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
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
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
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)
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 !
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.
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.
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.
https://collider.com/martin-scorsese-killers-of-the-flower-moon-begins-filming/
Who else is excited?
@Zane- so pumped
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?
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.
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).
*is
Raging Bull is the greatest American film ever made. Goodfellas in 99.98% as great.
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
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.
Okay, something strange happened, it says that my comment is pending moderation, what did I do? haha
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.
https://thecinemaarchives.com/2019/08/02/taxi-driver-1976-scorsese/
https://thecinemaarchives.com/2019/08/19/raging-bull-1980-scorsese/
@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.
After all, the most important directors (most) died
But Ozu created a new type, a new genre of film
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
Aldo, I wasn’t talking about Michelangelo Antaonioni, yes, about the painter Michelangelo. I think the director Antonioni is very good
@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.
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.
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