Over the course of his seven-decade-long career, Martin Scorsese has amassed dozens of feature films in his catalogue. Along the way, he established himself as the modern master of the gangster film, making several of them over the course of his career.
Here are the five best ones.
Mean Streets
'Mean Streets' Credit: Warner Bros.
His first entry into this subgenre, Mean Streets is Scorsese’s third feature film, and is the first time in his filmography where we see his style feel like it’s on track to fully come to fruition in just a matter of time. Clear camera techniques and editing sensibilities were present as early as his debut, Who’s That Knocking At My Door?, but in Mean Streets, it’s the first time we see them maximizing their potential.
The sharp, frenetic movements of the camera, the even more frenetic editing amongst it all, despite a disregard for continuity, feel more in time than the most technically proficient works of the time. The pool table brawl scene remains a standout of the film in both regards.
Scorsese is often cited for his depiction of tortured, tragic male protagonists that wind up being unable to get out of their own way, and in Mean Streets we see a disarmingly young Robert DeNiro struggle to reconcile with his demons on a crash course to oblivion. While this is an archetype we went on to see him do countless more times, there’s an innocence and a naivete to his performance in Mean Streets that, for obvious reasons, has never quite been captured again.
It’s hardly the film of Scorsese’s that people tend to name first when discussing his gangster films, but it’s certainly a beautiful portrait of what started it all.
Casino
‘Casino’Credit: Universal Pictures
There is some debate amongst scholars of Scorsese about whether or not Casino or The Wolf of Wall Street should hold the crown of “most excessive” when it comes to Scorsese’s filmography. I suppose it mostly comes down to what someone thinks of when they think of the term. If it’s the more graphic sexual content, then Wolf of Wall Street would certainly take the cake, but in terms of mostly everything else, I’d personally hand the title over to Casino.
Most importantly, this is not a badge that the film wears flippantly. The content of the film never borders on gratuitous, no matter how difficult to stomach, and always comes with the guise of extreme lack of endorsement. The people in this film are awful, reprehensible criminals who are often difficult to sympathize with. With that said, it’s one of the most comprehensive, fascinating explorations of greed and narcissism we’ve ever seen. And to think, it’s still in the number four spot.
The Irishman
Scorsese’s most recent entry into the subgenre is absolutely his most tragic. The filmmaker has leaned into far more depressing, sentimental sensibilities in his twilight years, and The Irishman serves as a poignant examination of dated masculinity, regret, and the meteoric rise and fall of a man who lived his life based on codes that would ultimately abandon him.
At the time, the film received some questionable publicity regarding its use of CGI technology to de-age Joe Pesci and Robert DeNiro for key flashback sequences, but controversy aside, the film boasts some of the finest work that we’ve seen from both performers.
Scorsese has never outright said that this is the last gangster film he’ll ever tackle, despite seemingly hinting at it multiple times over the years, but given the utter masterclass that is the final scene of the film, I don’t think anyone would be disappointed if it was the note he chose to end on.
The Departed
‘The Departed’Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
The Departed, at the time of release, was Scorsese’s biggest hit ever. It grossed upwards of 292 million dollars at the global box office off of a 90 million dollar budget, and gave Scorsese his only Best Director Oscar win, as well as the top Best Picture prize the following year.
While much of the film functions as a police thriller, the gangster connections with Damon and Nicholson’s central characters remain the fulcrum of the plot. With powerhouse performances from both of them, as well as names like Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, and Martin Sheen, it boasts one of the most original casts for a Scorsese movie, period.
A remake of the Hong Kong film, Infernal Affairs, the film acts as a dual game of cat and mouse with a whole lot of rat imagery at the center. As to be expected with Scorsese, there are incredible needle drops, laser-sharp cuts, and a whole lot of violence; The Departed has it all.
Goodfellas
It almost feels obligatory to put Goodfellas at the top of the list. It’s such a legendary film that has utterly dominated the gangster media zeitgeist for nearly forty years, and has influenced every piece of art in the subgenre that has succeeded it. For a two-and-a-half-hour film, it barely feels as though it’s a second longer than 90 minutes, thanks to the miraculous work by titan editor Thelma Schoonmaker. The film is hilarious, tragic, violent, infinitely quotable, and uproariously entertaining. It also has the best Catherine Scorsese cameo in Marty's entire catalogue. What’s not to love?
