The Couch Potato's Guide to the Best of the Best: The Films of Martin Scorsese

Artwork by Michael DiMilo

By Geoff Carter

Siebbi, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

His films are deeply embedded into the fabric or our culture. From the grittiness of Mean Streets, Raging Bull, and Taxi Driver to the gentility of The Age of Innocence, the black humor of The King of Comedy, or the epic scope of The Last Waltz, Martin Scorsese has left a lasting impression on our hearts and minds. How many times has the mirror scene in Taxi Driver—“You talking to me?”—been parodied? Or who can forget the tension, terror, and finally hilarity of the—“You think I’m funny?”—scene from Goodfellas? Those moments are—for the Couch Potato at least—locked into the collective cultural memory.

Although Mr. Scorsese is well-known, and rightly so, for his iconic New York City gangster films, the works in his oeuvre range from comedy to historical drama to documentary to musical. The Last Waltz is a terrific film, one of the best concert films ever made. Not only is The Band beautifully showcased during their final concert, but the array of guest musicians (including Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and Eric Clapton) that appear with them transcends the genre, transforming the event into an historical artifact. Scorsese has captured the end of an era on film.

The Age of Innocence and Gangs of New York are beautifully wrought historical dramas that cover the gamut from the gritty and impoverished Five Points neighborhood of nineteenth century New York to the parlors and boudoirs of upper West Side high society. He also tried his hand directing a musical New York, New York. But, of course, when one thinks of Scorsese, films like Goodfellas, Casino, Mean Streets, The Departed, or The Irishman come to mind. And—of course—Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, or Harvey Keitel, who happen to appear in most of these films. No one, not even Coppola, has been able to capture the lifestyle and sensibilities of career criminals like Scorsese. From relatively likable characters like ambitious Henry Hill and the hilarious but psychotic Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas to the earnestly ambitious Charlie Cappa (Harvey Keitel) in Mean Streets, Scorsese has managed to embody and humanize a subversive criminal subculture. We sympathize with Charlie and Henry. We even sort of like Tommy, but these guys are what they are: products of their environment, the same tough New York City neighborhoods where Scorsese grew up. They, like Martin Scorsese, are part of the American experience.

Martin Scorsese’s Top Ten Films

Raging Bull: The brilliant and disturbing biography Jake LaMotta, one of the fiercest middleweight boxers who ever stepped into the ring. During his rise to the top, LaMotta is plagued by emotional insecurities, self-loathing, and jealousy, finally driving away anybody who cares about him. Beautifully shot in a grainy black and white film stock that captures the gritty feel of LaMott’s working-class Italian neighborhood. Notable for DeNiro’s bravura performance and Joe Pesci’s portrayal of LaMotta’s long-suffering brother/manager.

Starring: Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, Nicholas Colasanto, Frank Vincent, and Teresa Saldana. Written by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin. Directed by Martin Scorsese.

Taxi Driver: In this iconic masterpiece, Travis Bickel, a disaffected loner disgusted with the avarice and vice he sees every night as a cabby in New York City, and who is convinced the world has become a irretrievable cesspool, finally decides he has to do something about it. Obsessed with Iris, a teenaged prostitute, and Sport, her pimp, Bickel decides to liberate her from her destructive lifestyle, figuring violence is the only means by which he can do the right thing. Notable for the brilliant performances of DeNiro and a very young Jodie Foster.

Starring: Robert DeNiro, Cybil Shephard, Jodie Foster, Peter Boyle, Albert Brooks, Harvey Keitel, and Victor Argo. Written by Paul Schrader. Directed by Martin Scorsese.

Goodfellas: Based on a true story. Henry Hill, a kid growing up next to an Italian social club in the 1950s is fascinated with the mobster lifestyle of the men who frequent the place. Henry starts running errands for them, and the boys take Henry under their wing, eventually introducing him to life as a “goodfella”, a member of their crime family. A fascinating glimpse of daily life as a member of the Mafia. The final courtroom scene when Hill directly addresses the audience is worth the price of admission (or HBO) by itself. Notable for Ray Liotta and Lorraine Bracco’s grippingly passionate performances as husband and wife—and for Pesci’s “Do you think I’m funny?” scene.

Starring: Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Robert DeNiro, Lorraine Bracco, Paul Sorvino, Frank Vincent, and Samuel L. Jackson. Written by Nicholas Pileggi and Martin Scorsese. Directed by Martin Scorsese.

The Departed: A gripping tale of double and triple betrayals. A young cop (Leonardo DiCaprio) is persuaded by the brass to go deep undercover into the Boston mob. Another cop, (Matt Damon), who is beholden to the mob boss (Jack Nicholson), becomes his source in the Boston Police Department. As each of the moles dives more deeply into their false personas, subsequently losing grip on their own identities, the lines between good and evil, right and wrong, and personal loyalties become blurred. Notable for the DiCaprio’s great performance.

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin, Jack Nicholson, and Vera Farmiga. Written by William Monahan. Directed by Martin Scorsese.

The Last Waltz: On Thanksgiving Day, 1976, The Band gave their farewell performance at San Francisco’s Winterland and asked Scorsese to document the event on film. The result is a stunning tour de force, one of the best concert films ever. Besides performing fan favorites like “Cripple Creek”, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”, and “Ophelia”, the hosts welcomed sixties rock icons like Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Joni Mitchell, and Ringo Starr. Mixing live footage with soundstage recordings and interviews, Scorsese provides a nuanced portrait of American music—and an entire era.

Starring: Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Richard Manuel, Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and Eric Clapton. Written by Mardik Martin. Directed by Martin Scorsese.

The King of Comedy: In a narrative that seems oddly congruent to Taxi Driver, this black comedy addresses a loner whose frustrated ambitions lead him to larceny. Rupert Pupkin, a loser obsessed with talk show host Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis) to the point where he has constructed mock set of the show in his mother’s basement, and rebuffed in his efforts to meet his idol, decides to take matters into his own hands. He kidnaps Langford, and as part of his ransom, demands airtime to do his stand-up routine on Jerry’s show. Notable for its wonderfully ironic ending and for Sandra Bernhard’s caustically brilliant performance.

Starring: Robert DeNiro, Jerry Lewis, Sandra Berhnhard, Shelley Hack, Diahnne Abbott, and Frederick De Cordova. Written by Paul D. Zimmerman. Directed by Martin Scorsese.

Cape Fear: Scorsese’s chilling remake of the 1962 psychological thriller. Upon his release from prison, Max Cady (Robert DeNiro), a convicted rapist, seeks vengeance against Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte), the former public defender whom he blames for his botched defense and imprisonment. Waging a war of terror against his family, Cady rapes one of Bowden’s acquaintances, attempts to seduce his daughter, and follows the family onto a houseboat where he wreaks his final revenge. Notable for the spooky seduction scene in the school auditorium between Cady and Bowden’s daughter.

Starring: Robert DeNiro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, Juliette Lewis, Joe Don Baker, Robert Mitchum, and Gregory Peck. Written by Wesley Strick. Directed by Martin Scorsese.

The Last Temptation of Christ: A reimagining of the life of Christ including his struggles with various forms of human weakness including doubt, fear, lust, and depression. The film—and the book upon which it was based—caused controversy in the Christian community for its deviations from the Gospel. Scorsese’s film treatment of the subject matter, particularly with the sequences in which Christ imagines himself living a normal life, including having sexual relations and fathering a family, is both tender and heart-wrenching. Notable for Willem Dafoe’s depiction of the non-traditional Christ.

Starring Willem Defoe, Harvey Keitel, Barbara Hershey, David Bowie, Harry Dean Stanton, Victor Argo, John Lurie, and Verna Bloom. Written by Paul Schrader. Directed by Martin Scorsese.

Mean Streets: Scorsese’s breakout film that follows an ambitious young hood, Charlie Cappa (Harvey Keitel), who is trying to make his mark with the local mob boss. Despite the mafioso’s warnings, Cappa feels responsible for the actions of his reckless and self-destructive cousin, Johnny Boy (Robert DeNiro) who has racked up substantial debt to a number of local shylocks. Despite Charlie’s efforts, things with Jonny get worse and finally go sour. Notable for the acting chemistry between Keitel, DeNiro, and the rest of their entourage.

Starring: Harvey Keitel, Robert DeNiro, David Proval, Amy Robinson, Richard Romanus, and Cesare Danova. Written by Mardik Martin and Martin Scorsese. Directed by Martin Scorsese.

The Age of Innocence: A beautifully wrought romantic period drama based on the book by Edith Wharton. A young lawyer Newland Archer (Daniel Day Lewis) is engaged to an innocent young socialite (May Welland) but finds himself entranced by the more worldly Countess Ellen Olenska (Michelle Pfeiffer) who is recovering from a failed marriage. Seeking to help redeem the Countess’s reputation in society, Newland finds himself disillusioned with the naivete and cluelessness of his fiancée. Notable for Winona Ryder’s Oscar-nominated performance as May Welland.

Starring: Daniel Day Lewis, Winona Ryder, Michelle Pfeiffer, Geraldine Chaplin, Richard E. Grant, Robert Sean Leonard, and Norman Lloyd. Written by Jay Cocks and Martin Scorsese. Directed by Martin Scorsese.