2. Famous Work
Mean Streets - 1973
Taxi Driver - 1976
Raging Bull - 1980
Goodfellas - 1990
Cape Fear - 1991
The Departed - 2006
The Wolf of Wall Street - 2013
3. Background
Martin Scorsese was born in Queens, New York on 17 November 1942. His parents were both form
Italian descent and therefore moved to Little Italy before Scorsese started school, this later became
inspiration for many of his future films.
He attended New York University, where he achieved a B.A. in English (1964) and later went on to earn
an M.F.A. in film from the Tisch School of the Arts (1966). In his time at university, he made many short
films such as It’s Not You, Murray! (1964) and The Big Shave (1967).
As a child, Scorsese had Asthma, which caused him to sit
out in sports or certain activities. Therefore, his parents
would take him to theaters, which was how he fell in love
with cinema and film. This replaced his previous ambitions
of becoming a Priest.
4. Signatures
He is famous for using slow motion in his films such as Mean Streets (1973). This extends the
suspense and keeps the audience on ‘the edge of their seat’ for longer.
Another trademark of Martin Scorsese’s is his use of tracking shots to follow the action on scene.
In recent years, several of his films include corrupted authority figures, such as policemen.
When using MOS sequences, with voice overs or well-known
music, rapid editing and fast moving camera work is often used.
Due to his recognisable status, he is known for doing
short and quick cameo appearances in his films. Sometimes he
is hidden or not easily noticeable.
His leading female characters often wear white in their first
scene, and are seen through the eyes of the protagonist to
come across to the audience as elegant and angelic.
5. Themes
Scorsese focusses on the theme of Catholicism in several of his films including Raging Bull and Goodfellas.
This is because the majority of his main characters are from Italian of Irish descent, which of whom grew up
around the religion. Catholicism is also linked to the theme of guilt in Scorsese’s films as many times it is the
cause of it.
He often bases his films around one dominant/surrogate male, for example a father. This is seen in
Goodfellas, The Departed and more. The protagonists often search for fathers they never had, these played
by Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon many times. However this request for love from a father figure has
resulted in the characters being killed many times.
Redemption and Sin are fundamental themes for a lot of
Scorsese’s work. Many times Scorsese creates characters
for his films who are already psychologically depressed due
to their current sins.
Scorsese brings in themes of misunderstanding and solitude
into his films also, and these often link to redemption and
sin. The protagonists in Scorsese’s films are often
misunderstood, and therefore attempt to almost redeem
themselves by showing what they are capable of.
Furthermore, there are often ‘sparks’ in Scorsese's films
which push the protagonists ‘over the edge’ - this becomes
the main source of conflict in his films. This clever technique
in direction has resulted in many of the actors who have
worked with Martin Scorsese to win Oscars because he
creates deep and meaningful characters.
6. Awards:
Baftas:
Best Film - Goodfellas (1990)
Best Direction - Gooffellas (1990)
Best Film - Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974)
Best Film - The Aviator (2004)
Academy Awards:
Best Director - The Departed (2006)
Best Picture - The Departed (2006)
Golden Globes:
Best Director - Gangs of New York (2002)
Best Motion Picture - The Aviator (2004)
Best Director - The Departed (2006)
Best Director - Hugo (2011)
Others:
Best Director - X5
Best Film - X2
And more!
