THREAD — TRADEMARKS — MARTIN SCORSESE

Martin Scorsese is one of those few directors that you could immediately tell by just looking at a couple of shots that you’re watching a Scorsese picture. Today we’ll examine some of Scorsese’s signatures that gives him a distinct style.
NEW YORK

Martin Scorsese directed 26 narrative features, 14 were set in New York. Born in the Flushing area of New York City's Queens borough, raised in Little Italy in Manhattan New York is one of the major influences of Scorsese.
ANTI HERO

Martin Scorsese’s films use characters that are flawed and tend to be highly self destructive or haunted by the past.

• Travis Bickle, Taxi Driver (1976)
• Jake La Motta, Raging Bull (1980)
• Sam Rothstein, Casino (1995)
• Howard Hughes, The Aviator (2004)
BLONDE GODESS

Maybe it started as a homage to one of Scorsese’s major influences, Hitchcock.Scorsese’s films often uses a blonde unattainable,angelic lady.

• Betsy,Taxi Driver (1976)
• Vickie,Raging Bull (1980)
• Ginger,Casino (1995)
• Naomi,The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013)
NON LINEAR STORYTELLING

Scorsese’s films often begins in the middle or the end of the character’s journey, and work there way back.

• Goodfellas (1990)
• Casino (1995)
• The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013)
• The Irishman (2019)
VOICE OVER NARRATION

Scorsese commonly uses voice-over narration. Voice-over narration can be viewed as a sign of a bad script, as authors had to tell rather than show but that’s not the case with Marty; he provides an insight into the character’s mind and adds depth to them.
SLOW MOTION

Martin Scorsese is one of the directors that often uses slow-motion but mostly in the right amount and with a specific purpose. He will use slow camera movement to elongate certain moments, or to represent a form of a character’s curiosity or even dread.
FREEZE FRAMES

Martin Scorsese often uses freeze frames shots in his movies to capture the essence of his characters.

• The King Of Comedy (1982)
• Goodfellas (1990)
• The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013)
• The Irishman (2019)
LONG TRACKING SHOTS

Scorsese is often remembered as the king of the tracking shot, he was one of the first directors to master this technique. He uses long complex, highly choreographed shots to establish locations and character’s environment.
OVERHEAD SHOTS

Scorsese will often use overhead shots for many reasons, one of which is a representation of God, sometimes death, or enhance important moments in the story.
CAMEOS

Like Hitchcock, Marty loves a cameo, some of which we’ll just hear his voice ‘The Irishman’.
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