Martin Scorsese: the director Leonardo DiCaprio called a “professor of film”
Since finding fame for his iconic portrayal of Jack Dawson in James Cameron’s Titanic, Leonardo DiCaprio has honed one of the most lucrative and critically lauded careers in Hollywood. Between his depiction of Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street, a long-awaited Oscar win for The Revenant, and his most recent endeavour with Killers of the Flower Moon, his success shows no signs of stopping.
Over the course of his lengthy career, DiCaprio has worked with some of the best in the business. He’s starred in a Baz Luhrmann classic, worked under the legendary Stephen Spielberg’s direction, and partnered with cult favourite Quentin Tarantino…twice. It’s safe to say that DiCaprio has worked with his fair share of talented directors, but amidst his many collaborations, there is one filmmaker he has taken a particular shine to.
In the early 2000s, DiCaprio landed a role alongside Daniel Day-Lewis in a Martin Scorsese film titled Gangs of New York. It was a masterful film in its own right, receiving praise from audiences and critics alike, but it would have a bigger impact on DiCaprio’s career beyond the end of award season. Gangs of New York marked the start of a lengthy and soon-to-be beloved partnership between DiCaprio and the director. Two years later, DiCaprio linked up with Scorsese again for The Aviator, and then again for The Departed, and then again for Shutter Island…
The pair have honed one of the most well-known and well-loved partnerships in Hollywood. As of last year, DiCaprio has starred in six of Scorsese’s feature films, throughout which you can see them both grow in their crafts. Films like The Wolf of Wall Street and last year’s Killers of the Flower Moon see them at the peak of their creative relationship, working together seamlessly to create cinematic magic.
Alongside the external admiration for their partnership, there’s clearly a mutual appreciation for each other’s talents between the pair. Scorsese can’t stop casting DiCaprio as his leading man, and the actor has always been just as enthusiastic about the director’s skill and knowledge.
In a conversation with Pop Entertainment to promote their second film together, The Aviator, DiCaprio even declared Scorsese a “professor of film”. He was overflowing with praise for the New Yorker and his style of working, deeming him “every actor’s dream to work with,” but also praising his knowledge of film history.
“The man has seen almost every film ever made up until 1980,” he gushed, “You get an education while working with him every single day.” It’s easy to see how this would make for a great experience on-set. Scorsese has more film knowledge than he knows what to do with. Each new feature he offers up only further proves this, infused with decades of experience and love for the medium.
Between DiCaprio’s formidable on-screen presence and Scorsese’s unmatched understanding of filmmaking, a project with the duo’s name attached is almost guaranteed to engage and entertain, sometimes for an entire three-hour runtime. Scorsese may be set to work with some new names on his upcoming film about Jesus Christ, but hopefully we haven’t seen the last of his partnership with DiCaprio just yet.
