Martin Scorsese: Creator and Admirer of Great Films
What I love about Martin Scorsese is that he is a filmmaker who loves movies. Over the years his personality has taken on new dimensions as a film historian as well as a director. The movies he’s restored through his non-profit Film Foundation company has brought tons of movies that would have either gone unseen, or deteriorated without his restoration projects.
Had it not been for his two organizations, The Film Foundation and The World Cinema Project, classics like The Red Shoes, How Green Was My Valley, Metropolis, and On the Waterfront would be neglected and either go unseen or fall into the public domain, with no attention invested in the films preservation.
Scorsese’s work is so well known that his films have become a part of our everyday language. How many times have you seen Robert DeNiro’s famous “You talking to me?” scene from Taxi Driver parodied or quoted? Or Joe Pesci’s “What do you mean I’m funny? Funny like a clown?! ” moment from Goodfellas. Since Scorsese’s movies are so memorable it might make one wonder, “what are the films that inspired him to become a director?”
To answer that question is easy, watch this video essay! The following is a compilation of clips from some of the films that influenced Scorsese throughout his life and career. Footage from classic David Selznick productions like Duel in the Sun, to the hard hitting noir of Alexander Mackedrick’s The Sweet Smell of Success, all the way to the work of his contemporaries like Robert Altman, and Francis Ford Coppola. But don’t let me spoil it for you, watch the video for yourself..
One charming aspect of this video essay was the use of The Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter, (a song that Scorsese has used in three of his major films, GoodFellas, Casino, and The Departed) was a good touch.
Scorsese: The Director and The Movie Buff
Scorsese has never been shy about referring to his favorite pictures and filmmakers. As early as his first film Who’s That Knocking on my Door, Harvey Keitels character J.R. discuss various films, especially those of John Ford. In Mean Streets Harvey Keitel and Robert DeNiro go to a showing of The Searchers. Like Howard Hawks did in his 1932 film Scarface, Scorsese paid homage in The Departed by subtly putting an “X” in the frame before a character was murdered. Jerry Lewis in The King of Comedy catches a quick scene from Samuel Fuller’s Pickup on South Street, he used to same Bernard Herman score in his remake of Cape Fear. And Hugo, a film about cinema’s earliest magician Georges Melies, is loaded with references and allusions to silent films. Most of the pictures referenced in his own films can be found in this video essay.
If you enjoy film, but are in need of discovering some new titles, or if you’re curious about movies in general, you’re bound to find something new in this video. Most of the films in the video are classics from America’s golden age, however, if you want to broaden your scope of international cinema check out this list of 39 must-see foreign films – each title personally selected by Scorsese himself.
In addition to being a prolific modern auteur he has also taken a step beyond the persona of a successful filmmaker. As a director he’s incredible, and his body of work is ongoing proof of his genius. But as a commentator of film itself he’s exceeded his role as a director. And this video essay, drawn from his two documentaries A Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies, and My Voyage to Italy, (each film a three plus hour love letter to cinema) is proof of his devotion to cinema, and his desire to show people the variety of films that exist.
Scorsese has a broad and unpretentious view of film, and if you find this video enjoyable I must urge that you seek out his documentaries. They are entertaining, loaded with information, and enough personal insight from Scorsese to make the films particularly personal and special. And if you enjoy documentaries about movies, and the filmmaking process they’re some other titles you might enjoy.
Some other documentaries about filmmaking would be Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, and A Decade Under the Influence, where Scorsese and other filmmakers from the new Hollywood movement (William Friedkin, Peter Bogdanovich, Francis Coppola, Dennis Hopper to name a few) discuss the sixties and seventies and the changing of the studio system.
In conclusion, this twenty-four minute video can lead you to a twenty-four hour plus movie binge if you have the time and resources to seek out every title mentioned in this video. And coming from someone who has seen, or is in the process of seeing these titles it’s a rewarding and entertaining process. You’ll get to see some classic films, and you might learn a thing or two about film and one of America’s most renowned directors.
Martin Scorsese comes from a new generation of filmmakers who, were the first wave of the film school generation. What are some of your favorite directors from the “New Hollywood” movement?
(top image source: Scorsese in Hugo (2011) – Paramount Pictures)
Does content like this matter to you?
Become a Member and support film journalism. Unlock access to all of Film Inquiry`s great articles. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about cinema - get access to our private members Network, give back to independent filmmakers, and more.
