THE MARTIN SCORSESE COUNTDOWN | List complete! Check out how your fave did!

[Eric Burnett]

31 minutes ago, TheDude391 said:

I think had I not watched the original Cape Fear right before, I'd enjoy the Scorsese version more. Marty's is very over the top and silly and quite fun but it lacks the scariness of the original. Robert Mitchum is more subtle as the villain and his leering at the daughter (whose much younger in the original) and family is more grounded in its approach which makes it way more uncomfortable to watch. But the original doesn't have Joe Don Baker so...

 

Also this is my first time participating in one of these and wow I did not expect such detailed and thought out writing per entry, figured it would just be a standard list. Count me impressed!

My main focus when making these lists is to really make sure each entry gets love and adoration and respect, as well as a good sense of historical context. Every movie has at least one fan out there and I want to make sure I make folks happy, even if I myself may not like a film.

 

Thank you so much for the compliment, because my commentary is the one thing I really want to spend time on.

[Tower]

Well this list is very different than mine, I hade Gangs Of New York and Bringing Out The Dead in my top 5. Bringing Out The Dead in particular is such a hidden gem, I hadn't even heard of it until this year but I ended up liking better than some of Scorsese's most famous work. I hope those that haven't seen it yet give it a chance.

[The Panda]

On 12/5/2021 at 10:51 AM, Eric Madrigal said:

#22

Kundun (1997)

42 pts, 9 lists

"I see a safe journey, I see a safe return."

 

 

Top 5 placements: 1

Top 10 placements: 3

Box Office: $5.7 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 75%

Metacritic: 74

Awards: Four Academy Award nominations, One Golden Globe nomination, Best Cinematographer by New York Film Critics Circle and National Society of Film Critics

 

Roger Ebert’s Review:  "I admire "Kundun" for being so unreservedly committed to its vision, for being willing to cut loose from audience expectations and follow its heart. I admire it for its visual elegance. And yet this is the first Scorsese film that, to be honest, I would not want to see again and again."

 

BOT User Review: N/A

 

Its Legacy: Caused Martin Scorsese to be banned in China. Ensured Disney would never try to anger Chinese government again. Was referenced in The Sopranos. Gave Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Once in a while, there’s always some jackass on Twitter or YouTube complaining about how certain movies “would never get made today”. And nine times out of ten, that’s just not true.

 

However, Kundun is one of the few films that definitely falls into “would never be made today”, and it’s sadly not for anything offensive or dated. The film’s depiction of the 14th Dalai Lama, a pariah to the Communist Chinese Party, from a major studio like Disney was one that led to heavy controversy. China’s government banned the film and Scorsese himself from ever entering the country, and China threatened to ban all future Disney films and television productions for a brief while. Michael Eisner had to badmouth the film as a mistake, purposely limited the film’s distribution to make the film seem like a failure that nobody watched, and even today the film is impossible to find. 

 

It’s not available on any streaming services or digital stores, and while DVDs and Blu-Rays exist, they aren’t the easiest to find. It’s a film that quite literally was forced to bomb and hide away just so Disney could put a theme park in Shanghai about 20 years later. And while the future of Hollywood movies in China is on shaky grounds at the moment, garbage capitalism will ensure that a movie like Kundun will never be made again to appease the almighty market.

 

It’s a pity too, because, as the middle film of Scorsese’s unofficial “Faith Trilogy” (sandwiched between Last Temptation and Silence), this has a lot to admire here, especially with an all-star crew behind it. Beautifully shot by Roger Deakins, sharply written by the late great Melissa Mathison, wonderfully edited by Thelma Schoonmaker, and composed by the great Philip Glass, it’s an engaging biopic that showcases the struggles Tenzin Gyatso faced beginning as a young child, though its episodic nature is not for everybody.

 

It’s oft-regarded as the worst of the “Faith Trilogy”, but there’s a reason Christopher Moltisanti likes that movie so much.

 

 

Very low, deserves much higher

[lilmac]

Is this real life, or a twilight zone? Gangs of New York and Cape Fear not making the top 15??

[baumer]

8 hours ago, The Panda said:

Very low, deserves much higher

 

Deserves got nothing to do with it.

[baumer]

When might this get going again?

[Eric Burnett]

11 minutes ago, baumer said:

When might this get going again?

The plan is tomorrow. This month's been kicking my ass at my job, and my personal laptop is now in repairs, so I haven't gotten much progress done as I'd liked.

[Eric Burnett]

6 hours ago, Eric Feels Pretty said:

The plan is tomorrow. This month's been kicking my ass at my job, and my personal laptop is now in repairs, so I haven't gotten much progress done as I'd liked.

As it turns out, my laptop returned early and my plans got canceled, so let's go on with the show.

[Eric Burnett]

#15

The Color of Money (1986)

95 pts, 18 lists

"Money won is twice as sweet as money earned."

 

 

Top 5 placements: 3

Top 10 placements: 5

Box Office: $52.3 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 89%

Metacritic: 77

Awards: 1 Academy Award and 3 nominations, 6th place National Board of Review and Best Actor win, 10th place in 1987's Cahiers du Cinema, 2 Golden Globe nominations, 1 MTV Video Music Award nomination

 

Roger Ebert’s Review: "If this movie had been directed by someone else, I might have thought differently about it because I might not have expected so much. But "The Color of Money" is directed by Martin Scorsese, the most exciting American director now working, and it is not an exciting film. It doesn't have the electricity, the wound-up tension, of his best work, and as a result I was too aware of the story marching by."

 

BOT User Review: N/A

 

Its Legacy: Gave Paul Newman a much-needed Oscar. Continued Tom Cruise's 80s dominance. Revitalize the popularity and recognition of 1961's The Hustler. Inspired the title of the video game series Doom (yes really). Gave Bill Cobbs a paycheck.

 

Commentary: This is the only sequel Martin Scorsese ever made...kind of. This is a follow up to the 1961 Paul Newman classic The Hustler, with Newman returning to play Eddie Felson. And as an aside, let me say personally that if you liked Color of Money but have not seen The Hustler yet, I strongly, strongly implore you to do so. The Hustler is one of my personal favorite movies of all time and is a fascinating character study from beginning to end. And it's got Jackie Gleason. Who doesn't love Jackie Gleason?

 

Anyways, while Color of Money is considered inferior to The Hustler, it’s still damn good. While the story beats are somewhat conventional for these kinds of sports films, and the ending isn’t everybody’s favorite, it’s all made up for the energetic direction and editing from Martin and Thelma. The stunning imagery found in the pool matches is full of exciting pans, zooms, close-ups and quick cuts that truly make you feel a part of the action and give these games a larger than life feel.

 

At the same time, it’s also got two of the coolest actors on the planet. Paul Newman won his only Oscar for this return of the iconic role, and he proves once again to be one of the greatest, most charismatic actors to ever live. And is there anything more endearing than 80s Tom Cruise? With Scorsese and Cruise’s attachment, this is arguably more popular than its superior predecessor these days, but that’s not really a bad thing.

 

 

[Eric Burnett]

#14

Mean Streets (1973)

102 pts, 19 lists

"You know what the Queen said? If I had balls, I'd be King."

 

 

 

#1 placements: 1

Top 5 placements: 2 

Top 10 placements: 5

Box Office: $3 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 96%

Metacritic: 96

Awards: 1 National Society of Film Critics win, Joined the National Film Registry in 1997, #1 Greatest Independent Film according to Empire Magazine

 

Roger Ebert’s Review: "Seen after 25 years, “Mean Streets” is a little creaky at times; this is an early film by a director who was still learning, and who learned so fast that by 1976 he would be ready to make “Taxi Driver,” one of the greatest films of all time, also with De Niro and Keitel. The movie doesn’t have the headlong flow, the unspoken confidence in every choice, that became a Scorsese hallmark...But it has an elemental power, a sense of spiraling doom, that a more polished film might have lacked."

 

BOT User Review: "Typically well-directed and the soundtrack is incredible but it didn't really connect with me. I dunno, it just felt kinda muddled. Scorsese himself has joked that his movies don't have plots but it's really obvious here." - @Jack Nevada

 

Its Legacy: Considered Martin Scorsese's first true film. First of 10 collaborations between Scorsese and De Niro. Notably tackles themes of gang violence and Catholic guilt, staples of Scorsese's films. Gave Harvey Keitel a paycheck.

 

Commentary: In the same way we treat Jaws as Spielberg’s true debut as a director, Mean Streets was the film that made Martin Scorsese the auteur we know him as today. And this even takes place in the gangster genre that Martin would become famous for with titles like Goodfellas and The Departed. It’s kind of fascinating, as Martin plays around with the themes and subjects and characters that would define his works, in a way that’s confident, but not truly realized as they would soon be for films like Taxi Driver or Goodfellas.

 

As this first debuted within the New Hollywood era, a lot of hallmarks that defined 1970s filmmaking are prominent here. It’s gruesome, gritty, realistic, and notably depicts violence and nudity in ways never really seen before. Yet Scorsese’s film is also reminiscent of the gangster films before it, essentially serving as an evolution of the classics him and his filmmaking compatriots were familiar with. And with decent financial success, Mean Streets would be the stepping stone for four more decades and counting of high-quality motion pictures. And more importantly, Mean Streets would be a major influence for other filmmakers and actors for years to come.

 

 

[Eric Burnett]

#13

The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)

103 pts, 17 lists

"If I was a woodcutter, I'd cut. If I was a fire, I'd burn. But I'm a heart and I love. That's the only thing I can do."

 

 

#2 placements: 1

#3 placements: 1

Top 5 placements: 4

Top 10 placements: 7

Box Office: $8.9 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 81%

Metacritic: 80

Awards: Screened at the Venice International Film Festival, winning the Filmcritica "Bastione Bianco" Award. 5th Place at the National Board of Review Awards, 1 Academy Award nomination, 2 Golden Globe nominations, 1 Grammy Award nomination, 1 Golden Raspberry nomination.

 

Roger Ebert’s Review: "What makes “The Last Temptation of Christ” one of his great films is not that it is true about Jesus but that it is true about Scorsese. Like countless others, he has found aspects of the Christ story that speak to him."

 

BOT User Review: "Probably the best "Jesus movie" out there." - @ShouldIBeHere

 

Its Legacy: Became a heavy source of controversy. Resulted in Martin Scorsese protected by bodyguards for a few years. Terrorist attack at French cinema emerged. Appeared in The Criterion Collection in 1997. Censored and banned in several countries. First film in Scorsese's "Faith Trilogy". Gave David Bowie a paycheck.

 

Commentary: If you guys want to talk about controversial films, this is perhaps the craziest one ever. The original novel it was based on, which dared to humanize Jesus Christ as he struggles with temptation, is considered one of the most heretical, blasphemous texts to ever hit bookshelves, and is still targeted by extreme right-wing groups and Evangelicals to this day.

 

Scorsese’s film adaptation was no different. Despite getting some positive attention from religious leaders, the film’s departure from the standard gospel narratives led to immense backlash and hatred towards the film and even Scorsese, despite being a devout Catholic. A cinema in Paris was burned down after playing the film, protests emerged at MCA, Universal’s parent company at the time, resulting in some theater chains not playing the movie at all, and even Scorsese getting death threats and requiring bodyguards wherever he went.

 

It’s kind of disappointing the film would end up as a box office failure. If I can speak personally, though I’ll fully admit that I left Catholicism ages ago, that this is one depiction that arguably strengthens the ideals of Jesus Christ. As portrayed beautifully by Willem DaFoe, this depiction of Jesus triumphs because despite the temptation being forced into a role that calls for his own death, he is willing to go through and take part in his religious duties solely to do what is right. It’s a tough, yet relatable concept and something that, at least for my atheist mindset, makes me appreciate why people follow such a belief.

 

But of course, I don’t want to speak on everybody’s behalf, especially our Catholic members. Either way, there’s definitely many people here who struck a chord with the film, with a few notable placements in the top 5 on a couple lists. That’s gotta count for something.

 

 

[Eric Burnett]

#12

Hugo (2011)

105 pts, 22 lists

"If you've ever wondered where your dreams come from, you look around...this is where they're made."

 

 

Top 5 placements: 1

Top 10 placements: 8

Box Office: $185.8 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 93%

Metacritic: 83

Awards: 5 Academy Awards and 6 nominations, 2 National Board of Review Awards, 2 BAFTAs and 6 nominations, 1 Critics Choice Award and 9 nominations, 1 Golden Globe and 2 nominations, 1 Grammy Award nomination, 1 Hugo Award nomination, 1 Ray Bradbury Award nomination

 

Roger Ebert’s Review: ""Hugo" celebrates the birth of the cinema and dramatizes Scorsese's personal pet cause, the preservation of old films. In one heartbreaking scene, we learn that Melies, convinced his time had passed and his work had been forgotten, melted down countless films so that their celluloid could be used to manufacture the heels of women's shoes. But they weren't all melted, and at the end of "Hugo, " we see that thanks to this boy, they never will be. Now there's a happy ending for you."

 

BOT User Review: "Immersive, beautiful, touching, exciting. The best movie of 2011." - @Ezen Baklattan

 

Its Legacy: Scorsese's first (and last) film shot in 3D. Serves as many children's introductory point to Martin Scorsese. Kickstarted the acting careers of Asa Butterfield and Chloe Grace Moretz. Selected for the Royal Film Performance. Frequently hailed as one of 2011's best. Gave Sacha Baron Cohen a paycheck.

 

Commentary: After several decades of films about religious guilt, the grimy underworld of New York City, and foul language aplenty, 2011’s Hugo was when Martin Scorsese did the unthinkable: make a movie for kids. But hilariously enough, this supposed kids movie focuses on the silent films of George Melies, a subject no child would ever find interesting. Truly Martin Scorsese is a chad amongst men.

 

In all seriousness, there is something truly delightful and awe-inspiring about Martin making a film for younger generations specifically about how wonderful movies truly are. How you get lost within their world and create a connection with others who find themselves transfixed by that silver screen. How the artistry and innovations created from the all-time masters can hook you into a grand adventure and allow you to have a greater understanding of the world and yourself. The film is also a call to arms against viewers, young and old, to preserve film history. To respect what came before and make sure it stays alive. To see what came before, so you can understand what makes your favorites so good in the first place. In a time when artistically creative feature films are struggling to find their place in a world where Disney dreck pollutes the multiplex and audiences have an increasing disinterest in what makes movies so magical and powerful aside from an entertaining enough thrill ride, Hugo is a film that is needed now more than ever.

 

Alongside that message, the film is an absolutely lavish visual splendor, showcasing stunning 3D technology that still has yet to be matched and still serves as a compelling adventure outside of its “magic of the movies” subtext. For some, this will be the introductory piece to a legendary auteur, and it’s a good starting point for sure.

 

 

[Eric Burnett]

#11

Shutter Island (2010)

106 pts, 19 lists

"Which would be worse - to live as a monster, or to die as a good man?"

 

 

Top 5 placements: 1

Top 10 placements: 10

Box Office: $294.8 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 68%

Metacritic: 63

Awards: In Competition at Berlin International Film Festival, Top 10 Films by National Board of Review

 

Roger Ebert’s Review: "You may read reviews of "Shutter Island" complaining that the ending blindsides you. The uncertainty it causes prevents the film from feeling perfect on first viewing. I have a feeling it might improve on second. Some may believe it doesn't make sense. Or that, if it does, then the movie leading up to it doesn't. I asked myself: OK, then, how should it end? What would be more satisfactory? Why can't I be one of those critics who informs the director what he should have done instead?"

 

BOT User Review: "Everything, the striking visuals, the haunting Herrmann-ish score, the spectacular Dicaprio performance and Scorsese sure-handed direction all comes together perfectly to make this his most atmospheric and involving movie yet." - @Goffe

 

Its Legacy: Martin Scorsese's highest-grossing film until The Wolf of Wall Street. Biggest opening for a Martin Scorsese film. A PC video game was later released. An HBO series was in development. Gave Jackie Earle Hayley a paycheck.

 

Commentary: So this is the placement that took me by surprise if I’m being honest here. Not because Shutter Island is a bad film, but it isn’t really considered one of Scorsese’s best. Depending on who you ask, this is probably considered the weakest Martin-Leo collaboration. So this movie just shy of reaching the top 10 is pretty fascinating, especially going ahead of films like Hugo or Last Temptation or even Mean Streets.

 

Regardless, there’s a good reason why people like this film so much here. This Hitchock-style thriller is one of the few instances of Martin Scorsese dipping his toe into both noir and horror. It’s gothic, it’s suspenseful, and it's shocking all in one, while also being a bit of a mind-bender. Some will argue this is a film that works best on a rewatch, as learning what happens before allows you to pick up more on clues and hints in the beginning of the film, allowing you to better understand what Leonardo DiCaprio’s Teddy Daniels goes through and appreciate it more, potentially as one of Scorsese's finest titles.

 

And that’s probably why it ranked so highly on this countdown. Off the back of Leo, this became Martin Scorsese’s highest-grossing film until Wolf of Wall Street three years later. And with the film being a constant fixture on places like HBO and Netflix, it’s readily available to rewatch again and again with little charge, allowing viewers to treat this film like a fine wine and give an already-liked film some still needed reappraisal.

 

 

[WrathOfHan]

HOW IS AFTER HOURS SO LOW?!?!?!?!?!

[lorddemaxus]

Age of Innocence in the top 10, fuck yeah. 

[Eric Burnett]

Just letting you all know I'm getting 10-6 up tomorrow. My lips are sealed, but this is when we get to the really, really good stuff.

[Eric Burnett]

#10

Casino (1995)

108 pts, 19 lists

" There are three ways of doing things around here: the right way, the wrong way, and the way that *I* do it."

 

#2 placements: 1

#3 placements: 1

Top 5 placements: 6 

Top 10 placements: 3

Box Office: $116.1 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 79%

Metacritic: 73

Awards: 1 Academy Award nomination, 3rd place for Best Film from Cahiers du Cinema, 1 Golden Globe win and 1 nomination, 2 MTV Movie Award nominations

 

Roger Ebert’s Review: "Unlike his other Mafia movies ("Mean Streets" and "GoodFellas"), Scorsese's "Casino" is as concerned with history as with plot and character. The city of Las Vegas is his subject, and he shows how it permitted people like Ace, Ginger and Nicky to flourish, and then spit them out, because the Vegas machine is too profitable and powerful to allow anyone to slow its operation."

 

BOT User Review: "Epic crime film." - @Lordmandeep

 

Its Legacy: An epic Goodfellas reunion. Dramatized the life story of Frank Rosenthal. Became one of Scorsese's biggest hits in the 1990s. Beginning to see reevaluation. Ranks as the 7th film to use "fuck" the most. Gave Don Rickles a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Serving as the spiritual sequel to Goodfellas, right down to the cast and screenwriter Nick Pileggi, Casino is a fascinating look into the casino scene and how it can corrupt a man. This is not just shown through Scorsese’s layered depiction of Las Vegas, showcasing how the city is defined by its people, as crazy, greedy, and capitalistic as they may be, but also with the characters themselves. The trio of Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Sharon Stone were at the top of their game in 1995, and all three deliver exemplary performances that humanize these roles, giving dimension and tragedy to the piece.

 

While critics and even Scorsese fans felt this was too derivative of Scorsese’s other works, there’s been solid reappraisal in the years since, and it managed to squeak into the top 10 ahead of many other films that have die-hard fans or hit by recency bias, which always hits these lists. That says quite a lot right there.

 

 

[Eric Burnett]

#9

The Irishman (2019)

125 pts, 21 lists

"You always charge a guy with a gun! With a knife, you run away."

 

 

#2 placements: 1

#3 placements: 1

Top 5 placements: 3

Top 10 placements: 11

Box Office: $8 million in theaters, 64 million viewers on Netflix in the first four weeks of release

Rotten Tomatoes: 95%

Metacritic: 94

Awards: 10 Academy Award nominations, 10 BAFTA nominations, 1 Critics Choice Award and 13 nominations, 5 Golden Globe nominations, 3 National Board of Review Awards, 

 

Critic Review: "The Irishman is a feast for the ages, a groaning board of exquisitely photographed scenes, iconic performances and tender nods toward old age that leave viewers in a mood more wistful than keyed-up." - Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post

 

BOT User Review: "While it was epic in its approach it never lost sight of its characters.  DeNiro, Pacino and Pesci haven’t been this good in awhile.  And I was struck by just how profound it was.  It was the right time for Scorsese to make this film.  It’s a monumental achievement." - @DAR

 

Its Legacy: One of Netflix's biggest hits upon its debut. Began Scorsese's current reign in streaming. The ninth collaboration between Scorsese and De Niro. The fourth collaboration between De Niro and Pacino. The first collaboration between Scorsese and Pacino. Boasts groundbreaking de-aging effects. The second of two major depictions of Jimmy Hoffa. One of Barack Obama's favorite movies of 2019. Gave Anna Paquin a paycheck.

 

Commentary: The term “masterpiece” is one people love to throw around. But if you want to go into the real definition, or at least how I like to interpret things, it’s an artist’s greatest, most important work. Not their best work per se, nor your personal favorite work, nor even their most impactful work. All that stuff is subjective and based around your own personal feelings. But an artist’s masterpiece, at least in my eyes, is one that is often made around the end of an artist’s career and serves as a culmination of everything they’ve learned. All their skills, tools, crafts, and understanding of what makes a good work of art are used to great effect here to create something that summarizes their works and exemplifies why they’re so good in the first place.

 

And for me, Martin Scorsese’s masterpiece, at least in this strange definition, goes to The Irishman. After years of development hell, this exemplifies more than 50 years of filmmaking. A massive, sprawling 3.5-hour epic detailing the life of Frank Sheeran through Robert De Niro’s finest performance, this film details an entire man’s story through groundbreaking visual effects technology and a somber, complex, meditative tale that is easy to get sucked into.

 

In many ways, the film serves as a reflection on Martin and his own career. This doesn’t have the stylized insanity of Goodfellas or Wolf of Wall Street, yet still feels like a distinct look back on the films he made and how far he has come at his old age. It’s like what Frank Sheeran does in the movie itself. A man looking back on what he’s done and recontextualizing things as an old man.

 

This is obviously not Scorsese’s last movie, and it’s likely he has one or two final productions after Killer Moon before he retires and/or passes quietly into the night. Yet this film has a certain sense of finality to it that it still shines as a true culmination of the man’s legacy.

 

 

[Eric Burnett]

#8

Silence (2016)

127 pts, 17 lists

"I pray but I am lost. Am I just praying to silence?"

 

#1 placements: 3

#2 placements: 3

#3 placements: 1

Top 5 placements: 8

Top 10 placements: 7

Box Office: $23.8 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 83%

Metacritic: 79

Awards: 1 Academy Award nomination, 1 National Board of Review Award, Top 10 from American Film Institute and National Board of Review

 

Critic Review: "Building implacable dread and tension from scene to scene, the story is as simple as its underlying ideas are endlessly complex." - Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times

 

BOT User Review: "Not only is Silence the best movie of the decade, and the most overlooked one (which is shocking given it's Scorsese's career long passion project), not only do I find it to be the best film of Scorsese's career, it has just about moved its way into one of my top 5 films of all time.  One of the most powerful movies I have ever watched." - @The Panda

 

Its Legacy: Final film in the "Scorsese Faith Trilogy". Detailing the Shimabara Rebellion for a new generation. A life-long passion project for Martin Scorsese now alive. One of two adaptations of the 1966 original novel. Serves as a modern homage to Ingmar Bergman. Gave Shinya Tsukamoto a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Definitely one of the most passionate films on this list. It appeared on a lot of lists, but certainly not as much as many films before and after it in the rankings. This is not helped by the film’s box office failure, its massive runtime, and a depressing subject matter, so it’s not the easiest to get into. However, the people who voted for it really, really loved it. And it makes sense why.

 

The final film in Scorsese’s unofficial Faith Trilogy, it’s another passion project that took decades to develop and came out to great results. A film that could have only been directed by a man who has struggled with his religion all his life, Silence looks into why people fall into religion in the first place in a world that isn’t kind to spiritual folk. How can you believe in God in a world that seems godless? How do you stay close to your beliefs while doing the right thing? Is it possible to even do both at the same time? There aren’t any clear answers, but that just allows deeper analysis and for viewers to create their own unique interpretations.

 

And even if you aren’t religious, there’s still a grand story, beautiful production values, and a fantastic cast full of Hollywood talent everybody know and love, and a slew of incredible Japanese talents. And if you’re a Scorsese fan, this send-up to Ingmar Bergman is like The Irishman. A film that meditates on the director’s own life and the work he has done, as he nears the end of his own career/life. It’s genuinely fascinating, and while I’m obviously not against Scorsese continuing to make movies, this and Irishman really do feel like perfect endpoints.

 

Scorsese’s faith-based releases have always been under the shadow of Scorsese’s more commercially viable gangster titles. And it’s unlikely that will change in the future. Yet Silence, and his other two films, will continue to endure for many and still leave a strong impression on viewers, whether they be Catholic or otherwise.

 

 

[Eric Burnett]

#7

The Age of Innocence (1993)

128 pts, 18 lists

"How can we be happy behind the backs of people who trust us?"

 

 

#1 placements: 3

#3 placements: 2

Top 5 placements: 8

Top 10 placements: 6

Box Office: $32.3 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 84%

Metacritic: 90

Awards: 1 Academy Award and 4 nominations, 1 Venice Film Festival Award, 1 BAFTA win and 3 nominations, 1 Golden Globe Award and 3 nominations, 2 National Board of Review Awards, 1 Grammy Award nomination

 

Roger Ebert’s Review: "I recently read The Age of Innocence again, impressed by how accurately the screenplay (by Jay Cocks and Scorsese) reflects the book. Scorsese has two great strengths in adapting it. The first is visual. Working with the masterful cinematographer Michael Ballhaus, he shows a society encrusted by its possessions...His second strength is a complete command of tone. Like her friend Henry James, Edith Wharton seldom allowed her characters to state bluntly what they were thinking. They talked around it, inhibited by society and perhaps afraid of their own thoughts. Wharton, however, allows herself a narrator who does state the plain truth."

 

BOT User Review: N/A

 

Its Legacy: A rare departure from Scorsese in tone, style, and subject matter. The final appearance of Luciano Charles Scorsese. The film was dedicated to him. Part of the Criterion Collection. One of the final works of Saul Bass. Gave Richard E. Grant a paycheck.

 

Commentary: At the time, this romance story was overlooked during Scorsese’s early 1990s heyday of Goodfellas, Cape Fear, and Casino. But this look into high society is one that is intensely romantic yet also deeply sad. Daniel Day-Lewis and all the other characters are trapped in rigid social codes, one that sees marriage less as a love between others and more as something to follow so as wealth can continue for previous generations. It’s both a glamorous look at rich folks, yet also showcases the 1% as folks stuck in a prison, unable to truly enjoy themselves and the world around them, despite being rich enough to have anything and everything.

 

It’s a stark contrast to the typical middle class, American Dream deconstruction found in other Scorsese films, yet also serves a purpose as a slight against the rich and powerful. That despite getting all you could ever want, you have no choices to make nor can you follow your own dreams. Wrapped up in a passionate love story with exemplary work from Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfieffer, and Winona Ryder, it’s sure to be a popular film among Scorsese fans for years to come.