For over four decades Martin Scorsese has been the chronicler of an obsessivesociety where material possessions and physical comfort are valued where thepursuit... » 

For over four decades Martin Scorsese has been the chronicler of an obsessivesociety where material possessions and physical comfort are valued where thepursuit of individual improvement is rewarded and where male prerogative isrespected and preserved. Scorsese has often described his films as sociologyand he has a point his storytelling condenses complex information intocomprehensible narratives about society. In this sense he has been a guidethrough a dark world of nineteenth century cryptofascism to a fetishistictwentieth century in which goods fame money and power are held to havemagical power. Author of Tyson Nurture of the Beast and Beckham EllisCashmore turns his attention to arguably the most influential living filmmaker to explore how Scorsese envisions America. Greed manhood the city andromantic love feature on Scorseses landscape of secular materialism. They areamong the themes Cashmore argues have driven and inform Scorseses work. Thisis America as seen through the eyes of Martin Scorsese and it is a deeplyunpleasant place. Cashmores book discloses how collectively Scorseses filmspresent an image of America. Its an image assembled from the perspectives ofobsessive people whether burnedout paramedics compulsive entrepreneurstortured lovers or celebrityfixated comedians. Its collected from poolhalls taxicabs boxing rings and jazz clubs. Its an image thats specificyet ubiquitous. It is Martin Scorseses America. «