Quick Links
Martin Scorsese, a Hollywood genius, has made numerous films in different genres through the years. He has received many awards for his brilliant work. Scorsese has struggled dramatically and worked hard to create the $100 million fortune that he enjoys today. A self-made man and an exceptional director, Scorsese made his fortune mainly from film direction. He learned film direction and reached Hollywood all by himself. Scorsese gained acclaim in Hollywood after some struggles and bad choices. He has also tried his hand at some projects that involved music. Scorsese is an inspiration to the future generations who want to try their fate in Hollywood.
Martin Scorsese is a film director in Hollywood who has a $100 million fortune as of today. He is a self-made man. He learned from his own experiences and made great efforts to reach Hollywood. Over the years, he won many awards and acclaimed recognition for his work. He is an inspiration to many young artists around the world.
The Early Years
Martin Charles Scorsese was born on 17 November 1942 in Flushing, New York. His parents were Italian-American, and he was raised in the Little Italy district of Manhattan. Scorsese's parents, Charles and Catherine, worked part-time as actors, which sparked Martin's interest in movies. As Scorsese had asthma, he had limited childhood activities. Scorsese was more into television and movie theatre than sports as a child. At eight years old, he drew his storyboards, complete with the line "directed and produced by Martin Scorsese."
Raised as a devout Catholic, Scorsese had entertained the idea of joining priesthood before he chose to pursue filmmaking. His parents did not understand his mania for movies, but Scorsese felt he was doing the right thing when a 10-minute comedy short earned him a $500 scholarship to New York University. After completing his degree, Scorsese continued at New York University as an instructor in basic film techniques and criticism.
The Directorial Debut And Subsequent Move To Hollywood
His first feature film was Who's That Knocking At My Door. It was first released in 1969 and introduced Harvey Keitel as the lead actor. Scorsese then frequently worked with Keitel in the following years. He cast his mother and also acted himself in some of his films. Scorsese was upset with the killing of four Kent State student protesters of the Vietnam War and war in general. He formed a group with some of his students called the New York Cinetracks Collective to film student protests against the conflict. This resulted in a film named Street Scenes, which was shown at the 1970 New York Film Festival. This led to the US withdrawing troops from Vietnam and the end of the Reserve Officers Training Corps on all US college campuses.
Scorsese reached Hollywood in the 1970s. There, he directed all kinds of films. He did feature films, documentaries, and all other stuff in the realms of Hollywood. Boxcar Bertha in 1972 paved the way for the blooming of his career later on. Scorsese met Robert De Niro in 1973, with whom he grew up in the Little Italy section of Manhattan. They started a partnership that later went on to be one of the most successful director-actor partnerships in modern films.
Scorsese’s Most Notable Works
Scorsese's first feature film, Who's That Knocking At My Door, came out in 1967. Then, he was the assistant director and supervising editor on Woodstock. He converted more than 10 hours of raw footage of the 1969 rock concert into a 3-hour movie that won an Academy Award for the best documentary. He directed Street Scenes, a 1970 documentary about protests against the Vietnam War. Directing Boxcar Bertha in 1972 was a turning point in his career. Mean Streets in 1973 was another success from Scorsese. He possessed great camera techniques and frank dialogues in his scripts. With his exceptional vision, when he teamed up with Robert De Niro and Keitel, it worked wonders on the screen.
Scorsese has won many awards and received acclaim for his work in his career. After making films like Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore in 1974, he was already being named with some of the best of that time. Ellen Burstyn also won the Oscar for best actress for the film helping Scorsese reach new heights. Taxi Driver in 1976 earned Oscar Nominations for De Niro, Fister and Herrmann. It was awarded the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. New York, New York and The Lst Waltz are some of his other notable works from his prime.
Leo DiCaprio and Scorsese brought out some of the finest magic on screen when the duo worked together on projects like The Departed, Shutter Island, and Wolf Of The Wall Street. These films not only catapulted Scorsese as one of the most legendary men to have ever made movies in Hollywood, but it also bolstered Leonardo’s resume as an icon on the screen.
Martin Scorsese can be termed a legend of a movie maker, who, with his craft, made a name for himself with films, and his $100 million fortune followed it. While working as a teacher at New York University, he learned the finer nuances of films and launched his directorial career. He has certainly faced many struggles and has overcome many hurdles to reach where he is today. One thing that could be said with almost absolute certainty is that Scorsese’s name will be written in the books of Hollywood as a filmmaking legend for years to come. The man is certainly an inspiration to numerous youngsters looking to make a career in filmmaking from scratch.
Sources: Biography, Britannica, Notable Biographies