NEW YORK, NEW YORK

There's also the strange imbalance between De Niro and Minnelli. Jimmy is another in De Niro's impressive cast of reprehensible characters, but within the context of this experiment, he's completely at odds with the film around him. It's hard to root for Jimmy at any point, whether it be the insistent flirting with Francine in the early scenes or waiting for her to come back in the final minutes. Scorsese's decision to play with improvisation gives De Niro even more permission to be volatile, and rather than supporting Minnelli through this style, he always attempts to dominate her. This is arguably the greatest period of De Niro as an actor, but 'New York, New York' shows the actor at his most volatile.

By contrast, Minnelli is absolutely stunning as Francine. In many ways, this is an even greater performance than her Oscar-winning turn in 'Cabaret'. The improvisation frees here in many ways, allowing her natural charisma to erupt in thrilling and heartbreaking ways. She also has an impeccable understanding of how to marry the film's artifice and truth, arguably more so than even Scorsese. You'd expect her musical moments to shine ('But The World Goes 'Round' is magnificent), but she truly shines every moment she's on-screen. Whether the film ever truly realises that Francine is the central character is debatable - 'New York, New York' owes a debt to the perennially remade 'A Star Is Born', and like many versions of that classic Hollywood story, it persists in thinking the film is about the tragic male genius rather than the shattered, equally genius woman at his side.

This sense of the derivative also creates contradictions in the film. Scorsese wears his influences on his sleeve, but they both support and hinder him. Take the 'Happy Endings' musical sequence for example, cut from the original theatrical release and reinstated for the directors cut. It borrows from the tradition of the third act dream ballet or musical sequence, where the narrative stops and we slip into a fully artificial, musically driven fantasy. Many of the great musically-oriented films, from 'The Red Shoes' to 'An American in Paris' to 'Singin' in the Rain' to 'La La Land', employ this technique, one that can baffle and thrill in equal measure. That Scorsese chooses to resurrect this technique is bold at the very least, but he does so without understanding their function. Often, as historian Daniel Kremer highlights in his video essay included in the set, these sequence comment on the emotional or psychological subtext of the main narrative (such as the dream ballet in 'Oklahoma!') or, in others, such as 'Singin' in the Rain', provide a fantastical diversion with vague connection to the plot. This latter sequence is clearly a major influence (the last shot of 'Happy Endings' mirrors the last shot of the 'Broadway Melody' sequence), but rather than providing commentary or diversion, 'Happy Endings' feels more like a summary of everything we've seen already, and as we've crossed the two hour mark. The music from John Kander and Fred Ebb is wonderful, and Scorsese's staging is dynamic, but nothing feels emotionally necessary. There's a sense that the sequence is there as an intellectual exercise, rather than an emotional or psychological one.

That 'New York, New York' should feel like a momentary loss of direction for Scorsese speaks in its favour as a fascinating cinematic object. His contemporaries Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola also indulged in such moments, and 'New York, New York' is a much better film than '1941' or 'One From The Heart'. Perhaps the problem here is that it feels like a missed opportunity. This isn't a film that a new and through reconstruction could save (the improvisation makes that impossible), and while the audacity of the stylistic experiment is admirable, it is possible to admire a film while not being able to connect with it. At its best though, 'New York, New York' is a potent portrait of the struggles of balancing the artistic and the personal, the poison of professional jealousy and the violence in the fear of failure. The latter is written into the fabric of the film itself, an emotional violence born from the pursuit of artistic daring.

PICTURE & SOUND
This Imprint release doesn't provide information on the origins of the 1080p 1.66:1 transfer for the 163-minute Director's Cut (the aspect ratio a compromise for Scorsese, who wanted to shoot the film in Academy Ratio to mirror the classic Hollywood musicals). Comparing this transfer to the review of the 2011 MGM Blu-ray release in the U.S. at Blu-ray.com, it seems to be the transfer prepared for that release. This makes the transfer nearly 15 years old, and it certainly shows its age. There's a noticeable lack of detail and while grain is certainly present, it's quite aggressive at points. A key example is the aforementioned 'But The World Goes 'Round' sequence (also mentioned in the Blu-ray.com review), an astounding single shot that starts at a distance from Minnelli before moving in as a close-up. At the start of the shot, there's so little detail that it's difficult to see any fine detail in her face. Overall, the colours are also quite muted, giving the look of the film a tired, quality. By comparison, the 1080p 1.66:1 transfer for the 137 min European theatrical cut (which excises 'Happy Endings' and a large chunk of the second act) looks a little more robust, with slightly finer detail and brighter colours, but once again, comparing the same sequence in this transfer betrays its age.

One can't blame Imprint for these shortcomings; it's exciting to finally have this film on Blu-ray in Australia, and the European cut is a fascinating additional artefact (though again, it isn't clear where this transfer has come from). One could also argue that this is how the film should look, this dusty quality. By the same token though, and considering the extraordinary restorations we have of the films Scorsese is referencing in 'New York, New York', a proper restoration could bring out a new visual beauty in the film, further supporting the notion of "artifice and truth" he was aiming for.

In terms of sound, both versions include DTS-HD 5.1 surround tracks (with the Directors Cut also including LPCM 2.0 stereo). Again, the tracks here betray their age, with a significant volume imbalance between moments of intimacy and more bombastic ones with, at times, a startling effect. That said, it's a robust track that aims to replicate the sound style of the films it is referencing.

SPECIAL FEATURES
Imprint's release of 'New York, New York' is a three-disc set, with the first disc devoted to the Director's Cut, the second to the European Cut and the third to the collection of special features. While the second disc only includes the film, the first and third include the following (new features marked in bold):

DISC ONE

• Audio Commentary by filmmaker/film historian Daniel Kremer
• Audio Commentary by director Martin Scorsese and film critic Carrie Rickey
• Introduction by director Martin Scorsese (5:38)
• Teaser Trailer (2:07)
• Theatrical Trailer (3:27)

DISC THREE

• 'Player Piano Player' - Interview with actor Barry Primus (24:15)
• Bonus Extended Barry Primus Interview Footage (3:27)
• 'Momentary Departures: Movie Ballets, Musical Showstoppers and Detours' – video essay by filmmaker / film historian Daniel Kremer (14:15)
• Scene-by-scene Audio Commentary by cinematographer László Kovács (10:14)
• The 'New York, New York' Stories: Part 1 (25:32) and Part 2 (26:58)
• Liza on 'New York, New York' – interview with actress Liza Minnelli (22:09)
• Archival interviews with actress Liza Minnelli (5:03)
• Archival interview with director Martin Scorsese (5:11)
• Pre-title Card with NEW Audio Commentary by Daniel Kremer (2:07)
• Super 8 Version (17:00)
• Storyboards (2:34)
• Alternate and deleted scenes (19:14)
• Alternate ending (1:29)

The majority of the extras pull from the previous Laserdisc, DVD and Blu-ray releases of the film, though it was difficult to get a comprehensive idea of the content from the Laserdisc in particular, so it's hard to say what might be missing here. Of this classic material, the two-part 'New York, New York Stories' documentary and the interview with Minnelli are the highlights, providing a comprehensive look at the making of the film. I was also charmed to see the Super 8 Version included, essentially a 17-minute cutdown version of the film released for use at home with Super 8 projectors.

Of more interest here is the new material created for Imprint for this release. The best material here is from filmmaker and historian Daniel Kremer, in particular his thorough and detailed audio commentary on the Director's Cut and his video essay on the third-act musical showstopper convention in classic musicals. While he doesn't discuss 'New York, New York' at length in this video, he does provide necessary context for the film's most elaborate sequence, and the commentary certainly satisfies the hunger for more information about the film itself. 'Player Piano Player' is also a charming conversation with actor Barry Primus, who plays fellow band member Paul Wilson. He recalls his meeting with Scorsese and his experiences making the film with great detail and candour.

As always, Imprint provide elaborate packaging for the release, the three discs housed in two plastic cases housed in a well-designed hard box. Also included is a handsome hardback book that includes an excellent essay by critic Bilge Ebiri, complemented by plenty of images from the film.

Short of a full restoration of the film and the inclusion of the original US theatrical cut, this is about as comprehensive a release of 'New York, New York' as one could hope for. One can only hope that Scorsese has the opportunity to restore his fascinating failure in the near future, hopefully with a 4K UHD release that reveals a new vibrancy to the film.