Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Martin Scorsese
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Martin Scorsese made an impact.
Martin Scorsese is a highly acclaimed American filmmaker who rose to prominence during the New Hollywood era. He is celebrated for his significant contributions to cinema, evidenced by numerous prestigious awards, including an Academy Award, BAFTA Awards, Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and Golden Globe Awards. Scorsese's impact has been further recognized through lifetime achievement awards such as the AFI Life Achievement Award and the BAFTA Fellowship. His films have been inducted into the National Film Registry for their cultural, historical, and aesthetic importance.
1917: Sam Mendes' Praise at Golden Globe Awards
In 2020, Sam Mendes praised Martin Scorsese's contribution to cinema in his acceptance speech after winning the 2020 Golden Globe Award for Best Director for '1917'.
1966: Focus on Dylan's Retirement in No Direction Home
In 2005, Scorsese's documentary film "No Direction Home" focused on Bob Dylan's career up to his "retirement" from touring in 1966 following a motorcycle accident.
1969: 1969 as the Ending Point of Documentary
In 1995, Scorsese created "A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies", which covered the silent era to 1969, the year after which Scorsese began his feature career.
1975: Retrospective at Edinburgh International Film Festival
In 1975, Lynda Myles organized a retrospective of Martin Scorsese's work at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
1976: Taxi Driver wins Palme d'Or
In 1976, Taxi Driver won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and received four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, marking a significant achievement in Scorsese's career.
1976: Release of Taxi Driver
In 1976, Taxi Driver, directed by Martin Scorsese, was released, starring Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle. The film, set in the crime-ridden streets of New York, follows a Vietnam veteran who becomes a vigilante. The film gained attention for its cinematography and the controversial role of Jodie Foster as an underage prostitute.
1976: The Last Waltz Thanksgiving Concert
On Thanksgiving Day in 1976, The Band held their final concert at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. Martin Scorsese documented the concert in the film The Last Waltz.
1977: Scorsese Directs The Act
In 1977, Martin Scorsese directed the Broadway musical, The Act, starring Liza Minnelli.
1978: Release of The Last Waltz and American Boy
In 1978, Martin Scorsese released The Last Waltz, a documentary of The Band's final concert, and American Boy, a documentary focusing on Steven Prince.
1982: Release of The King of Comedy
In 1982, Martin Scorsese released The King of Comedy, his fifth collaboration with De Niro. The film is a satire on media and celebrity culture, focusing on a troubled loner who gains fame through a criminal act.
1983: Scorsese's Cameo in Anna Pavlova
In 1983, Martin Scorsese made a brief cameo appearance in the film Anna Pavlova, also known as A Woman for All Time.
1983: Aborted Production of The Last Temptation of Christ
In 1983, Paramount Pictures halted the production of Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ, due to pressure from religious groups. Aidan Quinn was cast as Jesus and Sting as Pontius Pilate.
1985: Scorsese Wins Best Director Award at Cannes for After Hours
In 1985, Martin Scorsese won a Best Director Award at Cannes for After Hours, a black comedy filmed on a low budget in SoHo.
December 1986: Filming of Michael Jackson's "Bad" Short Film
In November and December 1986, Martin Scorsese directed the 18-minute short film and music video, "Bad", featuring Michael Jackson and Wesley Snipes. The filming took place over 6 weeks in Brooklyn.
1986: Release of The Color of Money
In 1986, Martin Scorsese released The Color of Money, a sequel to The Hustler starring Paul Newman and Tom Cruise.
1987: Scorsese Directs Michael Jackson's "Bad" Music Video
In 1987, Martin Scorsese directed the music video "Bad" for Michael Jackson.
1988: Release and Controversy Surrounding The Last Temptation of Christ
In 1988, The Last Temptation of Christ, directed by Martin Scorsese, was released, causing worldwide protests due to its depiction of Jesus. Willem Dafoe and David Bowie starred in the film.
1989: Scorsese Directs "Life Lessons" Segment in New York Stories
In 1989, Martin Scorsese directed "Life Lessons", one of three segments in the anthology film New York Stories.
1990: Scorsese Plays Vincent van Gogh in Dreams
In 1990, Martin Scorsese acted in a small role as Vincent van Gogh in the film Dreams by Akira Kurosawa.
1990: Release of Goodfellas
In 1990, Martin Scorsese released Goodfellas, a gangster epic considered a return to form and one of his greatest achievements. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards.
1990: Made in Milan Documentary Release
In 1990, Martin Scorsese released his only short-form documentary, Made in Milan, about fashion designer Giorgio Armani.
1991: Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement
In 1991, Martin Scorsese received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.
1993: Release of The Age of Innocence
In 1993, Martin Scorsese released The Age of Innocence, a period adaptation of the Edith Wharton novel. The film was a departure for Scorsese.
1994: Formation of De Fina-Cappa Production Company
In 1994, Martin Scorsese and producer Barbara De Fina formed the production company De Fina-Cappa.
1994: Scorsese Cameo in Quiz Show
In 1994, Martin Scorsese made a cameo appearance in the Robert Redford film Quiz Show.
1995: Release of Casino
In 1995, Martin Scorsese released "Casino", a violent gangster film starring Sharon Stone, who was nominated for the Best Actress Academy Award for her performance. Scorsese himself played a background role as a gambler during filming. The film's plot involved a tightly wound male whose well-ordered life is disrupted by unpredictable forces. "Casino" drew comparisons to Scorsese's earlier film "Goodfellas".
1995: Release of A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies
In 1995, Scorsese created "A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies", a four-hour documentary offering a thorough trek through American cinema from the silent era to 1969. In the documentary, Scorsese presents the four aspects of the director he believes are the most important: the director as storyteller, the director as illusionist, the director as smuggler, and the director as iconoclast. In the preface, Scorsese states his commitment to the "Director's Dilemma".
1997: AFI Life Achievement Award
In 1997, Martin Scorsese received the AFI Life Achievement Award.
1997: Release of Kundun
In 1997, Scorsese released "Kundun", a film about the early life of the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, the People's Liberation Army's entry into Tibet, and the Dalai Lama's subsequent exile to India. The film employed a fresh narrative and visual approach and created turmoil for its distributor, Buena Vista Pictures, due to expansion into the Chinese market.
1998: AFI's Greatest American Movies List
In 1998, the American Film Institute included three of Martin Scorsese's films on their list of the greatest American movies: 'Raging Bull' at No. 24, 'Taxi Driver' at No. 47, and 'Goodfellas' at No. 94.
1999: Release of Il Mio Viaggio in Italia
In 1999, Scorsese directed a documentary on Italian filmmakers titled "Il Mio Viaggio in Italia", also known as "My Voyage to Italy".
1999: Release of Bringing Out the Dead
In 1999, Scorsese released "Bringing Out the Dead", a pitch-black comic take on his earlier film "Taxi Driver", collaborating with writer Paul Schrader. Like earlier Scorsese-Schrader collaborations, its final scenes of spiritual redemption explicitly recall the films of Robert Bresson. It stars Nicolas Cage, Ving Rhames, John Goodman, Tom Sizemore, and Patricia Arquette.
2001: AFI's Heart-Pounding Movies List
In 2001, the American Film Institute placed two of Martin Scorsese's films on their list of the most heart-pounding movies in American cinema: 'Taxi Driver' at No. 22 and 'Raging Bull' at No. 51.
2002: Release of Gangs of New York
In 2002, Scorsese released "Gangs of New York", his biggest and arguably most mainstream venture to date, influenced by major Italian directors such as Luchino Visconti. The film marked the first collaboration between Scorsese and actor Leonardo DiCaprio.
2003: Release of The Blues and Production of Documentaries
In 2003, Scorsese completed production of "The Blues", an expansive seven-part documentary tracing the history of blues music. Scorsese also produced several documentaries, such as "The Soul of a Man" and "Lightning in a Bottle". Producer Emma Tillinger Koskoff joined Scorsese's company Sikelia Productions in 2003.
2004: Release of The Aviator
In 2004, Scorsese released "The Aviator", a biopic of Howard Hughes starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The film was a widespread box office success and received Academy recognition. It won three Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture-Drama and Best Actor-Motion Picture Drama.
2004: Commercial Success with The Aviator
In 2004, The Aviator became Martin Scorsese's most commercially successful release up until that point.
January 5, 2005: Awarded French Legion of Honour
On January 5, 2005, Martin Scorsese received the French Legion of Honour in Paris, France, in recognition of his contribution to cinema.
2005: Television Premiere of No Direction Home
In 2005, Scorsese's documentary film "No Direction Home", about the life of Bob Dylan, was first presented on television in both the United States (as part of the PBS American Masters series) and the United Kingdom (as part of the BBC Two Arena series) on September 26 to 27.
February 8, 2006: Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video
On February 8, 2006, at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, Martin Scorsese won the Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video for 'No Direction Home'.
2006: Release of The Departed
In 2006, Scorsese returned to the crime genre with "The Departed", based on the Hong Kong police drama "Infernal Affairs". The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, and Martin Sheen. "The Departed" was Scorsese's highest-grossing film until 2010's "Shutter Island".
2006: Commercial Success with The Departed
In 2006, The Departed surpassed The Aviator as Martin Scorsese's most commercially successful release.
August 2007: Named Second-Greatest Director by Total Film Magazine
In August 2007, Martin Scorsese was named the second-greatest director of all time in a poll by Total Film magazine.
September 11, 2007: Kennedy Center Honoree
On September 11, 2007, the Kennedy Center Honors committee named Martin Scorsese as one of the honorees for the year, recognizing his career excellence and cultural influence.
October 22, 2007: Scorsese to reunite with DiCaprio on Shutter Island
On October 22, 2007, Daily Variety announced that Martin Scorsese would reunite with Leonardo DiCaprio for a fourth time in the movie "Shutter Island", based on the novel by Dennis Lehane.
December 2007: Casting for Shutter Island
In December 2007, Mark Ruffalo, Max von Sydow, Ben Kingsley, and Michelle Williams joined the cast of Shutter Island, marking their first collaborations with Martin Scorsese.
June 17, 2008: AFI's 10 Top 10 List
On June 17, 2008, the American Film Institute placed two of Martin Scorsese's films on the AFI's 10 Top 10 list: 'Raging Bull' at number one for the Sports genre and 'Goodfellas' at number two for the Gangster genre.
2008: Elected to the American Philosophical Society
In 2008, Martin Scorsese was elected to the American Philosophical Society.
January 17, 2010: Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award
On January 17, 2010, at the 67th Golden Globe Awards, Martin Scorsese received the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award.
May 20, 2010: Shutter Island becomes highest-grossing film
On May 20, 2010, "Shutter Island" became Martin Scorsese's highest-grossing film.
August 25, 2010: Bleu de Chanel commercial debuts online
On August 25, 2010, Martin Scorsese's commercial for Chanel's new men's fragrance, Bleu de Chanel, starring Gaspard Ulliel, debuted online.
September 2010: Bleu de Chanel commercial released on TV
In September 2010, Martin Scorsese's commercial for Chanel's new men's fragrance, Bleu de Chanel, starring Gaspard Ulliel, was released on TV.
September 18, 2011: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing
On September 18, 2011, at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards, Martin Scorsese won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for his work on the series premiere of 'Boardwalk Empire'.
February 12, 2012: BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award
On February 12, 2012, at the 65th British Academy Film Awards, Martin Scorsese received the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award.
September 16, 2012: Two Emmy Awards for George Harrison Documentary
On September 16, 2012, Martin Scorsese won two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming and Outstanding Nonfiction Special for his work on the documentary 'George Harrison: Living in the Material World'.
April 1, 2013: Jefferson Lecture
On April 1, 2013, Martin Scorsese delivered the Jefferson Lecture at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, titled "Persistence of Vision: Reading the Language of Cinema".
April 19, 2013: Financing secured for Silence
On April 19, 2013, financing was secured for Martin Scorsese's film "Silence" by Emmett/Furla Films.
2013: Mean Streets Voted Seventh Greatest Film
In 2013, the staff of Entertainment Weekly voted Martin Scorsese's film 'Mean Streets' the seventh greatest film ever made.
February 2014: The 50 Year Argument screened at Berlin International Film Festival
In February 2014, Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi's documentary "The 50 Year Argument," about the history of The New York Review of Books, was screened as a work in progress at the Berlin International Film Festival.
June 2014: The 50 Year Argument premieres at Sheffield DocFest
In June 2014, Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi's documentary "The 50 Year Argument" premiered at the Sheffield DocFest.
July 25, 2014: Filming begins for Vinyl pilot
On July 25, 2014, filming began for the pilot of "Vinyl", a series directed by Martin Scorsese and produced by Mick Jagger.
September 29, 2014: The 50 Year Argument airs on HBO
On September 29, 2014, Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi's documentary "The 50 Year Argument" aired on HBO.
December 2, 2014: HBO picks up Vinyl
On December 2, 2014, HBO picked up "Vinyl", a series directed by Martin Scorsese.
January 2015: Filming begins for Silence
In January 2015, filming began for Martin Scorsese's film "Silence."
October 2015: Premiere of The Audition
In October 2015, Martin Scorsese's short film "The Audition" premiered in conjunction with the grand opening of Studio City in Macau, featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro.
November 2016: Post-production completed for Silence
By November 2016, post-production had been completed for Martin Scorsese's film "Silence".
April 11, 2017: Polish Gold Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis
On April 11, 2017, Martin Scorsese was awarded the Polish Gold Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis in recognition of his contribution to Polish cinema.
June 20, 2018: Honorary Doctorate from the University of Oxford
On June 20, 2018, Martin Scorsese was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Oxford.
January 10, 2019: Release of Rolling Thunder Revue documentary announced
On January 10, 2019, it was reported that Martin Scorsese's documentary of Bob Dylan's 1975 tour, "Rolling Thunder Revue", would be released by Netflix.
April 25, 2019: Release date for Rolling Thunder Revue announced
On April 25, 2019, it was announced that Martin Scorsese's "Rolling Thunder Revue" documentary would be released on Netflix on June 12, 2019, with concurrent theatrical engagements.
June 12, 2019: Rolling Thunder Revue released on Netflix
On June 12, 2019, Martin Scorsese's documentary "Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese" was released on Netflix.
September 27, 2019: The Irishman premieres at the New York Film Festival
On September 27, 2019, Martin Scorsese's film "The Irishman" had its world premiere at the 57th New York Film Festival.
2019: Guillermo del Toro on The Irishman
In 2019, Guillermo del Toro cited Martin Scorsese's ability as a director for the depiction of character development in 'The Irishman', comparable to the films of "Renoir, Bresson, Bergman, Oliveira or Kurosawa".
January 2020: The Irishman receives Academy Award nominations
In January 2020, "The Irishman" received ten Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for Al Pacino and Joe Pesci.
December 29, 2020: Trailer released for Pretend It's a City
On December 29, 2020, the trailer for Martin Scorsese's Netflix documentary series "Pretend It's a City", featuring Fran Lebowitz, was released.
2020: Sam Mendes' Praise at Golden Globe Awards
In 2020, Sam Mendes praised Martin Scorsese's contribution to cinema in his acceptance speech after winning the 2020 Golden Globe Award for Best Director for '1917'.
January 8, 2021: Pretend It's a City released on Netflix
On January 8, 2021, Martin Scorsese's Netflix documentary series "Pretend It's a City", featuring Fran Lebowitz, was released.
April 2021: Principal photography commences for Killers of the Flower Moon
In April 2021, principal photography commenced for Martin Scorsese's film "Killers of the Flower Moon".
November 2021: Scorsese to direct Grateful Dead biopic
In November 2021, it was announced that Martin Scorsese would direct a biopic feature about the rock band the Grateful Dead for Apple Studios, featuring Jonah Hill.
2021: Films Preserved in National Film Registry
As of 2021, four of Martin Scorsese's films ('Mean Streets', 'Taxi Driver', 'Raging Bull', and 'Goodfellas') have been selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry for being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.
2021: Martin Scorsese Institute of Global Cinematic Arts Established
In 2021, lifelong friend George Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson, through the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation, donated to NYU to establish the Martin Scorsese Institute of Global Cinematic Arts.
July 2022: Scorsese to direct The Wager adaptation
In July 2022, it was announced that Martin Scorsese would direct an adaptation of David Grann's non-fiction novel "The Wager" for Apple Studios, reuniting with Leonardo DiCaprio.
October 2022: Premiere of Personality Crisis: One Night Only
In October 2022, Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi premiered their collaborative film "Personality Crisis: One Night Only", a documentary about David Johansen, at the New York Film Festival.
May 2023: Scorsese considers film about Jesus after meeting with Pope Francis
In May 2023, after meeting with Pope Francis, Martin Scorsese mentioned that he was considering writing and directing a new film about Jesus.
January 2024: Details revealed about Scorsese's potential film about Jesus
In January 2024, it was revealed that Martin Scorsese's potential film about Jesus would likely be his next film, co-written with Kent Jones, based on the Shūsaku Endō novel "A Life of Jesus".
2024: Scorsese narrates Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger
In 2024, Martin Scorsese narrated the documentary film "Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger" directed by David Hinton.
February 2025: Scorsese to direct mob movie set in Hawaii
It was reported in February 2025 that Martin Scorsese would be directing a mob movie set in Hawaii, starring and being co-produced by Dwayne Johnson, Leonardo DiCaprio and Emily Blunt. Nick Bilton was hired as a screenwriter.
March 2025: Scorsese to adapt Home for Apple TV+
In March 2025, it was announced that Martin Scorsese would be adapting Marilynne Robinson's "Home" for Apple TV+ with Leonardo DiCaprio starring.
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