New York, New York (1977) Special Edition
1.66:1 (16x9 Enhanced)
Dolby Digital 5.1, Monaural
MGM Home Video, $14.95

After a truncated version of New York, New York was theatrically released in 1977, the picture was considered by many to be a directorial failure for Martin Scorsese, who was hot off the successes of Mean Streets, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore and Taxi Driver. An homage to post-war movie musicals and “women’s pictures,” New York, New York seemed an unlikely choice for the director, who was seen by many as a progressive, sometimes angry and often violent voice of the new generation of American filmmaker. It wasn’t until 1981, when Scorsese’s preferred, 164-minute cut of New York, New York was given a theatrical release, that the picture appeared to find an audience. Suddenly, this tribute to the Technicolor fantasy world of the film musical — one that focuses on the darker reality of the characters’ lives — became an overlooked masterpiece.

New York, New York begins in Times Square on V-J Day, 1945, as Jimmy (Robert De Niro), an impetuous but charming saxophone player, hits on singer and USO girl Francine (Liza Minnelli). Though they dislike each other almost instantly, their onstage chemistry leads them to team up professionally and hit the road with a band that Francine headlines. The ambitious Jimmy soon talks Francine into marrying him, and although he quickly tires of his role as key sax player, he reluctantly stays with the band when Francine announces she is pregnant. As their ambitions and accomplishments take divergent paths, the couple’s personal troubles mount.

In his desire to re-create a rich Technicolor look of the late 1940s and early 1950s, Scorsese chose Laszlo Kovacs, ASC (Easy Rider, Paper Moon), to help secure the texture on the single-strip Eastman color stock of the 1970s. Kovacs shone a full spectrum of light on the work of production designer Boris Leven, art director Harry Kemm and costume designer Theadora Van Runkle, who all used and exaggerated a wide range of primary colors. Scorsese wanted New York, New York to have a dreamlike artificiality to contrast with the drama of Jimmy and Francine’s problematic relationship, and the collaboration among the artists working behind the scenes was extremely successful. The picture’s visual style manages to re-create a bygone era and look crisp and contemporary. Kovacs’ arresting camerawork is evident throughout and is especially noteworthy during the “Happy Endings” fantasy sequence, which expertly recalls some of MGM’s most memorable musicals. (Cut by Scorsese for the film’s 1977 release, the climactic “Happy Endings” sequence was restored for the 1981 re-release.)

MGM Home Video has finally released New York, New York on DVD, and the lush, vibrant picture transfer re-creates Kovacs’ work nicely, capturing the film’s unique visual tone. The sound has been digitally enhanced in a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix that is full and well rounded, particularly during musical sequences. A monaural mix is also included.

With the exception of a new introduction, this DVD’s supplements comprise some of the materials previously released on MGM’s excellent 1993 laserdisc of the film. The most substantial of these is Scorsese’s pensive, articulate commentary, which is shared with film critic Carrie Rickey (whose comments seem more obvious than insightful). Also borrowed from the 1993 laserdisc are programs of outtakes, deleted scenes, stills and trailers. Sadly, however, only about half of the deleted scenes featured on the laserdisc are included on this DVD, and hundreds of interesting production stills were also axed, leaving just a few dozen for the DVD. Other laserdisc features missing from this DVD are brief but revealing video interviews with Scorsese and Minnelli, and the film‘s shooting script. Although this DVD features plenty of supplements, it seems odd that MGM didn’t include all of the existing supplements to create the definitive DVD presentation.

A tale of two artists whose relationship is destroyed by competition and success, New York, New York remains one of Scorsese’s more passionate films, and his unusual decision to both embrace and indict the film musical has since been explored by other filmmakers with mixed results. New York, New York is one of the most creative and personal films in the director’s body of work, and it has only gotten better with age.

— Kenneth Sweeney