When I visualize an idea of a "filmmaker", one of the first images that comes to my mind is Martin Scorsese. To me, he represents all that a director should be; extensively knowledgeable of film history, a great appreciation of our cinematic past with a passion to preserve these movies for future generations and a damn good creator of well-crafted motion pictures.
And because Scorsese is so respected and revered, it's not surprising that he has upset a few fans with his recent comments on movies based on comic-books and how he does not consider them actual "cinema". Now I don't necessarily agree completely with his assessment but I do understand what he's trying to say. These films, limited in scope and relevance, with their incredible box-office success are pushing smaller, more intimate dramas off the big screen. This is the concern of Mr. Scorsese and I share in his fear that eventually all that you will find playing in a movie theater are CGI heavy, event movies.
Mr. Scorsese has released his latest feature and it certainly serves as a reminder of what a movie can do that was not designed to help sell merchandise or used for product placement. "The Irishman", a three & 1/2 hour epic drama, features Robert De Niro as Frank Sheeran, a part-time hit man for the mob who claims to know exactly what happened to labor leader, Jimmy Hoffa, played here by Al Pacino. With the appearance of other performers long associated with Scorsese, Harvey Keitel and the semi-retired, Joe Pesci, on board and using CGI to de-age the actors, "The Irishman" has received some of the best reviews in Mr. Scorsese's legendary career.
The irony of this is that "The Irishman" was produced by Netflix which has contributed in their own passive/aggressive way of tearing down the theatrical movie-going experience. The streaming company wants their movies to be recognized as award-worthy, cinematic events yet insists on their own rules on how long they will play in a theater before being streamed on their network. With movie chains refusing to budge with their rules for a three-month theatrical window, Netflix has been creative on getting "The Irishman" in theaters with it being shown largely in independent theaters including an exclusive run at the Belasco, a Broadway theater in New York.
In honor of his latest film, Vulture has taken look back on the storied career of Martin Scorsese and ranked his cinematic efforts from least successful to sublime masterpieces (this list does not include his documentaries).
Click below to read the article:
Every Martin Scorsese Movie Ranked
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