Auteurs - Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese 

"Films have the power to capture dreams"
 - Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese is a very highly regarded and exceptional filmmaker with a fantastic visionary mind. He is well known for his distinctive style which is very recognisable. However, with his films his next project is always unpredictable. This is down to the fact that he never has a final script as he finds it can kill the creative flow that should be evident in film making. I find this very interesting and clever, as well as this it also shows how incredible he is as an auteur as he is able to keep a clear and engaging storyline when some of it is not even finalised. This can also lead to numerous changes in the movies plot as he assess what best fits with what he is doing which further improves the flow of the film. 

It has become clear to me that all his films tend to follow a particular character, mainly a male, who is very driven and focused by a certain aim or purpose but comes across many obstacles whether it be life threatening or traumatic. They all seem to find themselves in a dangerous setting that they are trapped in whether that be a situation of their own making or something completely out 

of control. Such as in Shutter Island we follow Teddy Daniels who is trying to uncover a potential conspiracy on the island he is trapped on. His characters also never seem to be a good guy or a bad guy, they have a bit of both in them which makes them more likeable as they appear more human making the spectator have more empathy for the character. This may appear an easy thing to do but it is not. Many filmmakers fail to achieve a likeable good/bad guy but Scorsese is arguable the most successful filmmaker in this department. I think we also gain a great understanding of these main leads as we are very focused on them. We follow their journey so we feel an attachment to them.

In all his films the casting is always on point. It is clear he thinks through who he is casting very thoroughly as he only casts people whom he believes in; this has made him fall out with studios before over casting choices. He also has a large variety of actors as they range from very well known names such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro to lesser known actors but in a few cases their careers have grown from working on a Scorsese project such as Margot Robbie who is now a well known name. He has no judgement on how big or small the actor's name is. If it fits his vision he will choose no one else, it has to be that actor. 

Scorsese uses many elements to help further tell his story and captivate his audience such as his signature lighting and his rough editing style which make it clear it is a Scorsese film when watching. A prime example of this is Shutter Island which I highly recommend as the lighting is used to depict the hyperreality of the characters state of mind. 

Scorsese’s films do tend to have similar themes, aesthetics and pacing. Such as repeating themes of guilt, loneliness and desire, however they are all addressed in different ways which makes all this work very engaging.

I find Scorsese’s films, although contain unpredictable/extreme scenes, they never appear forced. Due to the way Scorsese constructs his films they fit in well and make them look natural. He always keeps the spectator guessing, even when you feel you know where the film is going he finds a way to surprise you and keep the mystery. This is why Martin Scorsese is an auteur and one of the best filmmakers of this century.