Like most great directors,Martin Scorseseis an ardent and lifelong cinephile. From his early days growing up in Little Italy, New York, his fascination with visual storytelling was nurtured by frequent trips to the local movie theaters. His passion for film is legendary, manifesting inevery frame of his extensive filmography. It’s also evident in his efforts with The Film Foundation, an organization dedicated to the preservation and restoration of classic films.
Scorsese is also not afraid to gush about the movies he likes most.He has recommended literally hundreds of movies over the years, an unofficial collection of whichcan be found here. They span practically every genre, language, and continent. In 2020, he wrotean article for the Daily Beastlisting all the gangster movies, in particular, that had influenced him most. Here are some of his best picks, which fans of his own bloody, complex work are likely to enjoy.
10‘Performance' (1970)
Directed by Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg
“The only performance that makes it, that really makes it […] is the one that achieves madness.” Scorsesenamed this experiment movieas one of the crime films made since he became a director that he admired most. It centers on Chas (James Fox), a London gangster on the run after a botched job. Seeking refuge, he stumbles upon the decaying mansion of Turner (Mick Jagger), a reclusive former rock star. Chas quickly adapts to his new drug-fueled environment, but his criminal associates continue to hunt for him.
Performancewasthe first movie from co-directorNicolas Roeg(Don’t Look Now,Walkabout),and it’s impressively confident for a debut.The whole thing is bold and striking, from the frenetic editing and montages to the psychedelic visuals and the propulsive rock soundtrack. The casting of Jagger is also gutsy and very meta. These elements quickly earned the movie a cult following, and it influenced subsequent directors likeTony Scott,Guy Ritchie, andJonathan Glazer.
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9’Sexy Beast' (2000)
Directed by Jonathan Glazer
“Quite frankly your attitude appalls me.” Scorsese also mentionedSexy Beastas a more recent gangster movie thathe liked a lot. It’s the feature debut by Jonathan Glazer, who most recently helmed the Holocaust dramaThe Zone of Interest. This one is much lighter. It’s a black comedy about Gal Dove (Ray Winstone), a retired gangster enjoying a peaceful life in Spain with his wife. His idyllic existence is shattered, however, when Don Logan (Ben Kingsley), a psychotic former associate, arrives to recruit him for a high-stakes heist in London.
The story is tense and dramatic, peppered with memorable dialogue and buoyed along by effective use of music (Glazer directed music videos for acts like Radiohead and Blur before making features).The result is an arthouse gangster flick that has aged welland is still as oddly charming now as it was when it premiered. It’s worth watching forKingsley’s volcanic, foul-mouthed performancealone.
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8’The Public Enemy' (1932)
Directed by William A. Wellman
“Your hands ain’t so clean. You killed and liked it.“James Cagneystars in this seminal crime flick as Tom Powers, an ambitious gangster living during the Prohibition era. Starting from a life of petty crime, Tom and his friend Matt (Edward Woods) climb the criminal ladder, becoming prominent figures in the bootlegging business. Tom’s violent and impulsive nature leads to a series of brutal confrontations, both within the gang and with law enforcement.
The Public Enemyreceived mixed reviews on release butis now recognized as one of the most influential gangster movies of the 1930s.It’s an archetypal story of a criminal’s rise and fall of the kind that would be told time and time again over the ensuing decades. “The shocking, blunt brutality; the energy of Cagney in his first starring role; the striking use of popular music (the song “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles”)—this picture led the way for all of us,“Scorsese said.
The Public Enemy
The Public Enemy follows the rise of two young men, Tom Powers and Matt Doyle, from a life of poverty in Chicago to becoming notorious bootleggers and criminals. As their illicit activities draw attention from law enforcement and rival gangs, they face mounting challenges that test their loyalty and survival.
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7’Blood Money' (1933)
Directed by Rowland Brown
“The tougher the times, the better my business.“Blood Moneyis a Pre-Code film from filmmakerRowland Brown, who earned renown for his mature and unflinching crime dramas, usually laden with social commentary. This movie is no exception, delving into the character of Bill Bailey (George Bancroft), a charismatic and unscrupulous bail bondsman thriving in the underworld of Depression-era New York. His success is built on manipulating the legal system and exploiting the desperation of his clients.
Although dated,Blood Money stands out from most 1930s movies thanks to its energy, dark humor, defiance of authority, and surprisingly astute political commentary.For example, the characters' discussion about liberals and conservatives sounds like it was lifted from the present day. “Rowland Brown, a largely forgotten figure, made three tough, sardonic movies in the early ‘30s, each one very knowledgeable about city politics, corruption, and the coziness between cops and criminals. This is my favorite. The ending is unforgettable,“Scorsese wrote of it.
Blood Money is not available to buy or stream.
6’Force of Evil' (1948)
Directed by Abraham Polonsky
“The money has no moral opinions.“Force of Evilis an unusually poetic film noir, with lyrical dialogue and carefully composed images. It revolves around Joe Morse (John Garfield), a corrupt lawyer working for a powerful racketeer. His ambition to consolidate all the small-time operators into a single syndicate puts him at odds with his brother, Leo (Thomas Gomez), who runs a modest lottery business. As Joe’s plans unfold, he faces a crisis of conscience, realizing the devastating impact his actions have on his brother and the community.
This tension between power, wealth, and loyalty crops up again and again in Scorsese’s work as well, fromCasinotoKillers of the Flower Moon. “The conflict is elemental—money vs. family—and the interactions between the brothers are shattering. The only gangster picture ever done in blank verse, byAbraham Polonsky. Truthfully, it had as great an impact on me as Citizen Kane or On the Waterfront,“Scorsese said of it.
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5’White Heat' (1949)
Directed by Raoul Walsh
“You wouldn’t kill me in cold blood, would ya?” James Cagney also leads the cast ofWhite Heat, playing another volatile criminal. Leading a gang of ruthless criminals, Cody orchestrates a daring train robbery, but his violent outbursts put him at odds with both his associates and law enforcement. As the FBI closes in, Cody’s mental state deteriorates, building to a fiery climax. His uncomfortably close relationship with his equally crooked mother (Margaret Wycherly) only spells further trouble.
The film is unusually psychologically complexfor a 1940s gangster movie, delving deep into the characters' motivations. It succeeds primarily thanks to Cagney’s committed performance. He’s utterly believable as a ruthless and ice-cold killer, capable of inflicting terrible pain without a second thought. “The level of ferocity and sustained energy is breathtaking, and it all comes to a head in the scene where Cagney goes berserk in the dining hall… which never fails to surprise me,“wrote Scorsese.
White Heat
4’Al Capone' (1959)
Directed by Richard Wilson
“you may get further with a kind word and a gun than you can with just a kind word.” This biopic traces the rise of the world’s most notorious mobster (Rod Steiger), from his early days as a low-level crook to his reign as the most feared mob boss in Chicago. Capone’s empire of crime, built on bootlegging, gambling, and prostitution, brings him immense wealth but also relentless pursuit by the police. Even a single misstep could bring it all tumbling down.
The movie is lean and low-budget, but it compensates with winning performances, expressive black-and-white cinematography, and a critical approach to its subject. Initial drafts of the script romanticizedCapone, but Steiger reportedly insisted that they depict him in a harsher light. The finished film is also notable for its semidocumentary style, adding to the grit and realism. Scorsese’s favorite part was the towering central performance. “Steiger is brilliant as Capone—charming, boorish, brutal, and ambitious. There’s not a trace of sentimentality,“he said.
3’Point Blank' (1967)
Directed by John Boorman
“You’re a very bad man, Walker, a very destructive man!” Criminal Walker (Lee Marvin) is double-crossed and left for dead by his partner and wife after a heist. Surviving the betrayal, he embarks on a relentless quest for revenge. His journey through the criminal underworld leads to a series of confrontations with various unsavory figures, revealing a complex web of deception and power.
The plot is straightforward enough, but directorJohn Boormantells the story with a nonlinear structure and many stylistic flourishes. For example, drawn-out scenes where little happens are punctuated by sudden, intense violence. “This was one of the first movies that really took the storytelling innovations of the French New Wave—the shock cuts, the flash-forwards, the abstraction—and applied them to the crime genre,“Scorsese explains. “Boorman’s picture re-set the gangster picture on a then-modern wavelength.It gave us a sense of how the genre could pulse with the energy of a new era.”
Point Blank
2‘Mafioso' (1962)
Directed by Alberto Lattuada
“The only way to go back is to go forward. It’s stupid to be scared.” One of the very few movies about the mafia,Mafioso,centers on Nino Badalamenti (Alberto Sordi), a successful factory manager in Milan, who returns to his Sicilian hometown with his family for a vacation. Initially, the trip is filled with nostalgic visits and family reunions. However, Nino’s past catches up with him as he is drawn back into the world of the local mafia. A crime boss helps Nino out with a property but, in return, demands that he carry out a hit.
This is a surprisingly humorous gangster movie, at least during the first act, with a lot of great physical comedy from the leads. “It starts as a broad comedy,“Scorsese said. “It gradually becomes darker and darker… and darker, and by the end, you’ll find the laughs catching in your throat. One of the best films ever made about Sicily.”
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1’Le Doulos' (1962)
Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville
“I don’t give a damn. But I have the jewels and I need the money.“Le Duolos(akaThe Informer) is a gripping thriller from the legendaryJean-Pierre Melville. It follows Maurice Faugel (Serge Reggiani), a recently released ex-convict planning a new heist. His schemes are complicated by his friendship with Silien (Jean-Paul Belmondo), a man who might be an informant for the police.
Like most of Melville’s work, it’s jam-packed with intricate plot twists and a moody, atmospheric style. The writing is also stellar, andQuentin Tarantinohas cited itas a major influence onReservoir Dogs. “The French master Jean-Pierre Melville, a close student of American moviemaking, made a series of genuinely great, extremely elegant, intricate, and lovingly crafted gangster pictures in which criminals and cops stick to a code of honor like knights in the age of chivalry. This is one of the best, and it might be my personal favorite,“Scorsese wrote.
