Out of Scorsese’s past

The Martin Scorsese Film Collection

MGM ($50 for the set;

$15 to $30 each)

Talk about synergy. MGM is taking full advantage of the publicity surrounding Scorsese’s latest film, “The Aviator,” which is in contention for 11 Academy Awards, by releasing this DVD collection featuring four of the director’s films: 1972’s “Boxcar Bertha,” 1977’s “New York, New York,” 1978’s “The Last Waltz” (which was previously released) and arguably his most memorable film, 1980’s “Raging Bull.”

Boxcar Bertha

Scorsese had directed the little-seen “Who’s That Knocking at My Door?” and had been fired from “The Honeymoon Killers” when producer Roger Corman hired him to direct this shoestring-budget gangster film for American International Pictures. “Boxcar Bertha” does have its fans, but truth be told, it’s pretty anemic. Set during the Depression, “Bertha” stars Barbara Hershey as a young woman who robs trains with her cohorts in crime: a scruffy union organizer (David Carradine), a New York con man (Barry Primus) and an African American mechanic (Bernie Casey).

Extras: None

*

New York, New York

This dark musical-drama that tells the story of the tempestuous relationship between a hotheaded horn player (Robert De Niro) and a singer (Liza Minnelli) wasn’t well received by critics or audiences in 1977. At least “New York” boasts an evocative, nostalgic production design courtesy of veteran Boris Levin and the rousing title tune by John Kander and Fred Ebb.

Extras: An insightful introduction by Scorsese, 25 minutes of alternate takes -- Scorsese had his actors improvise dialogue for many of the scenes -- and deleted sequences, a photo gallery and erudite commentary from Scorsese and film critic Carrie Rickey.

*

Raging Bull

When the 1980s came to a close, most film critics anointed Scorsese’s harrowing biopic about the rise and fall of prizefighter Jake LaMotta as the best of the decade.

Yet the reviews were mixed when it was released in fall 1980; “Raging Bull” managed to pick up only two Oscars: for De Niro’s towering performance as LaMotta and for Thelma Schoonmaker’s exciting editing. The big Oscar winner that year was Robert Redford’s family drama, “Ordinary People.”

Shot in stark black and white (Michael Chapman supplied the evocative cinematography), “Raging Bull” unfolds in the style of a tragic grand opera -- De Niro’s LaMotta is a great fighter but is prone to violent outbursts and fits of insane jealousy; his volatile personality ultimately estranges him from those he loves. De Niro put his heart and soul in the project, not only training for the film’s breathlessly choreographed fight sequences but putting on 50 pounds for the scenes as the older LaMotta. The film also brought Oscar nominations in the supporting categories for Joe Pesci as Jake’s brother and Cathy Moriarty as his blond-bombshell second wife.

Extras: The two-disc special edition is a must for all film students. The second disc features superbly done documentaries: “Raging Bull: Before the Fight,” which looks at the writing, casting and preproduction; “Raging Bull: Inside the Ring,” a chronicle on the choreography and the innovative shooting of the fight sequences -- it took 10 weeks to shoot all the boxing scenes; “Raging Bull: Outside the Ring” which offers behind-the-scenes stories; and “Raging Bull: After the Fight,” which focuses on the sound design, music and the film’s impact. “De Niro vs. LaMotta” offers a special shot-by-shot comparison of the two in the ring. Rounding out the supplemental material is vintage newsreel footage of LaMotta fighting.

The first disc includes three knockout commentary tracks: one with Scorsese and Schoonmaker; the second with Chapman, producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, music producer Robbie Robertson and some of the performers; and the third with LaMotta, his nephew Jason Lustig and screenwriters Mardik Martin and Paul Schrader.

Samples from the commentary tracks:

Jake LaMotta: “I imagine God gifted me with a tough body. I learned on my own. I didn’t have no trainers or nothing. I did it on my own. I worked hard. I boxed everybody in the gym. I was determined to get my family off welfare and I made enough money to take my family off of welfare. Took them out of poverty. I took care of my family for many years.”

Mardik Martin: “It’s a study of a human being without really an agenda. He wanted glory and women and all he got was heartache, self-destructiveness and self-pity. He lived like an animal but not like a criminal. He might not be likable, but so? A lot of human beings are not likable.

“Marty has a lot of spiritual, religious aura that he likes to portray in films and he believes in it, I think, up to a certain point.”

Paul Schrader, screenwriter: “I don’t believe that you can ever really explain or understand an individual psyche. One of the wonderful things that art does is it gives audiences enough clues to come to their own conclusions.”