Few collaborations have sparked as much critical acclaim and audience fascination as the dynamic partnership between director Martin Scorsese and actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

This alliance, characterized by its blend of intense storytelling and compelling character portrayals, has produced some of the most memorable films of the past two decades.

So, what makes them so close, and how does Scorsese get the performances he needs out of DiCaprio?

Well, a lot of it comes with the movies they show each other when preparing for a project.

Check out the video from Letterboxd below.

In the Screening Room with Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio

Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio have formed one of the most notable director-actor collaborations in modern cinema. Their partnership began with the 2002 film Gangs of New York, marking the start of a creative alliance that would span five more critically acclaimed films: The Aviator, The Departed, Shutter Island, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Killers of the Flower Moon.

The synergy between Scorsese and DiCaprio is characterized by a deep mutual respect and a shared passion for storytelling. Scorsese's directorial expertise in creating visually compelling and narratively complex films complements DiCaprio's dedication to his roles and his ability to bring complex characters to life.

Their collaborations are not only successful in terms of critical and commercial reception but also in pushing the boundaries of contemporary filmmaking.

A lot of these collaborations are born from a mutual love of film. And when the two work together, they're always showing movies to each other. Although, DiCaprio admits in the video, the only movie he could really enlighten Scorsese on was Spirited Away.

When it comes to the movies Scorsese shows DiCaprio, it varies film to film. When they collaborate, Scorsese will sit all the actors down and show them movies and scenes to help inspire performances, moods, and even dialogue.

For example, for The Aviator dinner scene, he showed the cast His Girl Friday.

DiCaprio also mentions Ashes and Diamonds when it came to his portrayal of Billy Costigan in The Departed. DiCaprio got inspired by the inner turmoil of that character and how to play it across the film.

Shutter Island brought them to Film Noir. They watched Laura, Out of the Past, and Crossfire. These movies not only inspired the down on his luck detective, but they also brought in a lot of the paranoia that helped build the world of the film.

This video is full of lots of great movies to put on your lists to see as well.

I really enjoyed watching this deep dive.

The collaboration between Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio stands as a beacon of artistic excellence in modern cinema.

Their body of work showcases their individual talents and highlights the power of creative synergy in filmmaking.

I love that they share movies back and forth and let them get inspired by them as well.

Let me know what you think of their collaboration in the comments.

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