Martin Scorsese tried something never done before: the restoration of a movie by Alfred Hitchcock, a movie that has never been made... Or maybe not.
Martin Scorsese is interviewed about a 3-minute script by Alfred Hitchcock that he found and is planning to shoot. The action turns to a classical music concert that is taking place in a theater. A young man around 40, a spy or a detective, opens the door to a theater box. He is looking for something that he finally finds inside a light bulb. A young woman from the audience looks up. A violist stops playing when he sees him. Our detective is trying to open the light bulb when the violist arrives. They fight. The musician falls on the audience. The music stops. Our man opens a box containing a bottle of "cava" and two cups. The story returns to Martin Scorsese talking about a missing page. Then, we move to the end. The protagonist and the young lady from the audience are toasting with cava in a romantic position.
In fact, it is a short film promoting the catalan cava Freixenet, directed by Martin Scorsese in the style of Alfred Hitchcock. The only condition stipulated by the brand was the bottle and the name of Reserva had to appear on the screen.
In my book Scorcese and Hitchcock are geniuses, so put them together and you have pure cinematic magic and one incredible commercial. A must see for any Martin Scorcese or Alfred Hitchcock fans, I'm off to watch North by Northwest again.
Official Website
DOWNLOAD: The Key to Reserva.
[Format: MPEG-4 - Size: 44 MB - Running Time: 9 min.]
WATCH: The Key to Reserva
[Format: Quicktime - Size: 44 MB - Running Time: 9 min.]
Credits
Director: Martin Scorsese
Executive creative director: Alex MartÃnez
Creative directors: Rory Lambert and Carles Puig
Director of photography: Harris Savides
Additional photography: Ellen Kuras
Editor: Thelma Schoonmaker
Visual effects supervisor: Rob Legato
What are the Hitchcock references?
The close-up of the violinist that becomes a long shot reverses a similar shot of a twitching drummer in Young and Innocent (1937).
The key and the wine bottle recall Notorious (1946).
The shot of the falling man looks like James Stewart's fall from the window in Rear Window (1954) and especially Norman Lloyd's fall from the Statue of Liberty in Saboteur (1942); but Reggie Nalder was the one who fell from a balcony in an orchestra hall in The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956).
The setting of the hall is lifted from the latter film. The shadow on the music sheet is a quotation from it.
The camera that nearly blinds the hero and turns the screen red recalls what happens to the villain in Rear Window.
The main reference point for this film is North by Northwest (1959). The titles of the film-within-the-film are made to look like Saul Bass's credits. The music score is not a re-creation of Bernard Herrmann's music, but the music itself, artfully edited to follow the action. The characters' names, appearances and roles (hero, villains, heroine, etc.) mirror those of the Hitchcock film. The business card with the initials R.O.T is the same one used by Roger O. Thornhill, the film's protagonist.
The final shot is the reverse of the opening shot in Psycho (1960).The flocking birds of course recall The Birds (1963)
Madison Avenue Journal Article
Shoot Online Article
Other Scorsese Short Films
What's a Nice Girl Like You Doing in a Place Like This? 1963
(IMDB Link)
This early effort by Scorsese demonstrates a real flair with cinematic technique, as well as a cheerfully dry sense of humour.
The Big Shave 1967
(IMDB Link)
Six-minute short from the now legendary director features a lot of his trademark even though this is basically just a student film.
It's Not Just You, Murray! 1964
(IMDB Link)
Now middle-aged, mobster Murray looks back at his humble beginnings as a bootlegger and his rise to becoming wealthy and highly influential. Through it he talks about how much of his success and happiness is due to the support of his "friend" Joe. Unfortunately the only one who blindly believes Joe is anything close to a friend is Murray, because it's obvious to everyone that Joe back-stabs him at every chance and is sleeping with his wife.
The Neigbourhood 2001
(IMDB Link)
A short segment Scorsese directed for the 2001 Concert For New York City. It was introduced by Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro.
Martin Scorsese is interviewed about a 3-minute script by Alfred Hitchcock that he found and is planning to shoot. The action turns to a classical music concert that is taking place in a theater. A young man around 40, a spy or a detective, opens the door to a theater box. He is looking for something that he finally finds inside a light bulb. A young woman from the audience looks up. A violist stops playing when he sees him. Our detective is trying to open the light bulb when the violist arrives. They fight. The musician falls on the audience. The music stops. Our man opens a box containing a bottle of "cava" and two cups. The story returns to Martin Scorsese talking about a missing page. Then, we move to the end. The protagonist and the young lady from the audience are toasting with cava in a romantic position.
In fact, it is a short film promoting the catalan cava Freixenet, directed by Martin Scorsese in the style of Alfred Hitchcock. The only condition stipulated by the brand was the bottle and the name of Reserva had to appear on the screen.
In my book Scorcese and Hitchcock are geniuses, so put them together and you have pure cinematic magic and one incredible commercial. A must see for any Martin Scorcese or Alfred Hitchcock fans, I'm off to watch North by Northwest again.
Official Website
DOWNLOAD: The Key to Reserva.
[Format: MPEG-4 - Size: 44 MB - Running Time: 9 min.]
WATCH: The Key to Reserva
[Format: Quicktime - Size: 44 MB - Running Time: 9 min.]
Credits
Director: Martin Scorsese
Executive creative director: Alex MartÃnez
Creative directors: Rory Lambert and Carles Puig
Director of photography: Harris Savides
Additional photography: Ellen Kuras
Editor: Thelma Schoonmaker
Visual effects supervisor: Rob Legato
What are the Hitchcock references?
The close-up of the violinist that becomes a long shot reverses a similar shot of a twitching drummer in Young and Innocent (1937).
The key and the wine bottle recall Notorious (1946).
The shot of the falling man looks like James Stewart's fall from the window in Rear Window (1954) and especially Norman Lloyd's fall from the Statue of Liberty in Saboteur (1942); but Reggie Nalder was the one who fell from a balcony in an orchestra hall in The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956).
The setting of the hall is lifted from the latter film. The shadow on the music sheet is a quotation from it.
The camera that nearly blinds the hero and turns the screen red recalls what happens to the villain in Rear Window.
The main reference point for this film is North by Northwest (1959). The titles of the film-within-the-film are made to look like Saul Bass's credits. The music score is not a re-creation of Bernard Herrmann's music, but the music itself, artfully edited to follow the action. The characters' names, appearances and roles (hero, villains, heroine, etc.) mirror those of the Hitchcock film. The business card with the initials R.O.T is the same one used by Roger O. Thornhill, the film's protagonist.
The final shot is the reverse of the opening shot in Psycho (1960).The flocking birds of course recall The Birds (1963)
Madison Avenue Journal Article
Shoot Online Article
Other Scorsese Short Films
What's a Nice Girl Like You Doing in a Place Like This? 1963
(IMDB Link)
This early effort by Scorsese demonstrates a real flair with cinematic technique, as well as a cheerfully dry sense of humour.
The Big Shave 1967
(IMDB Link)
Six-minute short from the now legendary director features a lot of his trademark even though this is basically just a student film.
It's Not Just You, Murray! 1964
(IMDB Link)
Now middle-aged, mobster Murray looks back at his humble beginnings as a bootlegger and his rise to becoming wealthy and highly influential. Through it he talks about how much of his success and happiness is due to the support of his "friend" Joe. Unfortunately the only one who blindly believes Joe is anything close to a friend is Murray, because it's obvious to everyone that Joe back-stabs him at every chance and is sleeping with his wife.
The Neigbourhood 2001
(IMDB Link)
A short segment Scorsese directed for the 2001 Concert For New York City. It was introduced by Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro.
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My Favourite Short Films
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