Scorsese, Martin << skawr SEHS ee, MAHR tihn >> (1942-…), is an American motion-picture director. His style is strongly realistic, though he often injects personal feelings and elements of fantasy into his work. Many of his films explore an individual’s capacity for violence, and the sense of social isolation experienced in New York City. Scorsese also portrays the rich culture of New York City’s Italian American communities. Scorsese received an Academy Award for best director for The Departed (2006).
Scorsese’s motion picture Mean Streets (1973) reveals the desires, friendships, and failures of youth in New York City’s Little Italy neighborhood. Taxi Driver (1976) shows the world of a violence-prone war veteran. Raging Bull (1980) tells the story of boxing champion Jake LaMotta. The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) is a controversial portrayal of the life of Jesus. GoodFellas (1990) and Casino (1995) deal with organized crime in America. Gangs of New York (2002) explores gang violence in New York City in the 1860’s. The Aviator (2004) tells the story of the American businessman Howard Hughes.
Scorsese’s other films include Boxcar Bertha (1972), Alice Doesn’t Live Here Any More (1974), The King of Comedy (1983), After Hours (1985), The Color of Money (1986), Cape Fear (1991), The Age of Innocence (1993), Kundun (1998), Bringing Out the Dead (1999), Shutter Island (2010), Hugo (2011), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), Silence (2016), The Irishman (2019), and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023).
Scorsese has also directed some documentary films. Such films include The Last Waltz (1978), about the Canadian-American rock group The Band; No Direction Home: Bob Dylan (2005) and Rolling Thunder Revue (2019), both about the American musician Bob Dylan; Shine a Light (2008), about the English rock band the Rolling Stones; A Letter to Elia (with Kent Jones, 2010), about the American director Elia Kazan; and George Harrison: Living in the Material World (2011), about the English rock musician George Harrison. Scorsese co-directed and co-wrote the documentary A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (1995).
Martin Marcantonio Luciano Scorsese was born on Nov. 17, 1942, in New York City. He taught filmmaking at New York University from 1963 to 1966, and from 1968 to 1970.
