After Hours

"After Hours",  by Martin Scorsese is one of his films that not many people have seen. It may not be on the level of his gangster epics, or the hubris downfall of the protagonist genre, but it falls very much in the vein of exploring New York City as his other film's have . After Hours,  follows  Paul a hapless computer writer who after responding to a woman's advances at a coffee shop, descends into a horrifying tale of death, deceit, paper mache, and robbery, as he tries to get home before he has to report to work in the morning.
Many reviews bring up the Kafka-esque inclusons, and homages in the film, however as a director  Martin injects his own little film nugget quirks. For example, throughout the film we bear witness to various artists with specific passions and talents; a writer, dancer, sculptor, artist,  but all of them are confined in some sort of way. The writer we meet in the beginning is trapped at his desk, the dancer behind his cash register, the sculpter in her apartment, and the artist by her own maddening neurosis.  It takes the literal  film artist to shine a spot light them, as literally depicted in one scene where Martin Scorsese playing himself in a BDSM bar flashes a spotlight on Paul as he tries to escape. The period of the 80s for Martin was severely debilatating, he was going through drug addiction, a creative drought, and his previous film was in production hell. The city he called home and  was becoming a staple for his films had become a living nightmare. This nightmare becomes expressed through the titular character as he tries to escape, but in the end just winds up at his dead end job.  While these artistic characters in the film suffer from non-artistic suffocation, it is Gabe who is literally smothered by art. The transplanted metaphorical character of Martin is trapped like himself and Martin is saying he needs to break free.

In addition, Scorsese implements numerous film references and techniques. One of the inspiration according to another internet source states Hitchcock was one of the many influences in this film. From the dolly movements, to the tight framing that gives a sense of paranoia, and the music. Although another interesting reference to Hitchcock in the film, is the  woman itself. The trademark Hitchock leading woman is Caucasian,blonde haired, blue eyed, with an air of mystery,  or perhaps a manipulating sultrous. Ever single one of the woman Paul encounters and seeks help from is just that; caucasian, blonde, and blue eyed. In addition, as time goes by in the film, the female characters themselves become more deceptive and older, becoming weary of the surroundings, just as Paul. Paul who just wants to have sex and Martin just wants to make a movie but both are cursed and neither will gain what they desire.

'"After Hours", may not be Martin's greatest film, but it is an interesting film nonetheless to dissect, about another crude and paranoid side of New York City that isn't found in any gangster epics of Scorcesee or fast talking  couples lamenting about relationship issues that is found in Woody Allen film's. It is a fun third alternative, with  excellent performances, fantastic directing, editing,  and a unique,well done score.