Ben Nyce recently retired as professor of literature and film at the University of San Diego. He has written many articles and is the author of Satyajit Ray: A Study of His Films (1988).

There have been more than two dozen books already written about director Martin Scorsese, so do we really need another one? If it's Ben Nyce's Scorsese Up Close: A Study of the Films (Scarecrow Press), the answer is an unequivocal yes. In only 176 pages, the author gives us a concise study of the cinematic text of the Scorsese oeuvre, from his early student works through Bringing Up the Dead, with a brief postscript on Gangs of New York . This is a perfect introduction to films like Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Age of Innocence and all the maestro's other pictures. I really like Nyce's ability to study each picture through certain key sequences, giving us an overview of each project's roots and reception. I also like the fact that Nyce gives high ratings to two of my favorite (and underrated) Scorsese movies - New York, New York and New York Stories: Life Lessons. This book is also a nice supplement to the newly released five-disc Scorsese Collection on DVD.

• Part 1 AcknowledgmentsPart 2 To the ReaderPart 3 Chapter 1: BeginningsChapter 4 WHAT'S A NICE GIRL LIKE YOU DOING IN A PLACE LIKE THIS?; IT'S NOT JUST YOU MURRAY!; THE BIG SHAVE; WHO'S THAT KNOCKING AT MY DOOR?; BOX CAR BERTHAPart 5 Chapter 2: A New VoiceChapter 6 MEAN STREETS; ITALIANAMERICANPart 7 Chapter 3: A Career ChoiceChapter 8 ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMOREPart 9 Chapter 4: The Strange and FamiliarChapter 10 TAXI DRIVERPart 11 Chapter 5: A New, New MusicalChapter 12 NEW YORK, NEW YORK; THE LAST WALTZ; AMERICAN BOYPart 13 Chapter 6: BloodropeChapter 14 RAGING BULLPart 15 Chapter 7: Empty SpacesChapter 16 THE KING OF COMEDYPart 17 Chapter 8: The Bad LadiesChapter 18 AFTER HOURSPart 19 Chapter 9: An Homage and a Career ChoiceChapter 20 THE COLOR OF MONEYPart 21 Chapter 10: The Agony on the HillChapter 22 THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRISTPart 23 Chapter 11: The Artist as AgonistChapter 24 LIFE LESSONSPart 25 Chapter 12: The Real CrewChapter 26 GOODFELLASPart 27 Chapter 13: Prelude to RapeChapter 28 CAPE FEARPart 29 Chapter 14: A Life UnlivedChapter 30 THE AGE OF INNOCENCEPart 31 Chapter 15: The Mob AgainChapter 32 CASINOPart 33 Chapter 16: The Buddhist SoulChapter 34 KUNDUNPart 35 Chapter 17: The Urban SaintChapter 36 BRINGING OUT THE DEADPart 37 ConclusionPart 38 Postscript:GANGS OF NEW YORKPart 39 BibliographyPart 40 Index

Ben Nyce recently retired as professor of literature and film at the University of San Diego. He has written many articles and is the author of Satyajit Ray: A Study of His Films (1988).

There have been more than two dozen books already written about director Martin Scorsese, so do we really need another one? If it's Ben Nyce's Scorsese Up Close: A Study of the Films (Scarecrow Press), the answer is an unequivocal yes. In only 176 pages, the author gives us a concise study of the cinematic text of the Scorsese oeuvre, from his early student works through Bringing Up the Dead, with a brief postscript on Gangs of New York . This is a perfect introduction to films like Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Age of Innocence and all the maestro's other pictures. I really like Nyce's ability to study each picture through certain key sequences, giving us an overview of each project's roots and reception. I also like the fact that Nyce gives high ratings to two of my favorite (and underrated) Scorsese movies - New York, New York and New York Stories: Life Lessons. This book is also a nice supplement to the newly released five-disc Scorsese Collection on DVD.

• Part 1 AcknowledgmentsPart 2 To the ReaderPart 3 Chapter 1: BeginningsChapter 4 WHAT'S A NICE GIRL LIKE YOU DOING IN A PLACE LIKE THIS?; IT'S NOT JUST YOU MURRAY!; THE BIG SHAVE; WHO'S THAT KNOCKING AT MY DOOR?; BOX CAR BERTHAPart 5 Chapter 2: A New VoiceChapter 6 MEAN STREETS; ITALIANAMERICANPart 7 Chapter 3: A Career ChoiceChapter 8 ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMOREPart 9 Chapter 4: The Strange and FamiliarChapter 10 TAXI DRIVERPart 11 Chapter 5: A New, New MusicalChapter 12 NEW YORK, NEW YORK; THE LAST WALTZ; AMERICAN BOYPart 13 Chapter 6: BloodropeChapter 14 RAGING BULLPart 15 Chapter 7: Empty SpacesChapter 16 THE KING OF COMEDYPart 17 Chapter 8: The Bad LadiesChapter 18 AFTER HOURSPart 19 Chapter 9: An Homage and a Career ChoiceChapter 20 THE COLOR OF MONEYPart 21 Chapter 10: The Agony on the HillChapter 22 THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRISTPart 23 Chapter 11: The Artist as AgonistChapter 24 LIFE LESSONSPart 25 Chapter 12: The Real CrewChapter 26 GOODFELLASPart 27 Chapter 13: Prelude to RapeChapter 28 CAPE FEARPart 29 Chapter 14: A Life UnlivedChapter 30 THE AGE OF INNOCENCEPart 31 Chapter 15: The Mob AgainChapter 32 CASINOPart 33 Chapter 16: The Buddhist SoulChapter 34 KUNDUNPart 35 Chapter 17: The Urban SaintChapter 36 BRINGING OUT THE DEADPart 37 ConclusionPart 38 Postscript:GANGS OF NEW YORKPart 39 BibliographyPart 40 Index