Tom Lynch

In a cool move, MGM releases three other works--"Boxcar Bertha," "New York, New York" and "The Last Waltz"--along with the double disc of arguably the most respected, "Raging Bull," as one set, quite different from Warner's box last year that had the glossy "Goodfellas" and "Mean Streets." But this set truly looks at the filmmaker's range--from renegade to musical mastermind to boxing--and, as intended, it immediately adds depth to his already stellar catalogue of some of the most revered films of the last three decades.

Barbara Hershey and David Carradine star as the outlaw train-robbers in his '72 "Boxcar Bertha," a raw Roger Corman film with bite. No notable special features on that, but Scorsese does do a modest, if not sometimes dull, commentary on "New York, New York," his tribute to movie musicals. He also adds his voice to "The Last Waltz," his doc about the final performance of The Band, but the real star here is the music and incredible concert footage Scorsese was able to pull off so candidly.

And then there's the bull. The special-edition issue of "Raging Bull" features six--all good--documentaries and featurettes on what many call the best American film of the 1980s, as well as, count `em, three commentary tracks, one with Scorsese, one with Irwin Winkler and others, and another featuring the real Jake LaMotta and Paul Schrader. Oscar or no Oscar, it's evident Scorsese's made a film that will be remembered long after Redford's "Ordinary People" is forgotten--check that, does anyone remember it now?--and the extras are tough to beat, as they help humanize LaMotta more than the film even could.

(2005-02-22)

Also by Tom Lynch

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