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By
NICK ZEGARAC
There is something to be
said for Martin Scorsese's " New York, New York "
(1977). I'm just not exactly sure what. A strange
mix of '70s sensibilities and sexual mores,
eclectic acting styles, its two mismatched leads,
and '40s kitsch billed as tribute to the decade of
returning war heroes and the Big Band sound, the
film abounds with complications that make for a
generally uneasy, often heavy narrative structure.
Truthfully, the film neither emulates nor
celebrates the great musicals of the 1940s.
Instead it somehow manages to impose a
contemporary strain on vintage material, which
from the vantage of 30 years removed today, seems
ludicrous and tacky.
Robert De Niro stars as Jimmy Doyle, a gregarious
sax player who's all thumbs when it comes to
impressing WAC officer Francine Evans (Liza
Minnelli). But, as many of the male machismo
flicks of the '70s teach us, if at first you don't
succeed with the fairer sex, simply badger her
into submission. This tactic works for Jimmy, but
only superficially and temporarily as the film
charts his rise to Big Band leader status, his
explosive romance with Francine, their trials and
tribulations, his spiral into professional
oblivion and their ultimate break up and loose
reconciliation after Francine has made it big on
her own.
Clearly uneasy with the musical as a genre,
Scorsese lets the first twenty minutes of his film
slip by without any music, and then junkets a
string of stagy numbers that are not memorable or
apt at recapturing the effervescence of the '40s.
The one big production number, "Happy Endings,"
comes much too late to make a difference in the
film's musical repository and draws a direct and
scathing comparison between Liza and her mother
Judy Garland's performance from "A Star Is Born"
(1954). "Happy Endings" is a sort of "Born in a
Trunk" ballet that unfolds with Liza encountering
a Broadway producer while working as an usherette
in a movie house. But the juxtaposition of several
musical snippets is clumsily staged. The milieu of
bits comes to a head with Liza flouncing down a
great glittering and mirror staircase in a costume
that can only be described as over the top in its
gaudy red and white texture. The most outstanding
aspect of the musical program is undoubtedly the
title number, sung against a backdrop that again,
looks much too contemporary for '40s chic.
Again, about the leads: the banter and chemistry
between De Niro and Minnelli is, at times, quite
good -- but never more engaging or hilarious than
during their initial meeting in a posh New York
nightclub. Hence, their burgeoning romance seems
oddly off balance with the two growing less
comfortable with one another on camera as the
fictional relationship progresses. At times,
Minnelli looks ill and withdrawn, her heavy make
up and "Mildred Pierce" style hair pieces almost
swallowing her face whole and often masking her
innate ability to do comedy or drama as well as we
know she is capable of. As a direct result only in
her vocal abilities throughout the film does she
truly excel; that rich Garland-esque bravado
rocking the speakers with a powerful zest for the
material she's been given. Ultimately the film did
not find favor at the box office and, in
hindsight, it's no wonder.
MGM's DVD is not anamorphically enhanced but it is
widescreen. Colors are rich, vibrant and, at
times, gaudy. Blacks are deep, rich and solid.
Whites are generally clean, although there are
instances throughout the film where a definite
grain structure is noticeable. Overall, the highly
stylized visual characteristics of this musical
stinker will not disappoint.
The audio is 5.1 surround and engaging throughout
-- showing remarkable clarity for a film of this
vintage, but especially during the musical
sequences -- if only the original songs by John
Kander and Fred Ebb had had something more to
offer. Extras include an intro by Scorsese as well
as an audio commentary that is not particularly
engaging. There are also some deleted scenes that
are pretty much a bust, but generally show a muted
distemper on De Niro's part for a film in which he
clearly felt mostly out of his element. A
theatrical trailer and photo gallery are also
included. |
