Scorsese & Authorship Theory
Paper Assignment One | Prompt One
In the context of this analysis, authorship will be defined as both origin and personality. Martin Scorsese’s authorship is made apparent through his repeated use of the subject matter of isolation. In the films Mean Streets (Martin Scorsese 1973), Italianamerican (Martin Scorsese 1974), and Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese 1976) Scorsese is able to depict different forms of isolation by drawing on personal experiences and using reoccurring ¬¬¬styles and themes throughout; in particular, Scorsese’s interest in sin and penance as well as his unique music selection.
Authorship can be viewed in a multitude of ways. The first definition to be understood is authorship as origin. In this regard, authorship is to be evaluated on “the basis of the biography of the author” (Staiger 30). The adherent life an author lives must be taken into account and held as evidence of the interpretation of authorship. This implies that while assessing the intent of an author, the author is held as a free agent and it is understood that the message portrayed comes straight from the author’s interiority and is not inhibited by linguistic or philosophical interpretations. Within this definition the author creates by a spark of genius which is intentional and not a result of the unconscious. Since this authorship is intentional by the author, readers can use interviews and other accounts to aid in interpreting a piece of work because the author is scene as psychological unity.
This interpretation of authorship provides unique pros and cons. This definition allows readers to apply an additional strong contextual background to a piece of work, which aids in understanding an author’s intent. The substance under interpretation is no longer limited to what is supplied by the work, but includes a rich background containing different events and morals that aid understanding. In addition, this definition removes the question of intentional meaning.
In the context of this analysis, authorship will be defined as both origin and personality. Martin Scorsese’s authorship is made apparent through his repeated use of the subject matter of isolation. In the films Mean Streets (Martin Scorsese 1973), Italianamerican (Martin Scorsese 1974), and Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese 1976) Scorsese is able to depict different forms of isolation by drawing on personal experiences and using reoccurring ¬¬¬styles and themes throughout; in particular, Scorsese’s interest in sin and penance as well as his unique music selection.
Authorship can be viewed in a multitude of ways. The first definition to be understood is authorship as origin. In this regard, authorship is to be evaluated on “the basis of the biography of the author” (Staiger 30). The adherent life an author lives must be taken into account and held as evidence of the interpretation of authorship. This implies that while assessing the intent of an author, the author is held as a free agent and it is understood that the message portrayed comes straight from the author’s interiority and is not inhibited by linguistic or philosophical interpretations. Within this definition the author creates by a spark of genius which is intentional and not a result of the unconscious. Since this authorship is intentional by the author, readers can use interviews and other accounts to aid in interpreting a piece of work because the author is scene as psychological unity.
This interpretation of authorship provides unique pros and cons. This definition allows readers to apply an additional strong contextual background to a piece of work, which aids in understanding an author’s intent. The substance under interpretation is no longer limited to what is supplied by the work, but includes a rich background containing different events and morals that aid understanding. In addition, this definition removes the question of intentional meaning.
Cited: 1) Mean Streets. Dir. Martin Scorsese. Perf. Harvey Keitel, Robert De Niro. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., 1973. DVD. 2) Italianamerican. Dir. Martin Scorsese. Perf. Catherine Scorsese, Charles Scorsese. Scorsese Productions, Inc. 1974. VHS. 3) Taxi Driver. Dir. Martin Scorsese. Perf. Harvey Keitel, Robert De Niro. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., 1976. DVD. 4) Scorsese, Martin, Ian Christie, and David Thompson. Scorsese on Scorsese. London: Faber, 1996. Print.