Roger Ebert wrote the first film review that director Martin Scorsese ever receivedâ"for 1967âs I Call First, later renamed Whoâs That Knocking at My Doorâ"creating a lasting bond that made him one of Scorseseâs most appreciative and perceptive commentators. Scorsese by Ebert offers the first record of Americaâs most respected film criticâs engagement with the works of Americaâs greatest living director, chronicling every single feature film in Scorseseâs considerable oeuvre, from his aforementioned debut to his 2008 release, the Rolling Stones documentary Shine a Light.
In the course of eleven interviews done over almost forty years, the book also includes Scorseseâs own insights on both his accomplishments and disappointments. Ebert has also written and included six new reconsiderations of the directorâs less commented upon films, as well as a substantial introduction that provides a framework for understanding both Scorsese and his profound impact on American cinema.
"Given their career-long back-and-forth, this collection makes perfect sense. . . . In these reconsiderations, Ebert invites us into his thought processes, letting us see not just what he thinks, but how he forms his opinions. Ebertâs insights into Scorsese are terrific, but this book offers the bonus of further insights into Ebert himself."â"Time Out Chicago
"Ebert, film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, is an unabashed fan of Scorsese, whom he considers âthe most gifted director of his generation.â . . . Of special note are interviews with Scorsese over a 25-year period, in which the director candidly discusses his body of work."â"Publishers Weekly
Industry Reviews
"Given their career-long back-and-forth, this collection makes perfect sense.... In these reconsiderations, Ebert invites us into his thought processes, letting us see not just what he thinks, but how he forms his opinions. Ebert's insights into Scorsese are terrific, but this book offers the bonus of further insights into Ebert himself." - Time Out Chicago "Ebert, film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, is an unabashed fan of Scorsese, whom he considers 'the most gifted director of his generation.'... Of special note are interviews with Scorsese over a twenty-five-year period, in which the director candidly discusses his body of work." - Publishers Weekly "A film-by-film chronicling of the professional, yet passionate, Ebert-Scorsese relationship.... A work of obvious affection, even adoration, what might surprise readers most is how Scorsese by Ebert emerges as a work of profound identification." - Time"