Scorsese. He’s the highest rated living (and active) director on the list! In some ways Scorsese is the easiest to discuss (I’ve seen each of his fiction films twice (aside from Silence) and I’ve written about him and discussed him so often. On the other hand, in some ways, he’s one of the toughest because he is still working and therefore hasn’t been a lot of time to reflect. He’s made 24 feature fiction films by my count and the last 22 have been archievable- prolific and consistent. Remarkable. Scorsese’s case is really two fold—1. Those trio of films at the top—get this—since 1976 (Taxi Driver) Scorsese has made 3 of the best 10 films…. Pause…. 2. The depth of quality- Scorsese is a perfectionist so there’s never a lackluster effort- the images below from his 8-10 best films (Shutter Island, King of Comedy, Aviator) are incredible—but you could grab some from films like After Hours, Kundun and Gangs of New York as well.
Best film: Raging Bull. I’ve really never wavered here but I don’t get angered when someone argues for Goodfellas or Taxi Driver (which gets better every time I see it). I think Raging Bull is now a top 5 all-time film. It’s the best film really since Apocalypse Now (of the 80’s, 90’s and 21st century). It’s masterful and features some of the best editing of all-time (the in-ring editing, camerawork and editing—my god), one of the most beautiful films of all-time (those opening credits), and the best single performance of all-time. Tough to beat that.
Here’s a snip I found from De Palma
“And during the shooting of ‘Scarface,’ ‘Raging Bull’ comes out. And so he goes and sees ‘Raging Bull’ at the theater, and it just starts off with that opening credits shot. Of that classical music playing and the big, wide shot of the ring and Jake Lamada there just bouncing in slow motion in his robe. ‘No matter what you do, no matter how good you are, there’s always Scorsese. There’s always Scorsese challenging you right there.”’
total archiveable films: 22
top 100 films: 3 (Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Taxi Driver)
top 500 films: 7 (Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Mean Streets, Casino, The Departed, The Age of Innocence)
top 100 films of the decade: 10 (Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Mean Streets, Casino, The Departed, The Age of Innocence, King of Comedy, Shutter Island The Aviator)
most overrated: New York, New York according to TSPDT is Scorsese’s 8th best film and #773 of all-time. I think I’d have it around his 15th slot at best.
“priest’s eye view” ceiling tracking shot at the end of Taxi Driver
most underrated: The Leo era— Are they as good as the De Niro films (which Pesci had a big hand in 3 of)? No. But they are officially underrated at this point. Scorsese has 9 in the top 1000 of all-time on TSPDT and not one from the brilliant collaborations with Leo? Shutter Island is the most underrated of those. Robert Richardson’s work as DP with Scorsese here makes for some of the best photography in the 2010’s decade.
gem I want to spotlight: Mean Streets. Without the proper context you’ll see all the flaws here and nothing but. It’s not Scorsese’s debut (it’s his third film), and it doesn’t have the polish of The 400 Blows or Breathless but the American New Wave of the 70’s is real and this film is a landmark. The best points in this film (the wonderful opening voice-over by Scorsese himself, the pop/rock soundtrack, the triple-editing technique (same image zoomed-in with short ellipsis), the “rubber biscuit” song scene with the reverse POV) are all breathtaking. Scorsese is throwing 100 mph and even if it doesn’t all land it’s superior to almost everything else out there before and after. How about the lighting in the bar? The slow-motion track in on Keitel at the bar? This film, stylistically and thematically (Keitel is Liotta, De Niro is Pesci) is a rough draft of Goodfellas. For the longest time I held this against Mean Streets but don’t make that mistake like I did- it’s a masterpiece- it’s just not a top 20 film of all-time like Goodfellas. So what.
stylistic innovations/traits:
This feels really dumb to try to put into a paragraph. Scorsese is a brilliant stylist as I said and is also a great student of film so he not only has his own voice but borrows from some of the best of cinema. In Goodfellas alone he has one of the greatest single uses of freeze-frame (hello Truffaut and the French New Wave), open narration (Jules and Jim again), The Great Train Robbery (final shot of Pesci pointing at the camera), a pop/rock soundtrack that is second to none and amongst the great tracking shots of all-time (Copacabana scene)—and a rival of that is the “priest’s eye view” ceiling tracking shot at the end of Taxi Driver. His films are directed with stylistically motivated energy. Taxi Driver borrows form Bresson and The Searchers. The Departed recreates the beautiful finale from The Third Man. The signature triple-edit is from Varda’s Cleo From 5 to 7. Scorsese’s influence with slow-motion tracking shots set to pop/rock can been seen in everyone from PT (Boogie Nights) to Wes (Royal Tenenbaums) and how about that cutaway in Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs that matches the one from Scorsese cutting away from Travis Bickle on the phone to show an empty hall? So Scorsese has influenced Wes, PT (PT takes the high and low musical peaks and violent breakouts from Taxi Driver and puts them in Punch-Drunk Love as well) and Tarantino. Scorsese’s subjects and themes are ruminations on masculinity and morality.
top 10
- Raging Bull
- Goodfellas
- Taxi Driver
- Mean Streets
- Casino
- The Departed
- The Age of Innocence
- Shutter Island
- King of Comedy
- The Aviator
By year and grades
| 1973- Mean Streets | MP |
| 1974- Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore | R/HR |
| 1976- Taxi Driver | MP |
| 1977- New York, New York | R |
| 1980- Raging Bull | MP |
| 1982- King of Comedy | |
| 1985- After Hours | R |
| 1986- The Color of Money | R |
| 1988- The Last Temptation of Christ | R |
| 1990- Goodfellas | MP |
| 1991- Cape Fear | R |
| 1993- Age of Innocence | MS |
| 1995- Casino | MS |
| 1997- Kundun | R |
| 1999- Bringing out the Dead | R |
| 2002- Gangs of New York | HR |
| 2004- The Aviator | MS |
| 2006- The Departed | MS/MP |
| 2010- Shutter Island | MS |
| 2011- Hugo | R |
| 2013- The Wolf of Wall Street | R/HR |
| 2016- Silence | R |
*MP is Masterpiece- top 1-3 quality of the year film
MS is Must-see- top 5-6 quality of the year film
HR is Highly Recommend- top 10 quality of the year film
R is Recommend- outside the top 10 of the year quality film but still in the archives
« And during the shooting of ‘Scarface ». I heard the same story (in Blow Up,YouTube show) from Tarantino but during the shooting of Blow Out (1981).
Of course the work with Leo is underrated but it’s funny,i think that you underestimate the best Marty-Leo movie : The Wolf of Wall-Street.
For me,this is a masterpiece. The mise en scene,the acting,the cinematography,the editing. This says it all,all Marty’s career is in The Wolf… Un film-testament as we said in France.
Thanks KidCharlemagne– yeah the “blow up” time frame would be closer to “raging bull” so that would make more sense. I’m sure Tarantino is remembering it wrong as this article is an interview he gave about the movie brats (de palma/scorsese) and he’s retelling de palma’s story.
Yeah i just don’t see it with “Wolf of Wall Street”— the only one i’d agree with here is the acting. i don’t see the mise-en-scene brilliance, the camera is pretty static actually for a Scorsese film and i don’t see the remarkable editing either. Perhaps I’m wrong. I’ll be seeing it, along with all of Scorsese’s other films, here shortly again when i prep for “The Irishman” so we’ll see.
It’s hard for me to defend the movie with another language. The key word here : rewind. Hard to believe that Marty was 71.
@kidcharlemagne –thanks- rewind? that doesn’t sound like much of a defense. If you’re familiar with the movie just mention the section of the movie and what about it you want to praise. really easy to do.
The movie is not really about Belfort ,it’s about people (like you & me),luxury. A movie about Wall Street but it’s not luxury like in a documentary style,not in a « morale » way.
Scorsese confronts us with our vices. The final scene shows us that. Marty made this in a really « cinematographic » way (the mise en scene : a car could change his color with a Belfort’s statement,the montage follows the idea that we are in the Belfort’s head,really great use of voice over here). Dynamic montage for dynamic movie (3 hours of pure cinematography,what else ?).
Did i really need to talk about the acting because it’s a reel bonus,it’s crazy acting not over the top,it’s like Pesci acting in Goodfellas or Casino (not Home Alone or Lethal Weapon). The dialogue is so funny (Terrence Winter,logic) look the dinner scene,c’est comme au théâtre,really great scene.
thanks @KidCharlemagne — You have a passionate defense of the film and that’s great. You’re not alone- i have some cinematically intelligent friends that think i highly underrate the film as well— Of the Leo collaborations I think, clearly, it’s not visually on par with “Shutter Island” or “Aviator” (search for some screen grabs and you’ll see the same – very clear. The narrative brilliance of “The Departed” isn’t here in “Wolf” either. So that puts it with “Gangs of New York” and I i’d still probably give the end to the 2002 film. Leo is fantastic in “Wolf” but i’d take DDL’s performance in “Gangs” over it.
I agree with you about The Departed & Aviator. Shutter Island is clearly underrated. I just considered The Wolf as a more compelling movie. In Leo-Marty movies; it’s the best Leo performances,the second best narrative brillance & ensemble cast,the third best cinematography.
And for what it’s worth,maybe the most rewatchable movie.
There is a consistency to Scorsese work which I have grown to love over the years. His best work makes you groan a little bit. The first time I watched Taxi Driver I was uneasy. Goodfellas appalled me, same with Raging Bull and a few others. Casino was too brash, and so on. It’s tough to look at but you can’t take your eyes off it as well.
He now has a Masterpiece in five different decades. That is just remarkable. I hope he makes that Leo/De Niro film. Killers or the flower moon. Inner rumblings say that he is done.Hope not.
De Niro is the perfect vehicle for him in that regard. His De Niro face (lol) can make anyone nervous.
@AP —- thanks for the comments here and for adding insight to the Scorsese page. He’s a master and his longevity is, I believe, unprecedented, in the history of cinema. I don’t think anyone has films on or around the level of Mean Streets (1973) and The Irishman (2019) that are 46 years apart like that.
My Favorite old School Director hands down. Him Paul Thomas Anderson, and Quentin Tarantino inspired me to become a director.
My Ranking of the films I’ve seen so far is
1.Taxi Driver
2.Goodfellas
3.Raging Bull
4. The Wolf of Wall Street
5.The Irishman
6.The departed
7.Alice doesn’t live here anymore
8. Mean Streets (I’ve only seen this once it will probably move higher with more viewings.
9. The Aviator
10.Gangs of New York
11.Whos that Knocking on my door
My top 6 scorsese films from what I’ve seen so far
1) raging Bull
2)the age of innocence
3)goodfellas
4)mean streets
5) taxi driver
6)the departed
@ Azman. Thanks for the comment. Great choices — So I wrote this page in April 2019— well later in 2019 in preparation for The Irishman I watched every Scorsese film in order and here’s my updated top 7– we actually share a lot in common (even if a few in slightly different order here).
1. Raging Bull
2. Goodfellas
3. Taxi Driver
4. Mean Streets
5. The Age of Innocence
6. Casino
7. The Departed
I find that a lot of the times we have realllly similar choices. There are certain movies I live but you dislike but most of the time your rankings are spot on (in my opinion). I use this website more than TSPDT. I have ‘only’ seen about 200 films but I plan on seeing your top 3 from each year. I have learnt so much about movies by reading your reviews
@Azman— thanks for saying that– much appreciated. Please leave comments as you make your way through the top 3 of each year and let me know what you think.
‘No matter what you do, no matter how good you are, there’s always Scorsese.” What a brilliant quote.
There are so many new films for me to discover but I keep rewatching the same films by Scorsese over and over again. Haha?. I want to be a director when I grow up (I’m 17), but I know that despite all my efforts I will never truly be as good as Scorsese is. By far the greatest living director. His films appeal to regular cinema goers and films critics. He is a genius.
@Drake- How would you rank every Scorsese film (if it’s easy for you) ? Do you think in time some will climb up and some down?
@Cinephile– so I watched them all in 2019 leading up to The Irishman and put this together below. The Irishman is certainly in the top 10– not ready to say more yet until I give it more time and see it again. And these are all in the archives (worthy of study, recommending) — the only one Scorsese has made that wasn’t was Boxcar Bertha.
1. Raging Bull
2. Goodfellas
3. Taxi Driver
4. Mean Streets
5. The Age of Innocence
6. Casino
7. The Departed
8. The King of Comedy
9. The Aviator
10. Cape Fear
11. New York, New York
12. Shutter Island
13. Hugo
14. After Hours
15. The Wolf of Wall Street
16. Gangs of New York
17. The Color of Money
18. The Last Temptation of Christ
19. Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore
20. Who’s That Knocking at My Door
21. Bringing Out the Dead
22. Silence
23. Kundun
Honestly drake, this is a bit creepy. It’s like you can read my mind. It’s like you and I have the exact same tastes in film?. My top 7 scorsese films are the same as yours (with the order a bit jumbled up.). Once again, my number 1 (Raging Bull) is your number 1 too.
@Azman– haha that’s great. Again, we’ll have to remember this and how often we agree the next time we argue about something.
Do you still think Silence(2016) is his third weakest film?Will it move higher with more viewings?
Will Silence(2016) move higher after more viewings?
@Chris- No, I don’t think so. I saw it again in 2019 after this ranking. Not amazing.
After Hours and Wolf of The Wall Street should be above Cape Fear and New York,New York.And also Silence should be around Last Temptation of The Christ not below Who’s That Knocking At My Door.Otherwise I’m fine with the list.
@Drake- Great list, so I see that you moved Goodfellas behind Taxi Driver. Here’s mine:
25. Boxcar Bertha (undoubtedly his weakest)
24. Who’s That Knocking at My Door
23. Kundun
22. Bringing Out The Dead
21. The Color of Money
20. Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore
19. New York, New York
18. The Last Temptation of Christ
17. Hugo
16. Gangs of New York
15. Cape Fear
14. Shutter Island
13. The Aviator
12. The King of Comedy
11. The Departed
10. Silence
9. After Hours
8. The Wold of Wall Street
7. Casino
6. The Age of Innocence
5. Mean Streets
4. The Irishman ( Of course it’s a new film and needs more time but after 8 viewings ( one as a mini-series) I’m sure about my placement, not ready to move it higher but I think you’ve understood that I’m obsessed with this film)
3. Goodfellas
2. Taxi Driver ( Goodfellas and Taxi Driver are on par, it probably depends on my feelings the day a make the list)
1. Raging Bull
So I think my list differs more on Silence, maybe I’m overatting it, I don’t know I need to see it again.
@Cinephile– thanks for sharing. Good catch with Goodfellas/Taxi Driver… It was my error and fixed it above…. 8 times?!?! Wow.
Overall our lists have a lot in common– yes- Silence is pretty far apart but still- most are withing 3-5 of each other
Is 8 times a typo? That’s a bit hard to believe. That means you have spent 28 hours of your year watching the film. ??
@Azman- As hard as it seems to believe, it’s true, I’ve watched The Irishman 8 times. I mean as Drake pointed out, that he can watch Goodfellas every week ( I fully agree ) for me The Irishman comes close in rewatches, I think I can easily watch it one time every 2 – 3 weeks ( that doesn’t mean that I’ll do it, I’m just saying that I can, of course if I keep going watching the film until the end of the year I’m probably will reach 100 times- of course I’m not gonna do that).
1. Taxi Driver
2. Raging Bull
3. The Age of Innocence
4. The Irishman
5. Goodfellas
6. The Departed
7. Mean Streets
8. Casino
9. Silence
10. After Hours
11. King of Comedy
12. The Aviator
13. Gangs of New York
14. Cape Fear
15. Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore
The problem I have with Scorsese is that human beings in his films often don’t act like actual human beings. Joe Pesci first shooting and then eventually killing a poor kid for a harmless joke would be a prime example. Like we get it he is crazy, just don’t go in the fantasy land. Or even better example would be a porn watching date in Taxi Driver. It’s supposed to represent his alienation and lack of understanding of what’s socially acceptable but come on, did they really have to do all that? What are we doing? I had conversations with people that argue how characters don’t have to necessarily act like real humans but I disagree because this is not David Lynch we are talking about. Scorsese makes movies about real people. The Wolf of Wall Street is so over the top in this department, it’s like watching another spieces. Nothing in that film resembles real life and I dislike it with passion.
As Drake once said, realism is a description, not an evaluation.
@Aldo That’s kind of simplistic. I think the intention matters. Characters in Scorsese’s films are not caricatures like Lynch’s or Tarantino’s. You can’t have Pesci’s situation I mentioned above and then 10 minutes later have deep moral dillemas where you are expected to take characters seriously as real humans. Can’t have it both ways.
Every great movie has problems. Not sure why you would point out a flaw you find in Scorsese movies (that I disagree with). How can you ignore all of Scorsese’s strengths? You only mentioned one of his flaws. How about talking about his camera work or the countless other strengths he has?
@Chief Keef- thanks for sharing your thoughts. I disagree with this critique of Scorsese, Wolf of Wall Street, Goodfellas and Taxi Driver. I don’t think anyone would characterize Scorsese as a realist for one. And moral dilemmas can aren’t solely bound to works that aim for realism like the Dardenne brothers or Rossellini anyways. These are great scenes, well-directed by Scorsese, written, and acted by their various performers.
@Chief Keef
While I agree with @Drake that Scorsese is not and never has aspired to be a realist, my objection to your objections is a little more specific. It would seem that you have a higher standard for realism in Scorsese films than reality itself, as your definition of “real humans” would seem to exclude a great many people in the real world. I don’t have citations at hand, but I seem to recall the real Henry Hill stating that the scene with Tommy and Spider really happened. And I’m fairly certain the real Jordan Belfort has said that, if anything, the reality was even crazier than what was depicted in The Wolf of Wallstreet. As for the Taxi Driver scene, I’m scratching my head trying to figure out what your issue is with it. You accurately state what the scene is expressing and then just tack on a “but come on, did they really have to do all that?” I’m sorry, but that doesn’t say anything. If the implication is that Travis Bickle (one of the greatest characters in the history of cinema) is somehow operating beyond the scope of possible human behavior, then I’m sorry, but it’s not Scorsese’s depiction of humanity that is unrealistic, it’s your conception of its limitations.
The world is full of Travis Bickles, Tommy Devitos, and Jordan Belforts. That is an uncomfortable fact of reality, whether we like it or not, and Scorsese’s cinema is one of our most potent lenses into that sick truth about our world.
@Matt Harris
I just realized you replied to me, sorry for being late with my response. It’s not about being a realist or not, there are some boundaries in human behaviour that shouldn’t ever be crossed in my opinion. It seems that we disagree on what those boundaries are. By “they didn’t have to do all that”, I meant that no human being would ever take a girl out to watch porn in a theater on a first date no matter how cut off from society they are. It’s a grotesque hyperbole and it’s just stupid to me. Imagine a film where the main character goes out naked and people ask him what is he doing and it turns out our 25 year old main character doesn’t know he is supposed to wear clothes when he goes out. I’m not really sure why Scorsese always insisted on that type of hyperbole but I always suspected it’s for populist reasons.
I don’t know what your life experience is. If you don’t like Scorsese films because you find the behavior of some of the characters ridiculous or unbelievable that’s fine, but I disagree with your perception of how people behave in the real world.
The Wolf of Wall Street may seem over the top to you as far as the way the characters behave, but much, if not all, of what you see in that movie definitely happened and the characters, including Belfort, definitely behaved the way they were depicted in the film. I worked at Stratton Oakmont for 2 to 3 years with Belfort and Danny Porush among others from around 1989 to 1992. That IS the way it was. Just because you haven’t seen people behave in real life a certain way or the way certain behaviors are depicted in a film doesn’t mean it didn’t or doesn’t happen.
To expand on my other response in regards to your feelings on Taxi Driver.
Your analysis that Travis wouldn’t know not to take Betsy to a porno on a first date is missing alot in terms of time, place, and character.
“He’s a prophet and a pusher, partly truth, partly fiction. A walking contradiction.” And one day he’s gonna get organazized.
I don’t think it’s that hard to believe that Travis would be so socially awkward that he thought it was appropriate. People who try to assassinate political figures usually don’t have the best frame of mind. New York, in the 70’s, was a very different place. Adult films in NYC were much more common and much more acceptable.
Travis is a damaged veteran. He doesn’t have social skills. Skills needed to create a wrist gun holster are different than social skills. He doesn’t like people generally speaking. So his social skills are poor, he’s possibly never been on a date, and he doesn’t even understand that the movies he’s watching are wrong.
Bickle is the 70s version of the guy who spends too much time watching internet porn and who talks about his favorite pornstars on the first date.
Those types of people definitely exist. Travis is delusional and uncultured and misled. He is sexually frustrated and cannot understand regular interaction.
He’s also very out of touch and self-righteous. To him, the way he thinks and acts represents some sort of ideal. He might have assumed Betsy was ‘different’ like him.
I think it goes to show how much of a bubble he’s put himself into. There’s a scene earlier where he goes to a much seedier looking porn theatre and compared to that it must seem classy. The theatre looked grand as well which probably influenced him.
I’m not passing judgement on you, I’m merely saying that because you haven’t seen the type of behaviors of the characters that you see in Scorsese’s films in your life doesn’t mean they don’t exist.
I can tell you I’ve seen such behavior and other types of behavior in my lifetime that would probably be just as unbelievable to you, but it still happened.
Scorsese should be above Ingmar Bergman.Scorsese have 8 masterpieces compared to Bergman’s 6.I doubt Bergman have a 16th best film like Gangs of New York either.What do you think?
@Janith. They’re so close it isn’t really worth a debate. I had Bergman with 9 top 500 films and Scorsese with 7.
Yeah but the Irishman is a top 500 film and I don’t think Bergman has two masterpieces spanning 46 years.That’s incredible.And that depth of filmography.Anyone should be proud to have Last Temptation of Christ and Alice doesn’t Live Here Anymore as his 18th and 19th best film.
@Janith- yeah- I haven’t accounted for The Irishman- good point. As I said if you want to argue for Scorsese that’s fine with me- switching spots 3 and 6 or 6 and 8 or something isn’t the point- they’re all tremendous at this level. Have you studied Bergman as closely as you have Scorsese? I’m just asking- maybe you have– but most people have a much greater knowledge of Scorsese and his work than Bergman (which is only natural given Bergman’s work was so long ago- Scorsese is more contemporary).
For what it’s worth- the TSPDT director rankings has Bergman 4 slots ahead of Scorsese
King of Comedy not in the top 500 films of all time?The great Ford Coppola lists it as one of the best films of all time.
@Janith- I think you someone could argue that it should be on the top 500. It has some brilliant moments. Coppola is wrong though if he says it is one of the best films of all-time… it is not.
RIP Michael Chapman.
There’s no DP equivalent of Thelma Schoonmaker’s long tenure as Scorsese’s editor and closest collaborator. Robert Richardson, Rodrigo Pireto, and Michael Balhaus all have a legit claim. However, Michael Chapman shot Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, two of the most visually brilliant films ever committed to celluloid, and thus leaves behind an indelible legacy. Pour one out.
Wow rest in peace. Amazing. taxi driver is beautiful and one of the best films ever and well raging bull cinematography is just on another level. Just remember de niro punching the wall in prison. Masterful
@Matt Harris — RIP indeed. Well said– certainly an important collaborator on two of the greatest films of all-time
It is 393 on TSPDT.
I’m not saying it is a masterpiece.But the TSPDT Consensus have it in the top 400 at 393.And you have it outside the top 500.Why the big difference?
@Janith- I don’t think there’s a big difference
Empire magazine includes King of Comedy at 87 in their top 500 films of all time.American Film Institute rank it as the 10th best film of 1980s.It has become so influential in Pop Culture that films like Joker are heavily inspired by it.I’m not saying it should be in the top 100,but it should be well inside the top 500 films of all time.Rupert Pupkin is one of cinema’s greatest characters.
@Janith- and TSPDT takes those into account- so that means there are other lists that have it at #800– hence being a consensus list. And I’m not far from the consensus. It’s a great film.
Hi @Janith. The list of Empire is in terms of popularity, the list of Drake> Empire shouldn’t be a great parameter here’s why Shawshank Redemption above Apocalypse now, Dark knight above 2001, Some Like It Hot above 7 samurai, shouldn’t be a quality indicator of how influential it is in pop culture.
I’d have Bergman over Scorsese
The Joker is heavily inspired by The King of Comedy and lots of directors (including Scoresese and coppola)and actors cites The King of Comedy as one of their favourite films.That’s why I said it is highly influential in pop culture.I strongly believe The King of Comedy should be in the top 500 films of all time.So that means Scoresese should have 9 top 500 films (including the irishman)the same number as Bergman.For me what puts Scoresese above Bergman is the depth in quality of his filmography (Bergman doesn’t have quality films like Gangs of New York,Wolf of the Wall Street,The Color of Money,The Last Temptation of Christ,Alice doesn’t Live Here Anymore outside of his top 14)and longevity (Scorsese’s two masterpieces Mean Streets and The Irishman is separated by 46 years).Working with 3 top 20 actors in 15 of his films helps Scorsese’s case as well.
@Janith- pop culture influence and length of years between masterpieces doesn’t mean a thing to me (outside of being kind of fun trivia). The depth of filmography is interesting. But there isn’t a winner here. Bergman has 21 archiveable films (probably more when I get a chance to go through them all like I’ve done with Scorsese) and Scorsese has 24– and they’re both so incredible down the line. Not a big advantage. Face to Face, The Passion of Anna…
for what it’s worth- Bergman has 13 TSPDT top 1000 films, Scorsese 9… from 1001-2000 Bergman leads again with 6, Scorsese 5… Scorsese will add some in future years as his work is more recent but again– pretty close.
Yeah but 3 of his top 10 films The Departed,The Aviator And The Irishman as well as Wolf of Wall Street(which is highly regarded among others even you think it is his 15th best film)should be in the TSPDT Consensus top 1000.That Means Scorsese should equal Bergman with 13 top 1000 films.Another of his 7 films(Gangs of New York,Shutter Island,Cape Fear,Color of Money,Hugo(won a golden globe for best director),After Hours(An underappreciated gem),Alice doesn’t Live Here Anymore)should be in between 1000-2000.Yeah they are so close.But Scorsese have 3 top 32 films and one top 10 film.Bergman can’t rival that.That give Scorsese a huge advantage and should put him above Bergman.
Yeah but 3 of his top 10 films The Departed,The Aviator and The Irishman as well as Wolf of the Wall Street(which is highly regarded among others even though you think it is his 15th best film)should be in the TSPDT Consensus top 1000.That means Scorsese should equal Bergman with 13 top 1000 films.And another 7(Shutter Island,Gangs of New York,Cape fear,After Hours(An underapppreciated gem),Hugo(won a golden globe for best director),Alice doesn’t Live Here Anymore,Color of Money should be in between 1000-2000.Yeah they are so close.But Scorsese have 3 top 32 films and one top 10 film.Bergman can’t rival that.That give Scorsese a huge advantage and should put him above Bergman.
@Janith- not at all
Will he move into at least 4th place behind Bergman when you update his top 10 with Irishman?
Yeah but 3 top 10 scorsese films The Departed,The Aviator and the Irishman as well as Wolf of the Wall Street(which is highly regarded among others even though you think it is his 15th best film)should be in the TSPDT Consensus top 1000.That means Scorsese should equal Bergman with 13 top 1000 films.Another of his 7 films(Cape Fear,Alice doesn’t Live her Anymore,Gangs of New York,Shutter Island,Color of Money,Hugo(which won him a golden globe for best director),After Hours(a underappreciated gem)should be in between 1000-2000.Yeah they are so close.But Scorsese has 3 top 32 films and one top 10 film.Bergman can’t rival that.That should put Scorsese above Bergman.
@Chris- as I said above – I don’t have a problem if someone has Scorsese ahead of Bergman— or the director #1 overall. Any of these directors in the top 10 or so have a really good case. I get why people are arguing for Scorsese on the page here. He’s the most contemporary of these auteurs and most have a greater knowledge his work than the others. That doesn’t mean he’s necessarily better though- it probably means some people need spend some time studying others as well
I’ve always been a bigger fan of Scorsese, but you have to recognize Bergman’s body of work.
Really if the best Scorsese movies were made from 1973-1976 and did nothing archivable would still be among the best, it’s nice to see Scorsese still on
the top, but shouldn’t be an indicator, how would you compare it to Coppola? almost 30 years ago it didn’t produce a good movie.
You are pointing out the weaker movies of him.
Bergman also has the best actors on his side, Kubrick does not collaborate frequently with an actor, there is an actor-director dependency, contrary to the directors.
In terms of filmography they are the same, Bergman has +20 archivable movies, and many more that i have not seen.
“If given 3 minutes to show someone one scene on why I love cinema it would probably be the Copacabana shot from Goodellas”.
that’s an interesting concept. i’d probably go with the scene where Susan leaves Kane and he freaks out. That, or Dave unplugging Hal
Or the « Baptism » scene in the Godfather
Or the « Montage » scene in Raging Bull
Or the Opening of Apocalypse Now
How would you rank and grade every Scorsese film from worst to best ? This answer is specifically directed towards the readers of the blog.
[…] 6. Martin Scorsese […]
I think Scorsese is very overrated (not only for you, but for the majority of the film buff), I really don’t think he’s on the same level as directors like: Tarkovsky, Bergman, Ozu, Kurosawa and Kubrick, yes Scorsese made great Taxi Driver films, The Comedy King, Means Streets, Raging Bull (Taxi Driver is in my top 10), but over time he changed his style (for an inferior one in my opinion), if he continued in the “Paul Scharder style” he would be a much more important director, instead he opted for a narrative type, in my opinion, easier, for me the “Scorsese style” (Casino, Goodfellas, The King of Wall Street) is something very easy to copy, an example Boogie Nights by Paul T. Andersson (who over time managed to build his own style much better than the “Scorsese style”), already great directors like: Kubrick and Bergman, I think it is impossible for someone to make a film like theirs. You could argue that he served as an influence, like Kurosawa, for other directors and that only made Scorsese even bigger, I don’t think, because I don’t think he’s really an influence (unlike Kurosawa), he created just one style ( copyable) of film. I don’t hate Scorsese, I just think he should be less overrated, he should be with (good) directors, like: De Palma, Tarantino, Lars Von Trier, not with (great) directors, like: Kubrick, Bergman, Antonioni, Tarkovsky.
Hi @Lucas Henriques. I must admit that this comment makes me furious, so I’ll try to be cordial, i challenge him to name 5 directors alive better than him, there aren’t, if you can get to three, none of those is “better”
You said not long ago that you couldn’t understand the greatness of Antonioni? did you mention “is that all?”
What does a style that is being copied matter?
I must add that in any case, this only hurts those who copy it and the directors you mention are also plagiarized, constantly every good director today is called “the new Kubrick” and even lost count, the same with Hitchcock, any thriller they call it “hitchcockian thriller” practically all the directors of the top 10 have been copied, with the exception of Tarkovsky
Finally, we are judging directors, not who is less imitable, the best directors are those who make the best films and in this case it is Scorsese, it does not matter that it is copied, that does not take away any greatness from him and his films
Agree c0mpletely ! Especially the ” Sc0rsese ” style ! A Br0nx Tale was the M0vie G00dfellas sh0uld have been . Casin0 was G00dfellas g0es t0 Vegas , The Departed was G00dfellas g0es t0 B0st0n and The w0lf 0f Wall Street was G00dfellas g0es t0 Wall Street and d0n’t get me started 0n that ab0manati0n The Irishman !
I’d take your provocative comments slightly more seriously if they included fewer exclamation marks and the letter “o” rather than “0.” Grammar nitpicking is not usually necessary, but what I’m doing is less like nitpicking and more like laughing at someone who appears to almost be purposefully writing in ways that hurt their credibility.
@Lucas Henriques I disagree with multiple things you say. scorsese is not overrated he is one of the greatest auteurs of all time, even with all the second third and fourth tier films he created. little can match his crime trilogy of mean streets taxi driver and raging bull, as well as goodfellas. his style is very imitatable but so is ozu’s and, hitchcocks and de palmas. just because he has a distinct style, that doesnt take away points from him, but rather from copycats like anderson (who has become a good visual artist in his own right). the king of comedy isnt my favorite either but it is very well made and rightfully iconic, kind of his cult classic also, he does belong with those great directors you acknowledged (so does de palma, and arguably better director). roping him with a nihilist provaceteur and tarantino is an insult to his contribution. also no director knows the history as well as scorsese, so he has possibly the richest cinema traditions to draw upon.
Aldo, I wasn’t talking about Michelangelo Antaonioni, yes, about the painter Michelangelo. I think the director Antonioni is very good
And I don’t know if I can name three living directors more important than him, but I can name one: Godard (and maybe Lynch) But even if Martin was the most important, this is not a criterion to place in the top 10
Well, you have a very long way to go, because i don’t think anyone on the site other than you would think that Scorsese is overrated.
And yes, it is not a criterion, but Scorsese is the best alive, the only others are Coppola and Godard who are out of the game, I don’t think any of them have made a movie as good as the Irishman in this century
But Ozu created a new type, a new genre of film
After all, the most important directors (most) died
@Aldp I agree. There are differing opinions on the likes of tarantino and other directors on this site but most people recognize scorsese. His contribution to film is spectacular. Also i have not yet seen Irishman, can you tell me about why you think it is so great. I just haven’t gotten to it yet.
@m- very happy you and others came to the defense of Scorsese. Baffling to me that one needs to be mounted at all…. but there’s also little debate left to be hard regarding Tarantino at this point. You may not like him for your personal reasons— but as I’ve mentioned before somewhere on the TSPDT top directors list (so it isn’t just me) he’s the #1 director that has a debut post 1990 (WKW had one in 1989 so he doesn’t quite count). It takes longer to get into the canon (and it should) and he’s 20 years younger than Scorsese– but he’s in. That’s a consensus list.
I prefer Taxi Driver over Raging Bull, for you, what qualities does Raging Bull have, which are better than Taxi Driver?
I don’t know who you’re asking, but all three are close (Goodfellas, Raging and Taxi) luckily all Scorsese movies have reviews, 25 of 25.
http://thecinemaarchives.com/2019/08/02/taxi-driver-1976-scorsese/
http://thecinemaarchives.com/2019/08/19/raging-bull-1980-scorsese/
Okay, something strange happened, it says that my comment is pending moderation, what did I do? haha
While I think Raging Bull may be the best/most beautiful black and white movie ever made i really think Good fellas is too overrated. I’ve had the chance to see Goodfellas after seeing the Irishman first and I can tell that The Irishman is actually better. I even think WOWST is better than Goodfellas.
Hi @Alejandro. This is incorrect, in no way is it overrated, if you mean i don’t know, excessive violence, i agree with that, but WOWST better than Goodfellas? It’s not even one of Scorsese’s top 10
I wonder under what filter / criteria are you watching the movie?
I know Good fella is an stylistic achievement from Marty and is amazingly well made yet I can’t see it being better than The Wolf. Good fellas script, specially passing the half of the movie is not that good, the acting isn’t that good either. Maybe not worst than The Wolf, but given is a massive MP for me is just slightly “better” than the Wolf. I know it’s a masterpiece but for Marty MP for me is the weakest. I seen it twice and I can’t see it as something fresh or that has aged well.
But anyway thank you Also you have help me change my mind in the past more than one time, not with Roma or Good fellas, but definitely with some Goddard movies specially Breathless.
But anyway thank you Aldo you have help me change my mind in the past more than one time, not with Roma or Good fellas, but definitely with some Goddard movies specially Breathless.
Sure, i’ll try to help if i can, although i have yet to see Children of paradise again.
Although i still don’t understand the problem with those two movies but its okey haha.
In my criteria its barely a MS I can think at least of 100 better and more memorable films than that one. Maybe I happened to love Raging Bull too much and for me Good fellas is really like meh.
@Alejandro- send the list of 100
Haha yes, I would like to see a list of 100 better movies than Goodfellas
Raging Bull is the greatest American film ever made. Goodfellas in 99.98% as great.
*is
Scorsese is a master of camera movement and editing. The Goodfellas Copacabana shot and the Raging Bull final fight scene rank among the best uses of the respective techniques. In fact, if one were to make a list for those two elements of film style, he would likely appear quite highly on both. Are there any other auteurs for which this is true? Here are some old masters that may be options:
Kubrick: The majority of the greatest directors possess at least one sequence of mastery for every aspect of cinema style. Kubrick, perhaps the best of all time, is no exception. Look no further than the clever 2001 bone cut, the hypnotizing Stargate sequence, the powerful Paths of Glory war trench tracking shots, and The Shining’s unsettling tricycle scenes.
Kurosawa: I must include Kurosawa for two reasons: 1, because he deserves it, and 2, in order to prevent from upsetting Matt Harris. The Japanese all-timer is primarily known for his action scene editing and, of course, his compositional brilliance, but there are many instances where use long takes and dynamic movement.
Hitchcock: The Master of Suspense has the unique gift of completely well-rounded cinematic talent. He can make a one-shot illusion film and landmark in camera movement history, then shift and craft one of history’s most famous editing sequences in a nondescript shower.
Welles: It seems that I am simply listing the greatest auteurs randomly, but they are indeed masters of both editing and camera movement. Welles is certainly more famous for the latter, especially in the opening of Touch of Evil, but Citizen Kane and his other films contain inspired montage work.
Fellini: Federico Fellini is the freest of auteurs, content to let his camera roam around wherever it likes, his shots to cut here and there on their own free will, and his idiosyncratic characters to glide around from one extravagant set piece to the next.
Spielberg: Those who find Spielberg to be an entertainer of low skill with little mastery in any area can receive the same fate as the Nazis who faces were decimated by the Ark. All right, perhaps that’s a bit much. However, there is no denying the solid editing work throughout Jaws, Schindler’s List, and Raiders of the Lost Ark or the visceral camerawork in Saving Private Ryan.
Resnais: If one can forgive the repetitive, confusing nature of Last Year at Marienbad, they will come to the revelation that it is an absolute knock-out masterpiece in all four of Drake’s cinematic style elements. The graceful camera movements, especially in the beginning, are precise and eerie, as is the editing in certain splicing scenes.
There are also some newer directors with prowess in both categories:
Fincher: David Fincher’s dark, urban environments are the perfect setting for high-quality, dynamic cutting work. He may stand as the second-greatest current director in the editing category, below Nolan. Don’t turn a blind eye on his spirited camera movement work in Fight Club.
Chazelle: The opening shot of La La Land is simply transcendent. I admire the beginnings of Touch of Evil, Gravity, The Earrings of Madame de…, and many others, but I may present the title of greatest opening tracking shot to Chazelle’s exuberant musical number. Although I have not seen Whiplash, I have heard tales of its masterful musical montage editing.
Tarantino: QT may attempt to be too cool for his own good. This, however, could only be considered an issue if it yielded style that was unsuccessful. Instead, Tarantino lays claim to vigorous montages, immaculate slow motion, lively tracking shots, and much more.
There are many other directors for which a case can be made. I suppose almost any director, besides someone like Ozu, could be argued. I’m sure I have forgotten some major choices. Who would everyone add?
I regret having forgotten Spike Lee. Evidence includes the Malcolm X assassination montage and the presence of superbly crafted bombastic camerawork, such as the double dolly shots, in his work.
Haha I’m getting name dropped! I suppose there’s worse fates than being known as the Kurosawa guy. 😛
Haha there certainly are. Of course, you are much more – one of the most intelligent and agreeable people on this site. Kurosawa is a top two director for me as well (Kubrick at the top, with Bergman, Hitchcock, Welles, Scorsese, Coppola, PTA, Ozu, and the trio of Fellini, Leone, and Dreyer all itching for the last spot to round out my top ten).
Great list of Scorsese’s favorite films throughout all of cinematic history:
https://mubi.com/lists/martin-scorseses-favorite-films
@Zane- great share- thank you
It’s very long haha. I got to 1000 and I was just in the 70s. I can’t even imagine how much research the guy who put this together had to have done.
Does Scorsese have any chance of ever making it to # 1?
I saw you upgraded Cape Fear (1991) to HR/MS
The Irishman you said may be a MP
Scorsese currently has 3 movies in your top 32 according to your most recent list (Coppola is the only other director with 3)
But just between his ridiculous top 3, longevity and consistency of his filmography and of course his sheer brilliance behind the camera – tracking shots, freeze frames
His ability to recreate worlds is another strength – Gangs of New York, Casino, The Aviator, Age of Innocence
He’s my personal favorite so perhaps I’m somewhat biased but I really think he has a case for # 1 especially if he somehow finds a way to put together one final masterpiece although I do it will be difficult to top the Irishman
@James Trapp- Just like my list the best films- I think many of the top filmmakers have a strong case for #1. I would never get into a big argument about Hitchcock vs. Scorsese for #1. For example, I did a Kurosawa study in 2020 and was blown away. So the answer to your question is yes— he has a chance. I haven’t gone through all the metrics to do a re-ranking. I’m not sure when I’ll do that- it’ll be a few years. But, again I largely use my top 500 of all-time list to start my directors list and that list of 500 films has a 10-year moratorium. So I really didn’t count anything from Scorsese 2010-2020 as part of that.
Okay, I like how you put that, makes sense. And yeah I guess in a way it is more of a Tier Ranking System where there is flexibility within a Tier as opposed to it being a straight Linear (absolute) Ranking System.
I think the Tier ranking is a superior way of ranking certain things in general. In other words you have say Ozu # 4 and Fellini # 5 because after all you do have to rank them but you wouldn’t say someone was wrong for putting Fellini ahead of Ozu?
https://collider.com/martin-scorsese-killers-of-the-flower-moon-begins-filming/
Who else is excited?
@Zane- so pumped
Are there any directors who make better use of songs in films than Scorsese. And to be clear songs not scores (or classical music, sorry Kubrick) Tarantino and PT Anderson are up there as well, recently watched Boogie Nights and Magnolia. Richard Linklater is great too, but I don’t think there are any directors who are superior to Scorsese in this regard.
@James Trapp– Yeah for sure- Scorsese does great work here. I found this quickly https://www.mandatory.com/culture/1106848-12-directors-whose-soundtracks-are-always-on-point and would agree – danny boyle and wes anderson as well.
@Drake – thanks for the article, good read love the article pointing out that Scorsese’s use of Rolling Stones songs alone quality for their own list
Mike Nichols deserves a spot in the conversation for the Simon & Garfunkel soundtrack in The Graduate. The Coen Brothers may also be worthy of a mention.
Watched After Hours (1985) for the 1st time, one of the few Scorsese films I have not seen. It was quite a treat, like a Yuppie style Alice in Wonderland set in 80s NYC. I went in without much knowledge and would recommend that for anyone who hasn’t seen it. Had a Kafkaesque atmosphere to it, very different from any other Scorsese film, exciting whenever you get to see a different side or style to a great filmmaker.
@James Trapp- love it- the depth of Scorsese’s filmography on full display
@James Trapp – Oh, I love After Hours, too. It landed at #5 in my Scorsese study, it’s so enjoyable and trippy and ingeniously written. Glad more people like it.
It may not be his best work, but I actually think The Age of Innocence is e keystone work to appreciating Scorsese as a filmmaker. It has the same sort of effervescent flow in terms of its camera movements and pacing Goodfellas does but without the distraction of blood and guts, from which some viewers inevitably recoil, so there’s more of an opportunity to focus on the filmmaking so to speak. With the possible exception of Raging Bull, I’d say “Innocence” could be his most important work, since it perfects the “movement” he was clearly aiming for with Goodfellas, even if the latter is clearly brilliant in other ways.
It’s probably the greatest of his non-“guy movies” in any case.
I l0ve this site ! I th0ught A Br0nx Tale was the m0vie G00dfellas sh0uld have been but wasn’t and i th0ught that The G00d Shepherd was a better film than The Departed ! As f0r Age 0f Inn0cence < the Academy g0t it right that year by ign0ring it .in fav0r 0f the far superi0r Remains 0f the Day .The Aviat0r was a b0ring , bl0ated miscast mess which t0ld us alm0st n0thing ab0ut h0ward Hughes that we didn't already kn0w and The Irishman was an ab0manati0n that just pr0ved that a m0vie ab0ut m0rtality , regret and the price 0ne pays f0r a life 0f crime was already d0ne much better thirty years earlier by Francis F0rd C0pp0la with the third G0dfather film !
1967: Who’s that knocking at my door (R)
1973: Mean Streets (MP)
1974: Alice doesn’t live here anymore (R/HR)
1976: Taxi Driver (MP)
1977: New York, New York (HR)
1980: Raging Bull (MP)
1982: The King of Comedy (MS)
1985: After Hours (HR)
1986: The Color of Money (R/HR)
1988: The last temptation of Christ (R/HR)
1990: Goodfellas (MP)
1991: Cape Fear (HR/MS)
1993: The Age of Innocence (MP)
1995: Casino (MS/MP)
1997: Kundun (R)
1999: Bringing out the dead (R)
2002: Gangs of New York (HR)
2004: The Aviator (MS)
2006: The Departed (MS/MP)
2010: Shutter Island (HR)
2011: Hugo (HR)
2013: The Wolf of Wall Street (HR)
2016: Silence (R)
2019: The Irishman (MS)
Mean Streets MS
Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore R
Taxi Driver MP
New York, New York R
Raging Bull MP
King of Comedy MS
After Hours R
The Color of Money R
The Last Temptation of Christ —
Goodfellas MS
Cape Fear R
Age of Innocence MS
Casino HR
Kundun R
Bringing out the Dead R
Gangs of New York R
The Aviator —
The Departed HR
Shutter Island R
Hugo —
The Wolf of Wall Street R
Silence HR
It feels weird to say it, but since I’ve found this blog (about two years ago), it has slowly but surely grown as one of my reference point concerning films, and moviewatching in general (I sure learned a lot from your very visual-based approach to analyzing movies).
A question I always had thought, is what exactly you meant with Scorsese’s “signature triple-edit”. I’ve seen a fair bit of his films, and still haven’t understood what this is.
Apart from that, great blog ! It’s always a pleasure to read your entries ^^
@Jeff- Thank you for the comment and the kind words here. Appreciate you visiting the site. If move this to the 1-minute mark you’ll see the editing move I’m talking about. If you have a better name for it let me know. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0KMxLvsvLI
OK, I see what you mean now! I never noticed that it was a Marty staples yet, I guess I’ll have to pay more attention to this next time
Did you have a another director with 10 MP/MS ?
Scorsese : Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, King of Comedy, Goodfellas, Age of Innocence, Casino, Aviator, Departed & Irishman.
@KidCharlemagne- I have not re-racked the director’s rankings or pages in awhile but I think Kurosawa, Hitchcock, Ozu and Bergman are there or very close.
Thanks for your answer.
@KidCharlemagne- Visconti is close with 4 MPs, 3 MS and 2 HR/MS on this site
I think Godard is also close
https://brobible.com/culture/article/leonardo-dicaprio-killers-of-flower-moon-masterpiece/amp/
Obviously it won’t touch the big 3, but how awesome would it be to get another MS or MP from Scorsese?
@LeBron Smith- It certainly would be awesome- thanks for sharing this