20 thoughts on “My Favorite Martin Scorsese Films”

  1. 7. Mean Streets (1973)

    8. Goodfellas (1990)

    9. The King of Comedy (1982)

    You put ‘Shutter Island’ above these? That’s incredible!

    Best wishes, Pete.

  3. I sure did put Shutter Island ahead of all of those films and I make no apologies for doing so 🙂 Shutter Island is the type of film that grows on you with each viewing. I knew I loved it when it first came out and when it first hit Blu-Ray/DVD, I just kept finding new things with each viewing. For me, it is the Scorsese film of the decade. Anyway, thanks for dropping by 🙂

  4. Great to hear from you again Paul 🙂 I agree with you completely on The Last Waltz. The Staple Singers version of “The Weight” is every bit as great as The Band’s version. Anyway, thanks for dropping by 🙂

  5. My top five Scorsese films are pretty much interchangeable. I think we’ve talked about him before and my top 5 maybe slightly different this time. 1. This one’s hard because it’s so close–I would have to say Mean Streets. To be so early in Scorsese’s cannon it is unquestionably a work of art. 2. Taxi Driver 3. Raging Bull 4. King of Comedy 5. Good Fellas
    The 2nd tier would be 6. Cape Fear 7. Casino 8. The Departed 9. Color of Money 10. Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.
    Now I’m going to see how this list matches up with my previous one.

  6. Interesting list there 🙂 Mean Streets did serve as Scorsese’s breakthrough film so that is understandable. Nevertheless, I would place Raging Bull, Taxi Driver and Casino higher. I love Goodfellas, but Casino came off as a more complex piece when compared to the earlier film. I love them both though. The King of Comedy has now deservedly achieved the status as one of Scorsese’s most underrated films. I would place Casino higher than Cape Fear, which is slighter higher than The Departed on my list, which is similar to yours in that respect. Then again, you have read this post, so you know my stance on everything concerning this 🙂 And by now, you probably know that my favorite Scorsese film of this decade (2010-2019) is Shutter Island. That is a masterpiece of a Neo noir mystery thriller that just gets richer and richer with each viewing, but then again, you already knew my opinion on that film 🙂 Anyway, thanks for dropping by 🙂

  7. John, Scorsese is my favorite director. My top five would be Mean Streets, Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and The King of Comedy, A Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies is must viewing for anyone truly interested in film.

  8. Your list is excellent as well 🙂 One of the things I love about A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies as well as My Voyage to Italy (about Italian cinema) is not only how rich it is as a document of cinema, but a lot of the film clips that are played in the documentaries. I mean their are just as many obscure ones as their are well-known ones. Anyway, thanks for dropping by 🙂

  9. Raging Bull is also my favorite Scorcese film but I really want to see Hugo. I’ll also start to look for Shutter Island even when I already know the ending. Just not a big Leonardo fan….

  10. Speaking of Raging Bull, remember those fight sequences? They rank up there as some of (If not) the best boxing sequences ever filmed. Hugo was amazing with or without 3D glasses. Shutter Island is a highly underrated masterwork and for me, it ranks as Leonardo DiCaprio’s first mature performance. Anyway, thanks for dropping by 🙂

  11. Taxi Driver hits the top spot for me though King Of Comedy is nipping at Travis’s heels.

    I’m not a 100 % sure I’ve seen A Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies and if not I need a slapped bottom. Off to investigate.

    PS Hugo was such a pleasant surprise as I took the family to the cinema at xmas without knowing anything about, even not knowing that it was directed by Scorsese. It was a beautiful film. Must watch it again this xmas I think.

  12. Martin Scorsese is just a master filmmaker and along with Robert Altman, one of my top favorites directors who embodied the era of the New Hollywood (1965-1983). I could actually see Scorsese directing something like Hugo since one of the characters was a cinematic pioneer (Georges Meiles, who did A Trip to the Moon). Also, listening to Scorsese talk about the history of cinema is like getting a complete college education in that field (i.e. cinema). Speaking of The King of Comedy, British film critic Mark Kermode has singled that one out as his number one favorite and he has also commented (positively) on his body of work in various videos. Here are a few youtube links below and thanks for dropping by 🙂

    This is Kermode talking about The King of Comedy

    This is Kermode talking about Taxi Driver

    This is Kermode talking about A Personal Journey

    This is Kermode talking about his work as a whole

  13. Wow! I’m impressed that it shot right to the top of the list…I haven’t seen it yet, I expect great things of it but I can’t imagine that it would usurp Taxi Driver or Mean Streets on my list. Plus, I was a little disappointed in The Departed. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it–I think the ending is brilliant–but it is an A- to Mean Streets, Taxi Driver and Goodfellas A+. That’s how I see it and I think that’s pretty much how most of the critics saw it too…So, I’m more of a fan of Scorsese’s early and mid period work.

    Yes, the script, the cinematography, the editing and the score are near perfect. I would say that Taxi Driver would be a perfect movie if not for the script. The script is A- to a perfect everything else. But we all see films differently. Acting, writing and cinematography are the most important cinematic elements for me, in that order.

  14. woah dude, Irishman straight to the top???

    I need to get myself 4 hours of 100% uninterrupted time so I can watch this closely. I tried but I need to be A) not tired and b) not have other shit on my mind at the time.

    But thanks for the comment, you’ve given me a bit of a boot in the gut! I shalkl have to study this list later for future reference as I have most of his films but criminally have not seen a huge amount, a certainly none in recent years, ‘cept for King of Comedy

    (cos ‘Joker’ told me to watch that *rolls eyes*. Next up is Taxi Driver!) 😛

  16. There are so many I need to see!! Even Shutter Island I think needs a rewatch. First play through i was a little disappointed but another watch is in order I think.

  18. Huh I just noticed now, a lower score for Gangs of New York? Perhaps this is because I haven’t seen a lot of them, apart from his last three. Its probably because I love DDL too 😛

    I read a reply above about listening to Marty talk about film, and you’re spot on. I was wondering if you have seen… bloody hell what was it called, something like Martin Scorsese Masterclass on filmmaking. its on my hard drive somewhere. Its several chapters where really he doesn’t do what the title says, well… he does, but he does it by talking about cinematic history. Its simply fantastic, I need to find it cos I never got to the end!

  19. Gangs of New York was in between good and mediocre. While a director like Quentin Tarantino does not seem to have too much trouble (or at least it seems) when working with Harvey and Bob Weinstein’s Miramax (before The Weinstein Company), other directors have clashed with them like Scorsese, Terry Gilliam and Jim Jarmusch. I read somewhere, I can remember where, that when a director won final cut over the Weinstein’s (like Jarmusch with Dead Man), the Weinstein’s would get their revenge by doing little to promote the film. I do not know If this is true or not, so do not take it as fact, but it has been alleged in a few places. If all of this is true, then Gangs of New York feels like more like a compromised Scorsese film then a pure one.

    As for Martin Scorsese’s Masterclass on Filmmaking, I have heard of it and seen youtube ads for it, but I have not watched any of it because I think I need an account for the site it is on? Anyway, thanks for dropping by 🙂

  20. I admit I didn’t get it via any sort of official means, if I knew where to buy it and knew where my money was going though, I’d buy it right away. Its hypnotising!

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