Martin Scorsese likes to make films dealing with crime and gang conflict – and usually involving members of the Italian-American community.
They’re known for their macho depiction of violence and the liberal use of profanity.
Below are one-minute cuts from two of his films saturated with F-bombs & assorted “bad words” – CASINO & GOODFELLAS. By the way, I trimmed them both down from five minutes each.
His films also deal with themes focusing on the Roman Catholic concepts of guilt, redemption, & faith. And here’s why.
Scorsese was born in Queens on November 17, 1942. Both parents worked in Manhattan’s garment district, and both came from Sicily.
He was raised in Little Italy in Lower Manhattan, a neighborhood bordered by Tribecca & Soho on the west, Chinatown on the south, the Bowery & the Lower East Side on the east, & Nolita on the north.
Growing up, almost everyone he knew had their roots in Italy. And he’s maintained ties with his old neighborhood throughout the years. He graduated from NYU film school in 1966 & maintained an office in Robert De Niro’s building – both in Tribecca – & within walking distance of Little Italy.
He dabbled with a little this and a little that while trying to establish himself as a filmmaker. Then got a break in 1973 with a movie about a small-time hood who aspired to work his way up the ranks of a local mob.
The movie’s called MEAN STREETS.
On that film, he started developing a life-long relationship with both Robert De Niro & Harvey Keitel.
(I never saw the movie, but it was both critically acclaimed & drew crowds to the box office.)
TAXI DRIVER put him irrevocably on the filmmaker’s map three years later, in 1976, once again teaming with De Niro in the starring role & Keitel in a supporting role. Here’s the trailer from TAXI DRIVER.
By the way, that’s a young Jodie Foster in the trailer, playing an underage hooker. She was fourteen at the time. It was not her first significant role, and she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.
Scorsese’s blockbusters are too numerous to review in the short time at my disposal, so I’ll just list the ones I saw: RAGING BULL, THE COLOR OF MONEY, THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST, GOODFELLAS, CAPE FEAR, CASINO, GANGS OF NEW YORK, THE AVIATOR, & THE DEPARTED.
I missed MEAN STREETS, KING OF COMEDY, THE WOLF OF WALL STREET, & his latest THE IRISHMAN – plus all of his mainstream movies.
He also directed the pilot episode of the HBO series BOARDWALK EMPIRE. My hat’s off to a magnificent director & a brilliant career.
On a personal note, I graduated from the New York Film Academy in 1993. At that time, the school was housed in De Niro’s building in Tribecca – since been moved onto the NYU campus. At that time, Martin Scorcese, Robert De Niro, & Harvey Keitel maintained office space there. It was a thrill to pass one of them in the hall & exchange greetings.
Barry Bowe
America’s Best Crime Writer & author of Born to Be Wild.
Comments
No Comments