Mean Streets (1973)
Scorsese’s 1973 breakthrough. Harvey Keitel and De Niro as Little Italy hustlers. Catholic guilt, street violence, jukebox soundtrack.
Martin Scorsese
This archive collects the films directed by Martin Scorsese reviewed at Master of Worlds — 7 titles spanning “Casino (1995)”, “Goodfellas (1990)”, “Infernal Affairs (2002)”, “Mean Streets (1973)”, “Raging Bull (1980)”, “The Color of Money (1986)”, and “The Departed (2006)”. Together they form a substantial cross-section of the work, and the reviews approach them as storytelling first. The questions stay consistent across the collection — what the direction asks of the audience, how it serves the structure of each film, and what holds up on a second or third viewing. Seeing one name across this many films makes the craft legible in a way a single title cannot: the recurring instincts, the range, the choices that mark the work. The collection is curated rather than exhaustive, built from films reviewed in depth at Master of Worlds, and it grows as further titles are added.
The Color of Money (1986)
Scorsese’s 1986 Hustler sequel. Paul Newman returns as Fast Eddie alongside Tom Cruise. Pool hall drama. Newman finally won the Oscar.
Infernal Affairs (2002)
Lau and Mak’s 2002 Hong Kong crime thriller. Two moles on opposite sides. The film Scorsese remade as The Departed. Often called the better version.
Raging Bull (1980)
Scorsese’s 1980 boxing biopic of Jake LaMotta. Black-and-white, Schoonmaker-cut, De Niro at 60 pounds heavier. A man who only feels anything when hit.
The Departed (2006)
Scorsese’s 2006 Boston crime thriller. Two moles, one in the mob, one in the police. DiCaprio, Damon, Nicholson. Finally got Scorsese his Oscar.
Goodfellas (1990) — Review
Goodfellas is one of the greatest crime films ever made. Scorsese directing. Liotta, De Niro, Pesci, Bracco. The Copacabana tracking shot. The Layla sequence.
Casino (1995) — Review
Scorsese’s Las Vegas mob masterpiece. De Niro, Pesci, Sharon Stone Oscar-nominated. Three hours that don’t feel long. Foundational crime cinema. 10+/10.