On October 20th,Martin Scorsese’s newest film hits the big screen and reaches a wider audience.Killers of the Flower Moonis already being hailed as a classic of American cinema and a 10 out of 10. Scorsese’s filmography spans 50 years now and has a slew of unforgettable movies that define what we know as cinema. Scorsese’s attitude can be anything from a fast truck to a character making a smirk.It’s Robert De Niro playing Jimmy Conwaysmoking a cigarette in slow motion, with “Sunshine of Your Love” playing over the scene. And any scene that utilizes a Rolling Stones song perfectly
All that being said, Scorsese has a handful of films he’s directed that oftentimes have not gotten the respect they deserve. Some are from his early days directing films for Roger Corman; others are passion projects that have taken thirty years to make. Either way, they all have his special touch to them. Here are 10 lesser-known Martin Scorsese films you need to watch.
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
A film that some like to think of as Scorsese’s biggest flop, and also a controversial one in some circles.The Last Temptation of Christis the story of Jesus (Willem Dafoe) and everything that leads up to him being nailed to a cross. To some critics, this one is a sore spot in Scorsese’s filmography, with flaws all over it. One is Harvey Keitel, playing Judas, who sounds like he’s from Brooklyn. However, others also find beauty in the movie. It is a sure-fire art film that paces differently from the rest of his movies and tells the story of the life that Jesus chose even though he was tempted to go another way.
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Boxcar Bertha (1972)
Martin Scorsese’s second feature film was 1972’sBoxcar Bertha,an autobiographical drama about Bertha Thompson (Barbara Hershey). Thompson was a depression-era criminal who joined forces with union organizer Bill Shelly (David Carradine) to take it to anti-union groups. After an unplanned murder takes place, Shelly and Thompson go on the lamb-robbing trains to survive.Boxcar Berthais a low-budget film Scorsese made in his days working for Roger Corman.
There is an old story about Scorsese showing the movie to John Cassavetes.After he saw it, Cassavetes said, “Marty, you’ve spent a whole year of your life making a piece of sh*t. It’s a good picture, but you’re better than the people who make this kind of movie.” Scorsese would then go on to make the film he is widely known for,Mean Streets.
Shine a Light (2008)
The Rolling Stones and Martin Scorsese go hand in hand. “Gimme Shelter” is a song that has been used multiple times in his films. In 2008, Scorsese directedShine a Light,a documentary that was a love letter to the band. Centered around a concert that took place in the fall of 2006 at New York City’s Beacon Theater, The Stones play with collaborators and by themselves throughout the show. A team of some of the best cinematographers that the industry has to offer helped shoot the event to capture the band’s high-octane performance. It’s a real treat to see these two working together to make a fun documentary.
The Age of Innocence (1993)
Some often forget that this is a Martin Scorsese directorial effort. 1993’sThe Age of Innocenceis adapted from a novel from the 1920s of the same name and is about a romance that takes place in high-society New York City in the 19th century. Daniel Day Lewis plays Newland Archer, a man engaged to a socialite named May Welland (Winona Ryder). Yet when May’s much older cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska (Michelle Pfeiffer), strikes up an affair to remember with her.
It’s a change of pace to see Scorsese direct a romance film. But the raw emotion we see him inject into his films of gangster life also works quite well in turn-of-the-century New York City. It’s an emotional drama that pulls you into its characters and their dilemmas.
Silence (2016)
Silenceis a film that took Martin Scorsese decades to get made. A movie that takes place in 17th-century Japan is about two Portuguese missionaries (Adam Driver and Andrew Garfield) who go to the Pacific in search of their mentor, who is believed to be held captive (Liam Neeson). Released in late 2016,Silencewas a box office bomb, one of the biggest of Scorsese’s career.
It made 22 million against its 50 million-dollar budget. However, there is a lot to be studied in the movie. Scorsese oftentimes putsthemes of faith and testing one’s faith in his films.Silencedoes just that and does it well, despite its long run time that seems to drag in parts.
Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974)
AfterMean Streets, Scorsese would direct the comedy-dramaAlice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Again, another film that feels out of place in his filmography, but let’s face it, early on, even he was still trying to find his voice. The film stars Ellen Burstyn in the title role; she would also win the best actress award at the Oscars that year. The film did well that year at the Academy Awards, but Scorsese wouldn’t get any recognition. If you are on the hunt for a movie about finding one’s self-independence, look no further than this one.
It’s almost like he was made to direct movies like this, but it never really panned out. Scorsese has been criticized for having lackluster female characters in his films, which is a point that holds some validity. ButAlice Doesn’t Live Here Anymoreis a well-made drama about a woman trying to find herself out on her own with a child by her side.
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New York, New York (1977)
New York, New Yorkwas kind of a bomb, as it was a film that followed Scorsese’sTaxi Drivera year after its release.In terms of the location of New York City,there really isn’t a more definitive New York filmmaker than Scorsese (Spike Lee is a close second). So it is here that he directs a film about star-crossed lovers who are both artists (Robert De Niro and Liza Minnelli) in The Big Apple. They marry, start a family, and grow apart, and once they do, their creative endeavors take off. Thus leading to their paths crossing once again. It’s a film that is a testament to being an artist and being in love, and how sometimes those ways of life conflict.New York, New York,makes for a great double bill withLa La Land.
The Color of Money (1986)
The Color of Moneyis a sequel to 1961’sThe Hustler,which also starred Paul Newman. In this film, Newman plays a much older pool hall hustler named Eddie, who takes a young green kid under his wing named Vincent (Tom Cruise). The two go on the road together, scamming pool halls. But then they fall out and end up crossing paths as opponents.The Color of Moneykind of shows the early workings of the fast-paced style that Scorsese would give us in the 1990s and beyond in terms of the pacing of his films. It’s an underrated and under-seen film that is pre-Goodfellasand may have gotten stuck in its shadow.
If you likeTaxi Driverbut have not seenBrining Out the Dead,then stop reading this list and go hunt it down. They make for a great double feature. Scorsese directs a dark, fever dream-like film about a paramedic on the night shift in New York City who has seen many people die on his watch, and it is getting to him. Nicolas Cage stars as Frank, a man who can no longer play god to the people of the city.
However, despite the dark psychological mess that surrounds him, Frank befriends a victim’s daughter, played by Patricia Arquette. It sounds like a run-of-the-mill dark drama, but with Scorsese’s style, the film goes the extra mile. It also feels very of its time. Most films by this director feel timeless;Bringing Out the Dead feelslike a time capsule of how cinema looked in the late ’90s, and that isn’t a bad thing.
After Hours (1985)
After Hoursis a film that came at a strange time in Scorsese’s career. The early ’80s were not too kind to him in his personal life.After Hourswas kind of a reset for his career, and boy was it a nice change of pace. It is the definitive one-crazy-night movie about a typical guy meeting a girl in a café in New York City at night, and he feels inclined to pursue her romantically. But a strange series of events ensues upon his choice to go be with her.After Hoursfeels like an old Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin film in some of the comedy that unfolds in it.
It’s Scorsese’s most straight-forward comedy that deals with themes of loneliness, guilt, urban decay, and sexual repression, and once again, Scorses brings God into the mix with it being about God’s silence and how the almighty sometimes ignores man and all their wants and desires. Out of his filmography,After Hoursis Scorsese’s wild cult classic. Those who have seen it can’t get enough of it. So if you haven’t, put it on late at night to match the tone of it all.
