Director Martin Scorsese (1942)

Martin Scorsese co-writes, produces, and directs the American epic western crime drama film, Killers of the Flower Moon (2023). Inspired by David Grann’s non-fiction book from 2017, Scorsese and Eric Roth bring the story to life. During the annual ‘flower moon’ phenomenon on their Oklahoma reservation, Osage Nation elders mourn their descendants’ assimilation into White American society while burying a ceremonial pipe. It is during this time that ...

The film The Irishman (2019) is a Martin Scorsese-directed and produced epic gangster movie, based on Steven Zaillian’s screenplay adapted from the book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt. It follows the story of Frank Sheeran, an elderly Irish-American WWII veteran living in a nursing home, who reflects on his past as a hitman for the Italian-American Mafia. Sheeran starts off as a delivery truck driver in 1950s Philadelphia and begins selling meat shipments to local gangster ‘Skinny ...

Silence (2016) is an epic historical drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, based on the 1966 novel of the same name by Shūsaku Endō. The story follows two devout Portuguese Catholic priests, Sebastião Rodrigues and Francisco Garupe, who embark on a journey to Japan in 1633. Their mission: to uncover the truth behind their mentor Father Cristovão Ferreira’s abrupt end of correspondence. Despite hearing rumors of Ferreira’s apostasy, the determined Jesuit missionaries press on, facing brutal anti-Christian purges in their search for their friend and ...

Vinyl (2016), an American period drama television series, was created by Mick Jagger, Martin Scorsese, Rich Cohen and Terence Winter. The show follows Richie Finestra, a record executive in the 1970s. The pilot episode was directed by Scorsese, from a teleplay by Winter and George Mastras, with a story by

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) is an American biographical black comedy film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Terence Winter. It is based on Jordan Belfort’s memoir of the same name. In 1987, 22-year-old Belfort begins working as a stockbroker for L.F. Rothschild, under Mark Hanna. He is quickly drawn to the drug-fueled broker culture and Hanna’s belief that a broker’s only goal is personal wealth. Belfort loses his job after Black Monday, the largest one-day stock market drop since 1929. He then ...

Hugo (2011), an adventure drama directed and produced by Martin Scorsese, follows the story of a boy who lives alone in the Gare Montparnasse railway station in Paris during the 1930s. The film, adapted from Brian Selznick’s novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret, centers on Hugo’s journey as he becomes involved in a mystery surrounding his father’s automaton and renowned filmmaker Georges Méliès. After his father’s tragic death, twelve-year-old Hugo is taken in by his uncle Claude, an alcoholic who works at the museum. While living with him, Hugo discovers a broken automaton and together they ...

The documentary film, George Harrison: Living in the Material World (2011), was co-produced and directed by Martin Scorsese. It depicts the life of famed musician and former Beatles member, George Harrison. Along with the film’s release came a companion book and an album featuring Harrison’s demo recordings. Its impressive accomplishments include winning Emmy Awards for Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming and Outstanding Nonfiction Special. Initially recognized as ‘The Quiet Beatle’ of the Fab Four, George Harrison’s life extended far beyond ...

Shutter Island (2010) is a gripping neo-noir psychological thriller directed by Martin Scorsese and adapted by Laeta Kalogridis from the novel of the same name by Dennis Lehan. The film follows U.S. Marshal Edward ‘Teddy’ Daniels and his new partner Chuck Aule as they are sent to investigate the disappearance of patient Rachel Solando at Ashecliffe Hospital for the criminally insane on Shutter Island, Boston Harbor. Despite encountering resistance from the hospital staff, particularly from psychiatrist Dr. John ...

Shine a Light (2008), directed by Martin Scorsese, captures the Rolling Stones’ Beacon Theatre performances in 2006 during their A Bigger Bang Tour. Filmed on October 29 and November 1 of that year, the footage used for the film is solely from the second show. The music was recorded, mixed, and co-produced by Bob Clearmountain with David Hewitt operating the audio recording on the Silver Truck. Preceding the concert clips is a brief semi-fictionalized intro depicting the preparations for the shows, along with historical news clips and archival interviews featuring band members. These special shows were ...

The American crime thriller film, The Departed (2006), was directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan. It is a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs, and also draws inspiration from the Boston Winter Hill Gang. In 1980s Boston, Irish Mob leader Frank Costello takes a liking to a young Colin Sullivan. After many years, Sullivan becomes a spy for the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) and joins their Special Investigation Unit (SIU). Meanwhile, another recruit at the police academy named Billy Costigan is asked by Captain Queenan and ...

No Direction Home: Bob Dylan (2005) is a documentary by Martin Scorsese that follows the life of iconic musician Bob Dylan and his significant influence on American popular music and culture in the 20th century. The film specifically delves into the years between Dylan’s arrival in New York in January 1961 and his temporary withdrawal from touring after a motorcycle accident in July 1966. During this time, Dylan experienced a meteoric rise as a folk singer and songwriter, sparking a transformative movement in both cultural and musical realms, ultimately leading to debate over his transition to rock music.

The Aviator (2004), a biographical drama directed by Martin Scorsese and written by John Logan, tells the story of young Howard Hughes. In 1913, his mother teaches him to spell ‘quarantine’ while giving him a bath in Houston, warning about a cholera outbreak. Fourteen years later, he begins directing Hell’s Angels and hires Noah Dietrich to manage his business affairs. However, after seeing the success of The Jazz Singer, Hughes becomes determined to make his film as realistic as possible and converts it to a talking movie. While the film is ...

The Blues (2003), a documentary series created by Martin Scorsese, delves into the rich history of blues music. Each of the seven episodes is directed by a different filmmaker, exploring various stages in the evolution of the genre. Originally broadcast on PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) in the United States, this project resonates deeply with all involved – including Wim Wenders, Richard Pierce, Charles Barnett, Mike ...

Gangs of New York (2002) is an American historical drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, based on Herbert Asbury’s book, The Gangs of New York. Set in the slum of Five Points in 1846, the story follows two rival gangs. The Anglo-Protestant Confederation of American Natives, led by William ‘Bill the Butcher’ Cutting, and the Irish Catholic Dead Rabbits, led by ‘Priest’ Vallon, engage in their final battle for control of the territory. After Bill kills Vallon and declares the Dead Rabbits outlaws, Vallon’s young son witnesses it all and is sent to an orphanage on Blackwell’s ...

Bringing Out the Dead (1999) is an American psychological drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader. It is based on the 1998 novel by Joe Connelly. Set in Manhattan, it follows the story of paramedic Frank Pierce who is struggling with depression, insomnia, and burnout after a failed attempt to save a homeless teen named Rose. Now haunted by her ghost, Frank continues to work alongside his partner Larry and responds to a call from the family of Mr. Burke, who has suffered cardiac arrest. At the ...

My Voyage to Italy (1999), a personal documentary directed by the renowned Italian-American filmmaker Martin Scorsese, presents a powerful message. After being influenced by these films himself, Scorsese wishes for others to experience them as well. The documentary features Scorsese’s own family, who reside on Elizabeth Street in New York and share three generations of Italian heritage with roots in Sicily. They have been avid viewers of both TV and theatrical releases of Italian movies since 1949. Through his narration, Scorsese ...

Kundun (1997) is an American epic biographical film written by Melissa Mathison and directed by Martin Scorsese. Covering the years 1937 to 1959, the majority of the film takes place in Tibet, with some brief scenes occurring in China and India. The story follows the search for the next Dalai Lama, beginning with Reting Rinpoche’s vision. A group of disguised lamas finds a promising candidate in a child from a farming family near the Chinese border in Amdo province. To confirm his identity, they give him a test involving objects that belonged to the previous Dalai ...

In A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (1995), a British documentary of 225 minutes in length, Scorsese examines his top picks among American films. They are categorized by four types of directors: storytellers, illusionists like D.W. Griffith and F.W. Murnau who revolutionized the use of editing for sound and color, smugglers such as Douglas Sirk, Samuel Fuller, and Vincente Minnelli who subtly wove controversial messages into their works, and iconoclasts like Charles Chaplin, Erich von Stroheim, Orson Welles, Elia Kazan, Nicholas Ray, Stanley Kubrick, Arthur Penn and Sam Peckinpah who ...

Casino (1995) is an epic crime film directed by Martin Scorsese, based on Nicholas Pileggi’s nonfiction book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas. In the movie, sports handicapper and Mafia associate Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein is enlisted by the Chicago Outfit to run the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas alongside frontman Philip Green. With Sam at the helm, the casino sees a significant increase in profit, thanks in part to some unaccounted-for cash skimmed from the count room and delivered to the Midwest Mafia bosses. To ensure protection for Sam, the ...

The Age of Innocence (1993), an American historical romantic drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, is an adaptation of Edith Wharton’s 1920 novel. Set in 1870s New York City, it follows the story of gentleman lawyer Newland Archer, who is engaged to the respectable young May Welland. May’s cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska, has returned to the city after a disastrous marriage to a dissolute Polish Count. Though initially ostracized and subjected to vicious rumors, the countess is eventually embraced by New York’s elite families thanks to May’s ...