Martin Scorsese’s Divine Comedy : Movies and Religion

Catherine O’Brien draws on the structure of Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy to explore Martin Scorsese’s feature films from Who’s That Knocking at My Door (1967-69) to Silence (2016). This is the first full-length study to focus on the trajectory of faith and doubt during this period, taking very seriously the oft-quoted words of the director himself: ‘My whole life has been movies and religion. That’s it. Nothing else.’ Films discussed include GoodFellas, The Last Temptation of Christ, Taxi Driver and Mean Streets, as well as the more recent The Wolf of Wall Street.Nel poema in 100 canti di Dante, il Pellegrino è guidato dal poeta Virgilio attraverso i gironi dell'Inferno; poi scala la ripida Montagna dei Sette Peccati Capitali del Purgatorio; e finalmente incontra Dio in Paradiso. Abbracciando questa analogia popolare, questo studio immagina Scorsese come un Dante contemporaneo, con la sua opera filmica che offre le dimensioni di una Divina Commedia cinematografica. Attingendo ai dibattiti al centro degli studi religiosi, della teologia, della letteratura e del cinema, questo libro va oltre le attuali esplorazioni della religione nell'opera di Scorsese per affrontare le questioni del peccato e della salvezza nel contesto di più ampi dibattiti sull'escatologia e sull'aldilà. Catherine O'brien Draws On The Structure Of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy To Explore Martin Scorsese's Feature Films From Who's That Knocking At My Door (1967-69) To Silence (2016). This Is The First Full-length Study To Focus On The Trajectory Of Faith And Doubt During This Period, Taking Very Seriously The Oft-quoted Words Of The Director Himself: `my Whole Life Has Been Movies And Religion. That's It. Nothing Else.' Films Discussed Include Goodfellas, The Last Temptation Of Christ, Taxi Driver And Mean Streets, As Well As The More Recent The Wolf Of Wall Street.0in Dante's Poem In 100 Cantos, The Pilgrim Is Guided By The Poet Virgil Down Through The Circles Of Hell In Inferno; He Then Climbs The Steep Mountain Of The Seven Deadly Sins In Purgatory; And He Finally Encounters God In Paradise. Embracing This Popular Analogy, This Study Envisions Scorsese As A Contemporary Dante, With His Filmic Oeuvre Offering The Dimensions Of A Cinematic Divine Comedy. Drawing On Debates At The Heart Of Religious Studies, Theology, Literature And Film, This Book Goes Beyond Existing Explorations Of Religion In Scorsese's Work To Address Issues Of Sin And Salvation Within The Context Of Wider Debates In Eschatology And The Afterlife.--back Cover. Catherine O'brien. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 195-204), Filmography (pages 205-207), And Index. This book is open access and available on www.bloomsburycollections.com. It is funded by Knowledge Unlatched. Catherine O'Brien draws on the structure of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy to explore Martin Scorsese's feature films from Who's That Knocking at My Door (1967-69) to Silence (2016). This is the first full-length study to focus on the trajectory of faith and doubt during this period, taking very seriously the oft-quoted words of the director himself: 'My whole life has been movies and religion. That's it. Nothing else.' Films discussed include GoodFellas, The Last Temptation of Christ, Taxi Driver and Mean Streets, as well as the more recent The Wolf of Wall Street. In Dante's poem in 100 cantos, the Pilgrim is guided by the poet Virgil down through the circles of Hell in Inferno; he then climbs the steep Mountain of the Seven Deadly Sins in Purgatory; and he finally encounters God in Paradise. Embracing this popular analogy, this study envisions Scorsese as a contemporary Dante, with his filmic oeuvre offering the dimensions of a cinematic Divine Comedy. Drawing on debates at the heart of religious studies, theology, literature and film, this book goes beyond existing explorations of religion in Scorsese's work to address issues of sin and salvation within the context of wider debates in eschatology and the afterlife. Catherine O'Brien draws on the structure of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy to explore Martin Scorsese's feature films from Who's That Knocking at My Door (1967-69) to Silence (2016). This is the first full-length study to focus on the trajectory of faith and doubt during this period, taking very seriously the oft-quoted words of the director himself: 'My whole life has been movies and religion. That's it. Nothing else.' Films discussed include GoodFellas, The Last Temptation of Christ, Taxi Driver and Mean Streets, as well as the more recent The Wolf of Wall Street.

In Dante's poem in 100 cantos, the Pilgrim is guided by the poet Virgil down through the circles of Hell in Inferno; he then climbs the steep Mountain of the Seven Deadly Sins in Purgatory; and he finally encounters God in Paradise. Embracing this popular analogy, this study envisions Scorsese as a contemporary Dante, with his filmic oeuvre offering the dimensions of a cinematic Divine Comedy.

Drawing on debates at the heart of religious studies, theology, literature and film, this book goes beyond existing explorations of religion in Scorsese's work to address issues of sin and salvation within the context of wider debates in eschatology and the afterlife. "Catherine O'Brien draws on the structure of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy to explore Martin Scorsese's feature films from Who's That Knocking at My Door (1967-69) to Silence (2016). This is the first full-length study to focus on the trajectory of faith and doubt during this period, taking very seriously the oft-quoted words of the director himself: 'My whole life has been movies and religion. That's it. Nothing else.' Films discussed include GoodFellas, The Last Temptation of Christ, Taxi Driver and Mean Streets, as well as the more recent The Wolf of Wall Street. In Dante's poem in 100 cantos, the Pilgrim is guided by the poet Virgil down through the circles of Hell in Inferno; he then climbs the steep Mountain of the Seven Deadly Sins in Purgatory; and he finally encounters God in Paradise. Embracing this popular analogy, this study envisions Scorsese as a contemporary Dante, with his filmic oeuvre offering the dimensions of a cinematic Divine Comedy. Drawing on debates at the heart of religious studies, theology, literature and film, this book goes beyond existing explorations of religion in Scorsese's work to address issues of sin and salvation within the context of wider debates in eschatology and the afterlife."--Bloomsbury Publishing. Catherine O’Brien draws on the structure of Dante’s Divine Comedy to explore Scorsese’s feature films from Who’s that knocking at my door (1967-69) to Silence (2016). In Dante’s poem in 100 cantos, the Pilgrim is guided by the poet Virgil down through the circles of Hell in Inferno; he then climbs the steep Mountain of the Seven Deadly Sins in Purgatory; and he finally encounters God in Paradise. Embracing this popular analogy, this study envisions Martin Scorsese as a contemporary Dante, with his filmic oeuvre offering the dimensions of a cinematic Divine Comedy. Martin Scorsese’s Divine Comedy is the first full-length study to focus on the trajectory of faith and doubt from 1967-2016, taking very seriously the oft-quoted words of the director himself: ‘My whole life has been movies and religion. That’s it. Nothing else.’ Films discussed include GoodFellas, Casino, Taxi Driver and Mean Streets, as well as the more recent Wolf of Wall Street and Silence. Cover Half-title Title Copyright Contents Acknowledgements List of Images Introduction Part One: Inferno: Visions of Hell 1. Hell on Earth 2. Sympathy for the Devil 3. Betrayal Part Two: Purgatory: The Three Story Mountain 4. Misdirected Love 5. Insufficient Love 6. Excessive Love Part Three: Paradise (Lost or Found?) 7. Encountering Jesus 8. The Compassion Connection 9. The Mystery of God’s Love Conclusion Bibliography Filmography Index