Martin Scorsese is one of the world’s best known and greatest movie directors. The American has picked up many awards during his career, including an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, three Emmy Awards, and four British Academy Film Awards. At the time of writing, Killers of the Flower Moon is set to be Scorsese’s next film but what are the top Scorsese movies? Continue below as we rank the best Scorsese movies.
GoodFellas
Released in 1990, GoodFellas is the best movie produced by Scorsese and there are few people who would disagree with that statement. If you were to look at any online list detailing the greatest movies of all time, you are likely to find GoodFellas inside the top ten, and that includes every movie ever made. GoodFellas is regarded by many as being the leading mob movie, even surpassing The Godfather. Based on the book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, GoodFellas follows the rise and fall of mafia member Henry Hill, who becomes an informant to the FBI, and features a full portrait of the underworld, from the glamour to the dirt and corruption. GoodFellas stars Ray Liotta, Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, and Tommy DeVito.
Taxi Driver
In an occurring theme with the best Scorsese films, the movie ranked second in our list of his best is Taxi Driver and stars Robert DeNiro. Released in 1976, Taxi Driver is a drama that follows Vietnam vet Travis Bickle. He spends much of his time driving his taxi around New York City but he quicky starts to unravel and that leads to serious consequences. Bickle is disturbed and even though it is clear to see on the outside, he does not understand how dangerous he is to society. Witnessing what he considers to be evil and debauchery on a daily basis, Bickle decides he needs to do something about it. The performance of DeNiro is outstanding and Taxi Driver is classed as a Scorsese masterpiece.
Raging Bull
From the taxi rank to the boxing ring, Scorsese once again hired the services of DeNiro for Raging Bull. Released in 1980, Raging Bull follows the life of Jake LaMotta, who is champion middle-weight boxer. While he excels in the ring, the same cannot be said for his personal life and LaMotta’s raging ego is only put in check when he is beating the brains out of another person. The athletic prowess of LaMotta is not enough to escape his other flaws and he is arrested, given a prison sentence but also starts a comedy career. The boxing scenes alone are enough of a reason to watch Raging Bull and while it is not a pleasant movie in terms of the subject matter, it is one of Scorsese’s best.
Casino
The successful duo from GoodFellas of Pesci and DeNiro were reunited by Scorsese for Casino. Released in 1995, Casino focuses on the Las Vegas gambling industry and the life of casino operator Sam “Ace” Rothstein. Critics believe some of Scorsese’s best directional sequences are found in this movie, including the opening scene following cash from the casino floor to the counting room. There is a fantastic performance by Sharon Stone and although Casino was criticized for coming so quickly after GoodFellas, it now stands alone as one of Scorsese’s leading movies.
