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Martin Scorsese’s New York ,New York, made in 1977, is a vaudeville film made to imitate the style of many 1930’s Hollywood cinema. I have never been a big fan of Scorsese and for the most part it is because the material he chooses to work with doesn’t appeal to me, Taxi Driver is the only exception I can think or right now. As a filmmaker though, I am starting to respect him more and more. New York, New York is not just a vaudeville musical, at it’s depths it is a story about two creative people whose need to make some thing of themselves pushes them apart.

Scorsese uses every trick in the book and exaggerates every stereotype that dominates this genre. From the timid salon singer Francine (Liza Minnelli) to single minded energetic, Saxophone player, Jimmy (Robert De Niro) in his suits with over sized solder pads, Scorsese’s characters are flawless. There is a truth to them that was not often apparent in vaudeville characters of the 30’s. They are flawed, but in a way that attacks the audience with annoyance rather then sympathy and in that way makes a film that takes place on an incredibly false setting, filmed all in studio, much more real. Scorsese made a film that both entertains his audience and respects their intelligence at the same time, giving a twist to the old films of the 30’s that has made this film last.

The appealing aspect of this film is the approach to this sort of artists complex, a need to be human and be loved but above all to never stop creating. Scorsese treats this desire with a sort of valor, an acknowledgment that a human is much more then just someone who needs to be loved and to live but someone who needs to find accomplishment to find contentment.

Scorsese does not necessarily attack it in his film, but a film like this always brings up the question of an artists place. Is this desire to make something of himself, that comes through so strongly in Robert De Niro’s character, a selfish trait or is it a need to reach out and by doing so discovering what he is? Scorsese tells his story in such a way that it is obvious the characters know what is pulling them apart and feel no real distain towards each other. The two lovers have an understanding and never question why they can not make things work because it is always and has always been so clear to them.

York New, New York succeeds in it’s ability to turn an ancient story into something that is still appealing more then 20 years after it was made. It is a perfect portrait of what made New York one of the modern day art capital of the world and the sort of people it took to do that.