Title: Il Mio Viaggio In Italia (My
Voyage To Italy)
Narrated By: Martin Scorsese
Director: Martin Scorsese
Running Time: 4 hours and 5 minutes
without commercials as a whole
Media: TCM World Television Premiere
Documentary (NTSC VHS Screener)
World Premiere Friday, June 7, 2002, at
8pm (ET)
Network: Turner Classic Movies (Check
your local cable/satellite listings for channel)
Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera
Martin Scorsese’s new documentary,
“Il Mio Viaggio In Italia (My Voyage To Italy)” will make its television
premiere on Turner Classic Movies on Friday, June 7, 2002, at 8pm (ET). Scorsese
will share personal insights as the on-air host of the television premiere on
TCM, as well as the upcoming festival of 20 films from Italy’s most acclaimed
directors, including “The Bicycle Thief (1948), from director Vittorio De Sica,
and “8 ½ “ (1963) and “La Strada (1964) from Federico Fellini. The black
and white documentary will air on Friday, June 7, 2002.
Hosted, co-written, and directed by
Scorsese, this journey through Italian movie history is part informative
introduction to Italian cinema, part tribute to some of its greatest films and
filmmakers, and part autobiography of Scorsese. “Il Mio Viaggio In Italia (My
Voyage To Italy)” features film clips and personal photos and footage to
present a passionate look at the Italian movies that formed him as a filmmaker
and as a person. Scorsese recalls the emotional impact he felt watching these
films on televisions as a young boy and the striking differences between the
realistic images of Italian films compared to the Hollywood Westerns and
fantasies he was watching during the same time period. In addition to explaining
how the films encouraged him to learn about his family’s heritage, Scorsese
also gives a detailed synopsis of each film and explains its place in cultural
and film history. The documentary received critical acclaim when it was released
theatrically in 2001, and was awarded the Film Heritage Award by the National
Society of Film Critics.
Turner Classic Movies presents “Il
Mio Viaggio In Italia (My Voyage To Italy)” in the (1.85:1) letterboxed aspect
ratio preserving the look of the original theatrical exhibition with the clips
within the documentary presented in their theatrical exhibition as well as
examples of how the films were presented on American and Italian television
sometimes showing examples of unrestored or the best print available of films
that Scorsese discusses with the passion and articulation of a man who not only
is one of the world’s best filmmakers, but watching this documentary is like
attending the best film school lecture on Italian cinema without having to leave
your living room. This documentary is a must see for any student of film,
Italian film buff, historian, or just someone who loves movies in general. It
truly amazes me how through his words alone Scorsese was able to draw me into
his own enthusiasm and make me want to see some of these classic films. The
documentary also sheds insight into the psyche of a filmmaker hinting even when
nothing is said what might have inspired Scorsese to become the great filmmaker
he is today.
Following the documentary, Turner
Classic Movies will air their spotlight on Italian Directors festival featuring
the following films:
Friday,
June 7, 2002
8pm
- Il Mio Viaggio In Italia (My Voyage To Italy)
12:15am
- The Bicycle Thief
2am
- Umberto D.
3:45am
- The Children Are Watching
5:30am
- The Wide Blue Road
Friday,
June 14, 2002
8pm
- Open City
9:45pm
- Paisan
12am
- Germany, Year Zero
1:30am
- Stromboli
3:30am
- The Last Days Of Pompeii
5am
- Cabria
Friday,
June 21, 2002
8pm
- Ossessione
1030pm
- La Terra Trema
1:30am
- Senso
3:30am
- Rocco And His Brothers
Friday,
June 28, 2002
8pm
- 8 ½
10:30pm
- La Strada
12:30am
- The White Shiek
2am
- The Iron Crown
3:45am
- L’Avventura
6:15am
- La Notte
Do not miss this television documentary
premiere. Consider it essential viewing. “Il Mio Viaggio In Italia (My Voyage
To Italy)” will premiere on Turner Classic Movies on Friday, June 7, 2002, at
8pm (ET).
© Copyright 2002 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.