Time catches up with Ebert and Scorsese
S. James Snyder has a review in Time of Roger Ebert’s new book, Scorsese by Ebert—a collection of the esteemed critic’s writing on every feature film in Scorsese’s oeuvre, accompanied by his new reconsiderations of the director’s work, plus interviews and Scorsese’s own insights on his films.
In his review, Snyder gives the book a thumbs-up, highlighting some of the more passionate of Ebert’s critiques, and remarking on the critic’s profound ability to identify with Scorsese’s work. Snyder writes:
In his foreword, Scorsese acknowledges that Ebert closely shares his love of film, his religious roots, and his moralistic worldview. Ebert picks up on that theme in his introduction: “We were born five months apart in 1942 … We were children of working-class parents … We attended Roman Catholic schools … We memorized the Latin of the Mass … We went to the movies all the time.…” Long before they ever met each other, these two were kindred spirits. Scorsese’s films spoke with a tone that Ebert had never heard before, and Ebert was Scorsese’s champion well before the director became a household name. As the two have grown old and famous together, this back-and-forth has become a compelling—perhaps even defining—dialogue in their careers.
Read the review at Time.com. Also, read an excerpt from the book.