*I wrote this in the Spring of 2023. It got away from me time wise because my editor, aka my wife, told me that it was wandering a bit. I took that advice to heart, and I wandered away from ever finishing it. However, since it’s done, I thought I would post. An important note is at the time, “Killers of the Flower Moon” had not been released. I have not watched it, so I did not rank it. The link to the article I initially read was edited to include it. The two lists are not in sync because of that.
In the middle of November(2022), I read an article
in Variety that ranked all 25 of Martin Scorsese films. After reading it I realized two things; there
were quite a few I have not seen and that I had strong feelings about this
ranking. So, I started a journey after
Thanksgiving to watch all of his films in chronological order and rank them
myself. I finished this endeavor on
March 3. 2023. It was mostly an enjoyable film watching experience. (If you
want some context, I recommend reading that article first, but it is not
necessary.)
Now, you may be wondering what qualifies me to rank a master
filmmaker films? Well, not a lot really,
other than I watched a lot of movies in my day and I watched all of Scorsese’s movies
very recently. In essence, all rankings
are a matter of personal opinion and taste.
I don’t think mine is the definitive list; it is simply how I feel about
these movies.
Ranking Scorsese movies is tough. First, there are so many
great movies! There is a reason he is in
the conversation for best director ever.
Second, although many associate him with gangster movies, he crosses
many genres which some may appreciate more than others. As I watched and thought about my rankings, I
used a non-consistent set of criteria not based in science at all. Things I took into consideration entertainment
value, technique, themes, characters, story, actors, and other things that may
not always be conscious but had an impact on what I thought or felt. Additionally, after watching the movies, I
usually did a little reading on each movie to find out the history and stories
from the film making. Some of it was
really inciteful, other times not so much.
A little data: Scorsese currently has 25 films (until
“Killers of the Flower Moon” comes out later this year). To watch all of them, it is 3,436 minutes =
57 hours 16 minutes = 2 days and 9 hours.
If you were really committed, you could watch all of them in one
weekend. I don’t think I would recommend
that though. Not included in this list
are his documentaries, short films, or “New York Stories”. As I go through my ranking, I will also note
the ranking from the original article. Let’s get to the list:
25. New York, New York - 1977 (20) – never seen before
If there is one truly bad movie in this list, it is this one. Maybe I’m not the right audience for this jump
into the musical genre for Scorsese. Or maybe I have seen DeNiro in too many
things to believe him as a carefree sax player after the war. Scorsese said he made this to pay tribute to
musicals of old. It is a weird follow up
to Taxi Driver which he put out the year before. I will say this though, even with it being my
least favorite there are two things to take from it. The last 20 minutes of Liza Minnelli being
Liza Minnelli is great. It is
essentially a Broadway show and she shines in it. I know who Liza is, but I’m not familiar with
her work at all. I was really impressed
with her in that part of the film. Second,
this is where the song “New York, New York” came from… which, in hindsight, I
feel dumb for not making that connection before. I honestly thought the song came first. Interestingly as well, is that the song
didn’t gain prominence until a little known singer named Frank Sinatra recorded
in 1980 and it became the version that everyone knows today.
24. Boxcar Bertha - 1972 (25) – never seen before
In his second movie, Scorsese did what many a young
filmmaker has done and got a job with Roger Corman. Nothing really good or bad to say. It is supposedly
based on a true story, but that has come into question quite a bit over the
years. It does mark the first endeavor
into the “inspired by a true story” that Scorsese will have a lot in his
career.
23. After Hours – 1985 (18) – never seen before
This is quirky and the most 80s movie in the collection. It is weird and wandering. Apparently it is a cult film. I don’t think I had never even heard of it
before. *(I have learned since the Ted Lasso episode “Beard After Hours” was
highly inspired by this movie. So, that’s
fun!)
22. Bringing Out the Dead 1999 (14) – never seen before
This begins the section I’d categorize as “I don’t think it
is a bad movie - there are just so many movies that are better”. Nic Cage does a great job as does the
rotating cast of supporting characters.
From a movie making perspective, I probably don’t give it enough for
credit for the themes it is examining.
21. Cape Fear 1991 (12) – seen before
I watched this movie years ago and didn’t care for it at all. Watching it this time, I tried to be more open-minded. I can say I still didn’t really care for
it. It is a remake of a movie from 1962,
that I also did not care for when I watched it.
The interesting thing about this movie is that Scorsese was brought into
direct this after Goodfellas because his stock was at an all-time high and he
owed Universal Studio for financing his controversial film “The Last Temptation
of Christ.” Otherwise, his follow up to
Goodfellas would have been “Schindler’s List.”
With all that, from a movie making perspective, it is a solid movie. Scorsese does a good job with the thrilling parts. I just think the plot isn’t good and I think
that has an effect on some of the actor’s performance. Many people praise Juliette Lewis for her
performance and think she should have won the Oscar. DeNiro was phenomenal in it. By far his portrayal of Max Cady really shows
off his acting ability.
20. Mean Streets 1973 (19) – never seen before
Although his third movie, I would say this is the first movie
that really shows Scorsese developing his style. It is the first time we see some shots and
style that become classic Scorsese in later movies, the best example is the camera
going down the bar and zooming in to Harvey Keitel. Just really solid. This is also the first collaboration between
DeNiro and Scorsese, which when “Killers of the Flower Moon” comes out this
year is a relationship that will have spanned 50 years. Incredible partnership.
19. The Last Temptation of Christ 1988 (8) – seen before
This came out when I was 13 and I saw it. I don’t remember very much about it. What I do remember much better is the
controversy and anger that this movie generated. It was big time drama. This was a passion project for Scorsese. He tried to get it made for years. Religion is something that Scorsese has
explored in more than one of his films.
Some of the casting choices are fascinating.
18. Kundun 1997 (15) – never seen before
Another exploration of religion, to some extent as it is
also about post war politics in Tibet.
It is a look at history that may not be well known and a religion that
is not well known in the States. This is
a beautifully shot movie. Many of the cast
were not actually actors, but were relatives of the Dalai Lama on whom the
movie is based. Fascinating enough, this
movie also had a great deal of controversy, just not here. China hates this movie because of the
subject. So much so, that Scorsese and
others involved in production were banned from China forever (although that has
been slacked in recent years). Disney
also buried the film and didn’t market it at all. Michael Eisner, CEO of Disney at the time,
even apologized for making it calling it a “stupid mistake.” For some reason, it makes me like it
more.
17. Who’s That Knocking at My Door 1967 (23) – never seen
before
I will be the first to say that not everyone will like this
movie. This was Scorsese’s first movie
and it is so different. It is very much
an artsy, end of film school type movie.
I enjoyed the themes. I think it
was ahead of its time and a product of its time, which may not make sense. It also marks the beginning of Scorsese and
Harvey Keitel’s relationship which I didn’t even know was a thing. Keitel was in most of the early Scorsese
movies and most recently in The Irishmen.
This movie also has an interesting release history and had graphic sex
scenes added so it would get some distribution.
Watching it, you can tell good things are going to come from the
director.
16. The Aviator 2004 (21) – never seen before
Scorsese’s second movie with Leonardo DiCaprio. I would say it is a fine movie about a
complicated man. All the acting
performances are strong. It is
beautifully shot. It is long though,
almost three hours. Now it covers almost three decades of Howard Hughes life
and some very exciting parts, but it was long.
15. Silence 2016 (1) – never seen before
This is one of the biggest discrepancies between the
original article and my rankings. And it
was one of the reasons I went on this journey.
I very much had in my mind what the number 1 movie should be and Silence
was not it. This is another foray into
religion and what it means to people for Scorsese. I think it is a very strong movie and I
learned something from history that I did not know before. That always makes me
like a movie more. However, it was hard
for me to have sympathy for the main characters and what they were going
through, knowing the history of the church in other parts of the country. It certainly had an impact of where I rated
it and I realize my bias plays a part.
Once again, this is a long movie, 3 hours, and you feel how long it is
at times. From a pure movie perspective,
it is very solid and I see why people would rate it high.
14. Gangs of New York 2002 (11) – seen many times before
This is the first collaboration between Scorsese and DiCaprio. It started a string of four straight movies
they did together a break of one movie and then back at it for another. This relationship will also continue in
“Killers of the Flower Moon.” I would say that this movie is consistently
underrated and if you said to me it should be higher on the list, I probably
wouldn’t argue too much. It may not be
historically accurate, by the visuals are great and Daniel Day Lewis chews up
the scenery. It is brutal and visceral
and speaks to both the time it was set and the current time we are in today.
13. Hugo 2011 (22) – never seen before
The only one that I could watch with the kids! I think it is a story of innocence, coming of
age, and mystery. It is visually
stunning. It is also predictable, but I
enjoyed watching and was entertained by it.
12. The Age of Innocence 1993 (5) – never seen before
I didn’t know what to expect from this one when I started
it. It is a great period movie. It is very well acted. Just a really solid film.
11. Raging Bull 1980 (2) – seen once before
This will probably be my most controversial take. While I can appreciate some of the movie
making processes of this movie, I don’t like this movie. I don’t think that Jake LaMotta is compelling
at all. But there are some great shots
in this movie, the boxing scenes are really well done. It is DeNiro and Pesci’s first movie together
and they have such great chemistry on screen that we will see repeated over and
over again. Those things are what makes
me rank it this high. The author ranking
this movie so high is another reason I pursued my journey.
10. Shutter Island 2010 (13) – seen before
This is a well-made thriller and is more interesting on
subsequent viewings after you know the twist.
I had a friend tell me that it is a master class in editing and I have
to agree. It is just superb. In many ways it is throwback to thrillers of
old with a lot of Hitchcock influences.
9. The Wolf of Wall Street 2013 (10) – seen before
This movie is a ride.
A drug fueled hectic ride of chaos.
It really shows the excess that can exist for a certain segment of the
population. It is well paced and doesn’t
feel as long as it is. Solid overall.
8. The Irishman 2019 (16) – never seen before
At 3 hours 30 minutes this is by far his longest movie. It could have been probably an hour shorter
with the shortening of some scenes or deletion of them. With that said, it is a great movie. DeNiro’s best acting in years. Pesci is great, playing an understated character. Pacino was on point. The history presented is very questionable,
but the way it was filmed and the performances were incredible. It is an impressive opus from Scorsese.
7. The Color of Money 1986 (24) – seen numerous times
The third major reason why I started this journey was this
being ranked so low. I can’t tell you
the first time I watched this movie, but I know I always liked it. Tom Cruise is great. Paul Newman is great. Their relationship and chemistry are
great. This movie has grown in my
estimation as well because the first time I saw it I did not know it was a
sequel to “The Hustler.” Watch “The Hustler” and then watch this and you will
gain a new appreciation of Newman’s nuanced performance and the theme.
6. The King of Comedy 1982 (9) – never seen before
If there is one movie on the list that you haven’t seen and
you want to see, this is the one to go with.
It is incredible satire. DeNiro plays a guy who wants to be a comedian and
things don’t go as planned for him. In
the world we live in now where seemingly everyone wants to be famous; this
movie holds up so well compared to other movies of the era. Jerry Lewis also gets high marks for his
portrayal of a late night talk show host who is over it all.
5. Taxi Driver 1976 (6) – never seen before
Yeah, I’m talking to you.
You’re the only movie at number 5. It is hard to believe this movie was
made in 1976. It is so much in the
cultural zeitgeist that I knew more about certain scenes of this movie than the
movie itself until I watched it. Think
about it, how many times have we seen some take on the “Are you talking to me
scene?” That says something about the
impact of the movie. That aside, it
never misses a beat. Travis Bickle could be anybody. It is another visceral, gritty movie from
Scorsese. DeNiro is incredible. It lost to Rocky for
Best Picture. After watching this, I don’t know if that was the right call.
4. Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore 1974 (7) – never seen
before
This was a surprise for me with this being so high. Since I watched in chronological order of
when they were released, this was the 4th movie I watched and stayed
there until Goodfellas. This movie spoke
to me and I saw glimpses of my life and those in my life. It is often funny and often tragic. Scorsese
explores the world of a woman, played by Ellen Burstyn who won Best Actress, who
goes from one abusive relationship to another.
It explores how it impacts her and her decisions and how it also affects
her son. It shows how easy it is to get
trapped in situations and break chains that hold you down. The fun fact about this movie is it was turn
into a little sitcom called “Alice.” The 70s were a different time where a
movie about a woman overcoming abuse gets turned into a sitcom at a diner and
made “Kiss my grits” part of the American lexicon.
3. The Departed 2006 (4) – seen before
This is the only movie that Scorsese has won an Oscar for
Best Director. That is really surprising
considering how long he has been making quality films. For sure, he should have one for one other
movie. This is just such a solid
movie. The acting, the shots, the story. It is hard to find a flaw. It is a good watch. This could very easily be in the top spot.
2. Casino 1995 (17) – seen numerous times before
The other gangster movie. I don’t know what it is about this
movie. I find the story telling
compelling. Sharon Stone is
fantastic. She really showed off her
acting skills. Pesci and DeNiro show off
their chemistry again. They are such
great acting partners.
1. Goodfellas 1990 (3) -seen numerous times before
There is just one question about this movie: how did it not
win Best Picture? It lost to “Dances with Wolves”, which is a fine movie, but
it is not better than Goodfellas. Of all
of his movies, I think this is the best paced.
It is 2 ½ hours long, but it moves along so well you don’t realize
that. The three main guys play their
parts so well it is hard to not think of them in these roles. The day in life of Henry Hill where he is
driving around trying to get the drugs, cooking dinner, avoiding the feds, etc.
is depicted brilliantly and the frantic pace showing how frantic Hill was is exquisite. It is just such a strong film.
So, there it is. My rankings and thoughts on the 25 Martin
Scorsese films. I feel I didn’t do them
all justice, but I was trying to keep my blurbs brief. I feel some of the movies don’t need long
explanations, they are what they are so to speak.
I do have some general Scorsese movie thoughts I will share
as well.
1.
His use of narration to move plot or explain
scenes is great way to move the movie forward.
It helps set the scenes. From what I noticed, if the movie was based on
a book, the narration was taken directly from the book. It makes for a richer movie watching
experience in my opinion.
2.
Many of his movies are “inspired” by true
stories, 12 by my count. I just find that an interesting tidbit. I would say
there are some generous liberties with some of the history and some of the
people the stories come from are questionable narrators from a credibility standpoint.
3.
I think a fair criticism of Scorsese is that he glamorized
some very awful people. I don’t think he did enough to show the consequences of
these people’s actions. In some cases, it
feels like we are almost supposed to feel sorry for these people. But it is hard to feel sorry for mobsters and
wall street thieves when they are so immoral…
Now, go watch a Scorsese movies!
Please feel free to add any thoughts or comments below. I really enjoyed talking about this stuff.
Thanks for reading!
