An avid film-goer, Martin Scorsese will often publicly praise movies he has seen. Here are eight that received his seal of approval.
Martin Scorsese is a world-renowned director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He made his directorial debut in 1967 with Who's That Knocking at My Door and went on to become one of the major figures in New Hollywood during the 70s and 80s, with the release of films like Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, and Raging Bull. Scorsese's career only flourished over the years with the release of hit films like Shutter Island, The Wolf of Wall Street, and The Irishman. After almost six decades of work in the film industry, he has been the recipient of a number of prestigious accolades, including an Academy Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, three Golden Globes, and so many more.
Over the years, people have looked up to Scorsese not only for his own phenomenal filmmaking skills, but for his opinion on films and, as outlined by CBR, his recommendations. Scorsese is not shy in expressing the films he likes, with many feeling shocked by some of his recommendations as some films he enjoys may not be as widely revered as one would believe. From openly expressing his distaste for Marvel films to admitting that the newly released film Pearl kept him awake at night (via Variety), Scorsese is more than willing to share his thoughts and opinions with audiences. Here are eight movies that have gotten Martin Scorsese's seal of approval.
This 1962 Italian drama revolves around the assassination of the real life Sicilian bandit Salvatore Giuliano. Shot in a documentary-style of filmmaking, Salvatore Giuliano is unique in every sense of the word, with the title character remaining off-screen throughout the majority of the film, and with most appearances being of Giuliano's corpse. Scorsese praised the film for delving into Sicilian culture through the use of cinema, showing global audiences the dirty truths Sicilian people are forced to face in their waking lives. Scorsese's approval rating is backed by the film's several awards, including a Silver Bear and a Silver Ribbon Award for Best Director.
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The Searchers revolves around Ethan Edwards, a Civil War veteran who spends years searching for his abducted niece with the help of his adopted nephew Martin. The film was a critical and commercial success, eventually gaining status as one of the greatest films ever made and being deemed the greatest American Western by the American Film Institute. John Ford's classic Western makes Scorsese's list thanks to its iconic ending, which leaves the audience with more questions than it began with. Rather than wrapping it up with a typical Western ending, Ford brings the film full circle by having Ethan leave the way he arrived, alone and wandering.
Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is arguably one of the most iconic horror films to date. When writer Jack Torrence and his family travel up to be temporary caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, they discover that something within the hotel is causing Jack to slowly lose his grip on reality. Scorsese praises The Shining not only for its overall terrifying feel, but for the way in which the unseen is just as important to the film. While Kubrick's methods led Shelley Duvall to have a nervous breakdown on set, it's undeniable that he created a one-of-a-kind horror film that gets more frightening every time you watch it.
This film from Senegal has been praised by Scorsese as one of the greatest African voices in cinematic history. Touki Bouki (or The Journey of the Hyena) revolves around two poverty-stricken men who change their fate by stealing money and clothing before booking passage to France. Scorsese felt so strongly about the film that his World Film Foundation restored the film and presented it at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, during which he personally introduced the film via video. Touki Bouki has won a number of awards, including the International Critics Award and the Special Jury Award, while also making the Sight and Sound Critic's Poll as the 93rd greatest film of all time.
Related: Martin Scorsese Has High Praise for Ti West's X and Pearl: 'I Was Enthralled'
Based on the book of the same name, Ugetsu is a ghost story/period drama set in 16th-Century Japan and revolves around peasants Genjuro and Tobei, who sell their pots for profit despite being warned against this. Genjuro and Tobei's pursuits run the risk of destroying their lives and the lives of those they care about. Scorsese has voiced his praise for director Kenji Mizoguchi, considering him to be one of the greatest directors to ever work in cinema. While Scorsese has voiced his praise for other films of Mizoguchi like The Life of Oharu and Sansho the Bailif, Ugetsu rises above the rest.
The Uninvited tells the story of a brother and sister who move into a new home in Cornwall, England, only to experience a series of supernatural events thanks to the ghost that resides in the house. While Scorsese admits that the film has a basic haunted house formula, the film's tone and atmosphere make for a subtly scarier film. The film was subject to positive reviews at the time of its release and later received critical acclaim for its portrayal of the paranormal as a fact rather than as a figment of the human imagination. The Uninvited was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Black and White.
Alfred Hitchcock's classic film Vertigo tells the eerie tale of PI Scottie, who is hired by an acquaintance to follow his wife Madeleine to understand her recently strange behavior. Scorsese has openly voiced his admiration of the psychological romance, stating that the film satisfies the film-lover in him as well as the filmmaker in him. Despite its high ranking as one of the greatest films ever made, Vertigo was subject to mixed reviews at the time of its release, but has since gained a great deal of critical acclaim. Vertigo was even one of the first 25 films to be selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.
When old friends reunite in Seoul, the pair set out in search of the one woman that they both had feelings for back in the day. Directed by South Korean filmmaker Hong Sang-soo, Woman is the Future of Man has received special attention from Scorsese for its "masterful sense of storytelling." Scorsese has given praise to Hong's style of filmmaking in which the story unfolds at a perfect pace that is accurate to real life. While Scorsese's view of the film is exceedingly high, the overall reviews of the film are somewhat mixed. All that being said, Woman is the Future of Man could be seen as an underrated film that doesn't get the attention it deserves.
Started at MovieWeb in November of 2021.