Martin Scorsesehas had a career-long fascination with New York. That’s probably not surprising given that he was born and raised there, but few filmmakers have dedicated such large swaths of their work to documenting the capital of the world. His close association with the city – born in Queens, raised in Little Italy, and then studying at New York University – has made him a natural fit for capturing its unique blend of Americana and cultural diversity, but that has only made his task mildly easier. New York is the most photographed city on the planet, and its iconography has appeared on the silver screen so many times it might as well be listed alongside cinematography and editing as one of the most basic components of the film.
However, given that Scorsese is one of the greatest filmmakers in history, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he has managed to provide a unique twist when presenting his home city. What may come as a surprise, however, is just how many times he’s done it. Eleven of his productions take place in New York, with that number jumping even higher when including the showsBoardwalk EmpireandVinyl(where he served as a producer and occasional director), and not one of them feels derivative of another film. The gritty and down-to-earth locales ofMean Streetsfeel a million miles from the dreamlike haunts ofTaxi Driver, for example, despite being separated by only a few blocks. And that’s only an appetizer, with other classics likeThe Age of Innocence,Gangs of New York, andThe Wolf of Wall Streetall painting their own distinct portrait of the great American metropolis. Finding fresh ways to shoot a city is a talent few have, but Scorsese is far from just any director.
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Mean Streets Established the Scorsese We Know Today
Although not his debut, his 1973 crime dramaMean Streetsis debatably the first “true” Scorsese film and established many of the techniques he would spend the next 50 years perfecting (not least his partnership withRobert De Niro). In contrast to the heightened portrayals of New York that his later films would adopt,Mean Streetsis firmly rooted in reality. Its version of Manhattan’s Little Italy is directly inspired by his experiences growing up there, resulting in an authenticity that only someone raised in that environment could depict (the overt references to Catholicism also conjure images of Scorsese’s childhood due to him being raised as a strict Catholic). The whole film takes place in the forgotten areas of New York – dark alleyways, seedy bars, rundown apartments… the places that wouldn’t get within shooting distance of a tourist guide. It’s the blueprint for one of cinema’s most impressive runs, and as an insight into New York’s nefarious corners that breeds a blend of criminality unlike anywhere else, it’s still one of the best.
Taxi Diver Shows New York As a Haunting Fever Dream
Three years afterMean Streets, Scorsese returned home for his seminal dramaTaxi Driver, the first of many films that would compete for the title of his magnum opus. While many of its locales would be right at home with its predecessor, Scorsese opts for an otherworldly tone that transforms New York’s most immoral corners into something from a hallucinatory fever dream. Its opening shot, revealing the titular taxi as it slices its way through a cloud of smoke into the anarchy of the lawless night, sets the tone perfectly. This is the witching hour, the time when only the most depraved of souls wander the streets, with our anti-hero protagonist Travis Bickle serving as their spectral ferryman to guide them through the chaos. The mix of slow motion, distorted colors, and extreme close-ups creates a sense of unease few films can match, with Travis’s internal monologues andBernard Herrmann’s noir-inspired score only adding to the unrest. At times, Travis feels like the only sane person in the city, at others, he seems like the maddest one of the lot, a dynamic that plays into Scorsese’s love-hate relationship with the city.
New York As Hell in Bringing Out the Dead
New York at night has never looked better than this. Except perhaps for his 1999 thrillerBringing Out the Dead. The film shares many similarities toTaxi Driver(most notably the inclusion of screenwriterPaul Schrader), but while its predecessor opted for a more subtle approach, luring its viewer into its morally reprehensible world like cattle being led to the slaughter,Bringing Out the Deadhas no time for such niceties. The life of a paramedic working the nightshift is hell, pure and simple, and the constant blare of pulsating lights, frantic editing, andNicolas Cage’s usual unhinged performance gives it a radically different feel even while evoking much of the same imagery. The filth that Travis Bickle was so vehemently against has corrupted the entire city inBringing Out the Dead, with even our supposed heroes appearing just as insane as the people they’re trying to save. It’s an uncomfortable watch, but deliberately so, and demonstrates Scorsese’s willingness to evolve his style based on his source material while still retaining his distinctive flairs.
Scorsese Brings New York Into the 21st Century
Scorsese’s 21st-century output has delivered some of his most acclaimed films, casting aside any doubt that his increasing age would affect his output. His most popular film from this period is his 2013 black comedyThe Wolf of Wall Street, and just from the name alone it’s clear this will be a very different New York to what we’ve previously seen (something its lavish and drug-fueled opening minute is happy to confirm). Far from the abject poverty ofMean StreetsorTaxi Driver,The Wolf of Wall Streetlives in a world of excess and extravagance where someone’s worth is measured by how much of their income they can blow up their nose by lunchtime. Scorsese’s energetic style is a perfect fit for this hyperactive environment, capturing its range of flamboyant locations whose levels of excess are matched only by the people who inhabit them. His use of a Wall Street stockbroker to convey the idyllic highs and bitter lows of the American Dream is astounding and sees him continuing to find new ways to explore decades-old interests. The avenues fromTaxi Drivermay be just a footnote when gazing through the windows of a penthouse apartment, but the stench of moral decay remains just as strong.
19th Century New York
Even when presenting two different versions of New York in the latter half of the 19th century, Scorsese still finds ways to keep things fresh.The Age of InnocenceandGangs of New Yorkboth take place in the late 1800s when the city was transforming itself into the commercial and residential capital of America, and yet, each has such drastically different styles that it’s hard to believe they are the work of the same man.Gangs of New Yorkis familiar Scorsese territory, with enough murder and bloodshed set against the backdrop of warring gangs to delight any die-hard fan, but this is not merely a repeat of topics he has already mastered. The 1860s marked the time when New York was morphing into the cultural capital it is today, with people from every walk of life making their way across the Atlantic in pursuit of the American Dream, all of them eager to come out on top. The Five Points neighborhood was the epicenter of this clash, and its use as the lynchpin for the film’s narrative allows Scorsese to expand beyond the Italian-American mobs he is known for to explore the great breadth of people that call this city home.
The Age of Innocence, meanwhile, is a whole other beast. The only outright romance he has ever made, the film sees Scorsese exploring the luxurious world of New York’s high society, and the result is one of his most underappreciated works. At times, it feels like an American take on a Jane Austen novel, while it’s also a deliberate rejection of that kind of fanciful life, one built on the backs of servants who are conspicuously absent throughout most of the glamor. IfTaxi Driverwas a nightmare masquerading as a dream, this is its deliberate counter, and the result is a version of New York that has never looked so beautiful. The luscious cinematography is nothing short of picturesque, casting a warm glow upon its litany of smiling faces and opulent locales, and its slow but captivating pace makes it ideal viewing on a comfy Sunday afternoon… albeit one with a tinge of dark clouds lingering in the sky. It’s hard to believe that this is the same city that nearly tore itself apart just a few years earlier, but New York has always displayed high levels of resilience. Both films work perfectly fine by themselves, but together they create the image of a city comparable only to itself.
And these are just a taste of Scorsese’s eclectic representations of New York City. Those wishing to dive deeper into his filmography will find a large selection to choose from, ranging from his marginalized portrayal of the Bronx as seen inRaging Bull(so neglected it has, quite literally, had all its color stripped away), to the exaggerated and surrealistic version fromAfter Hoursthat seems ripped from the pages of aFranz Kafkastory. While he’s never depicted New York as being painted on the most pristine of canvases, there’s no doubt its unique character left its mark on a young Scorsese. It’s possible to view his filmography as one large exploration of New York’s state of mind and the effect such a condition has on its inhabitants – an experiment far too grand for a single project, but when split across a dozen projects that each focus on a unique aspect of this great American city… well, that’s much more manageable. There’s nothing else quite like it, and it’s only appropriate that one of America’s greatest filmmakers is there to catalog its every facet.
