Martin Scorsese is the greatest living filmmaker, bar none. With an unparalleled understanding of the cinematic medium and more than 50 directorial credits, he continues to work in the service of movies. Be it his contribution to film restorations or unpopular opinions about populist cinema; movies wouldn’t be the same without him.
When one thinks of Martin Scorsese, one talks about his gangster genre films with Robert De Niro. Films like ‘Means Streets,’ ‘Goodfellas,’ and ‘Casino’ are some of his best movies that cinephiles swear by. But Scorsese has also made some films about humanistic sensibilities and a twisted sense of humor that proves he is an artist with multitudes.
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10 Most Underrated Martin Scorsese Movies
10. Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974)
Martin Scorsese has mainly made movies with male protagonists, with one exception – ‘Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore‘, starring Ellen Burstyn as the strong-willed single mother who dreams of being a singer. Hilarious and heartbreaking, this early Scorsese film proves how at home the filmmaker is with female protagonists.
9. Boxcar Bertha (1972)
Martin Scorsese made this depression-era film for legendary film hustler Roger Corman. The only exploitation film on his résumé is far from a perfect movie that provides an exciting what-if scenario – if Scorsese had never achieved mainstream success and would churn B-movie oddities like ‘Boxcar Bertha.’ This movie is about him still developing his craft while working on someone else’s material.
8. Kundun (1997)
A big-budget spectacle that got overshadowed by James Cameron’s ‘Titanic.’ Martin Scorsese made ‘Kundun‘ from his religious upbringing and reverence for Dalai Lama. This movie is an impressionistic portrait of a young boy who grows up as one of the most important messengers of world peace. Thanks to the cinematography of Roger Deakins and the Philip Glass score, Scorsese crafts an incredible vista of the young monk’s legacy.
7. New York, New York (1977)
Be it ‘The Bang Wagon‘ or ‘Meet Me In St. Louis,’ Scorsese loves a good musical. Eventually, he made one with his favorite star Robert De Niro and Liza Minnelli. They star as an aspiring saxophonist and a singer who struggle to keep their relationship alive while aspiring for professional greatness. Unfairly maligned at the time of release, Scorsese fans should revisit his version of ‘A Star Is Born‘ story.
6. The Age Of Innocence (1993)
Years before Daniel Day-Lewis would star as Butcher Bill in another Scorsese film, he played Newland Archer, a hapless romantic hero caught between the loves of his fiance Mary Welland (Winona Ryder) and her divorced cousin Ellen Olsenka (Michelle Pfeiffer). Scandal abounds! Edith Wharton’s great American novel gets a lush and velvety film adaptation in the hands of the great American filmmaker.
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5. The Color Of Money (1986)
Martin Scorsese’s only sports movie is also the only sequel he made. Fan of ‘The Hustler,’ Scorsese follows Paul Newman’s pool hustler taking an up-and-comer under his wing. This hotshot is Tom Cruise, full of talent and trouble, just like him. Scorsese’s masterful direction captures the excitement of sports and the loneliness from a lifetime of chasing a pipe dream.
4. New York Stories (1989)
This anthology combines the genius of Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Woody Allen. Scorsese’s headlining segment ‘Life Lessons‘ stars Nick Nolte as Lionel Dobie, a troubled artist who finds his muse in Paulette (Rosanna Arquette. Call us biased, but his segment is the best thing about this anthology.
3. Cape Fear (1991)
Martin Scorsese loved the original movie and was terrified by the prospect of remaking it. But in doing so, he gave us a Robert De Niro, so twisted we haven’t recovered from it. In ‘Cape Fear,’ De Nero’s vengeful sinner Max Cady goes after the prosecutor who sent him to prison. De Niro’s Cady tears everyone apart psychologically in a fascinating game of hunter and prey. Scorsese’s overall brilliant filmmaking, particularly his framing of De Niro, surpasses the original.
2. Silence (2016)
It only took Martin Scorsese 30 years to do his passion project. Set in the 17th century, ‘Silence‘ follows the harrowing journey of two Jesuit priests (played by Adam Driver and Andrew Garfield) who face violence and persecution when trying to propagate Christianity in Japan. The blood and tears that went into its making can be felt on the screen. It’s a shame this movie went unnoticed.
1. After Hours (1985)
The failure of ‘King Of Comedy‘ saw Scorsese taking on a low-budget project. ‘After Hours‘ is a bleak comedy about a man whose happiest moment becomes the night he wished he never had. Never mind the film’s lack of spectacle, the meat on the bone is the unexpected journey the night takes while trying to get through. The protagonist is always in peril, never finding room to breathe in a grimy New York crafted by Scorsese’s brilliant understanding of the city.
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