The two movies Martin Scorsese called “milestones in American cinema”
Undoubtedly among the most celebrated filmmakers working today, Martin Scorsese is a bonafide national treasure. One of the key figures in the development and success of the New Hollywood movement, the American director changed the contemporary landscape through unforgettable masterpieces such as Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. Since then, he has only evolved as an artist and inspired countless film fans all over the world.
Recently, Scorsese proved once again that he’s at the top of his game with his latest feature, Killers of the Flower Moon. Starring some of his most acclaimed collaborators like Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, Scorsese’s new film is a brutal epic which dives into the bloody history of the exploitation of the Osage Nation. Featuring strong performances from a brilliant cast and haunting images, it’s a worthy addition to the Mean Street director’s illustrious filmography.
In addition to his work as a pioneering filmmaker, Scorsese has also impacted the world of cinema through his efforts as a cinephile. While he has actively contributed to the preservation of world classics via his film foundation, Scorsese has also influenced the legacies of many movies by discussing them in interviews. Two such examples were cited by the great American director in a list of his favourites from the 1960s.
While talking about the works of cinematographer William A. Fraker, Scorsese noted: “Bullitt is a film of moods and textures—the streets, the clothing, the cars, the light. It was shot by a great cinematographer, William A. Fraker, who just passed away at the age of 86. He did a lot of exceptional work, including Dusty and Sweets McGee and American Hot Wax by Floyd Mutrux, John Boorman’s Exorcist II: The Heretic and Steven Spielberg’s 1941. Remarkably, he also shot Rosemary’s Baby the same year that he shot Bullitt — two milestones in American cinema.”
The filmmaker added: “The car chase through the hills of San Francisco is now so famous that it’s come to overshadow the rest of this police drama, about a rogue cop (Steve McQueen) who realises that there’s something awry with the protection of a state witness and takes the situation into his own hands. This kind of story has been told many times now—in the Harry Callahan pictures with Clint Eastwood, for instance, also set in San Francisco. But what’s distinctive about Bullitt is the tone, the feel of the movie.”
Although Fraker’s work on Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby definitely deserves a lot of praise, Scorsese was moved to a greater extent by Peter Yates’ brilliant 1968 neo-noir Bullitt. While discussing the other thrillers directed by Yates, Scorsese singled Bullitt out as a distinctive work which oozes an “uneasy cool” that is devoid of the paranoia found in the other additions to the genre.
Watch the trailer below.
