Scorcese might be another thing I'm starting to get tired of?

[BillF]

3 hours ago, Larry Kart said:

Finally signed up on Netflix and got around to seeing it yesterday. Flawless it ain't, but in the end (literally and figuratively) it moved me a good deal. First, there's the fact of Frank's rather distanced relationship to everyone around him, including the members of his family, and even I would say his distanced relationship to himself, to his own feelings, such as they are, the way he accepts that in virtually every tight quarter he finds himself in during his long life he has no choice other than to do  what he's told to do. Then, finally, there's his demise, with the door in the seniors home left open a crack at his request, and his refusal to the priest and to his would-be biographers to confess to any of the many crimes he has committed. What I got from this, what I think Scorsese may have had in mind, was that the film conveyed the sense of an entire life that was lived piecemeal, albeit quite eventfully at times, and then it just dribbles out, which will be the case for many of us

BTW., in the WWII flashback we see Frank murdering two  disarmed enemy soldiers in Italy and dumping them into the grave he has had them dig. One review  said that these were Italian soldiers. I didn't take in the nature of their uniforms, but it seems unlikely to me that at any point in the Italian campaign where and when Frank was active there were Italian troops still opposing us in combat (hadn't Italy surrendered by then, so its army would have been dissolved?)  and that Frank's victims more likely would have been disarmed Germans on which Frank was revenging himself. Of course they could have been Italian stragglers, and Frank just might have been bloodyminded. Any thoughts?

It looked as if the actors had been selected because of their Germanic looks.

[Marzz]

Larry, the prisoners are definitely wearing German uniforms (miltary). The insignias are on the collar and breast. Apparently Frank was just "following orders" or so he recounts to Russell in the preceding scene.

Edited March 31, 2020 by Marzz

[Larry Kart]

34 minutes ago, Marzz said:

Larry, the prisoners are definitely wearing German uniforms (miltary). The insignias are on the collar and breast. Apparently Frank was just "following orders" or so he recounts to Russell in the preceding scene.

Tell it to Anthony Lane, who says in his New Yorker review of the film that the soldiers Frank kills are Italian. Just "following orders" fits what I thought about Frank more or less throughout; he's a semi-empty vessel waiting to be directed. Indeed, the most consequentially horrific deed he does, in terms of its effect on his life, is beat up that grocery store owner who has shoved his daughter. It is the overt, over-the-top violence of that act that alienates her from him forever, while for Frank her getting mistreated by the grocer is in effect the opportunity  that he's been looking for to explode more or less freely. Young as she is, his daughter, I would say, understands that completely.

[Marzz]

20 hours ago, Larry Kart said:

Tell it to Anthony Lane, who says in his New Yorker review of the film that the soldiers Frank kills are Italian. Just "following orders" fits what I thought about Frank more or less throughout; he's a semi-empty vessel waiting to be directed. Indeed, the most consequentially horrific deed he does, in terms of its effect on his life, is beat up that grocery store owner who has shoved his daughter. It is the overt, over-the-top violence of that act that alienates her from him forever, while for Frank her getting mistreated by the grocer is in effect the opportunity  that he's been looking for to explode more or less freely. Young as she is, his daughter, I would say, understands that completely.

Even in Italy, his orders were not given to him explicitly, but Frank knew/knows exactly what is required of him. A trait not lost on Russell of course! 

His daughter's character was one of the most interesting for me. She managed to 'say' so much in this movie without hardly speaking! Also interesting how she seems to dislike Russell from the very start. Dislike or fear.

[Soulstation1]

The music soundtrack is good on this film