“Cinema is a matter of what’s in the frame and what’s out,” states Martin Scorsese. He has been hailed as the greatest living American director. His body of work is impressive. To me, Scorsese will always be admired for taking the gangster film to the next level. Four of my favorite Scorsese films are ‘Mean Streets,’ ‘Raging Bull,’ ‘Goodfellas,’ and ‘Casino.’ After the release of ‘The Godfather’ in 1972, one year later, Martin Scorsese released one of the most important gangster films of all time – ‘Mean Streets.’
What made ‘Mean Streets’ such a game changer for the gangster film genre was that it reflected Scorsese’s violent life on the streets of New York growing up as an Italian-American. It was radically different from the typical gangster film Hollywood was accustomed to. Scorsese reinvented the gangster film. Francis Ford Coppola’s film, ‘The Godfather’ is a masterpiece in its own right but it still follows the structure of the classic gangster films of Hollywood. On the other hand, Scorsese’s gangster film, ‘Mean Streets’ has a grittier feel to it. In regards to ‘Mean Streets,’ Scorsese once said, “It is not really a film; it is kind of a declaration of who I am.” Scorsese’s mastery of the gangster film genre evolved over the years. ‘Goodfellas’ is one of my favorite films of all time because it represents the definitive gangster film in my opinion.
When I first caught wind that Scorsese was making a film about a little boy who lives in a Parisian train station’s clock tower and it would be shot in 3D, I was taken aback. If you haven’t seen the film, ‘Hugo’ yet, please do. The movie trailer doesn’t do the film justice. It is more than just a film about a little boy’s adventures in a train station. Scorsese pays homage to the birth of cinema. That is the genius of Scorsese. He adeptly incorporates the pioneers of filmmaking (the Lumiere brothers and George Melies) into the story of ‘Hugo.’ It truly is a beautiful film.
It is for this reason that my Oscar pick for Best Director is Martin Scorsese. He could have easily stayed within his comfort zone and churned out another gangster film. He took a risk with ‘Hugo’ and with 3D technology and it has paid off for him. No auteur wants to be stereotyped. I’m sure Scorsese doesn’t want to be remembered as just the gangster film director. One of Scorsese’s filmmaking peers said it best. “As an artist, I feel we must try many things – but above all we must dare to fail,” said John Cassavetes.
The field for Best Director is competitive this year. You have Alexander Payne (The Descendants), Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life), Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris), and Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist). They all deserve praise for their achievements but in my opinion, they don’t come close to what Martin Scorsese has achieved with ‘Hugo.’ It is the most well-rounded film among the nominees. ‘Hugo’ isn’t my favorite film of the year but what it represents is Martin Scorsese’s mastery of the entire craft of filmmaking. Martin Scorsese deserves the Best Director Oscar on Sunday.
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