Since 2002, two Hollywood heavyweights have had an illustrious — and productive — working relationship, and cinema as a complete is best off due to it. Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio have been working collectively for many years now, with DiCaprio taking part in important roles in a few of Scorsese’s greatest trendy movies, and what makes their relationship all of the extra touching is that DiCaprio has publicly revealed that Scorsese’s film “Taxi Driver” served as a serious inspiration for his personal performing profession. Earlier than these two joined forces, it could have felt borderline unattainable to think about that they’d change into one of the tightly-knit Hollywood duos in cinematic historical past; whereas DiCaprio was getting his begin in tasks like “What’s Consuming Gilbert Grape” and “Titanic,” Scorsese was already a directing legend because of “Taxi Driver” and different hits like “Imply Streets,” “Raging Bull,” “Goodfellas,” “The Age of Innocence,” and “On line casino,” simply to call a number of. Due to “Gangs of New York” in 2002, Scorsese and DiCaprio principally turned a dynamic filmmaking staff, and the remaining is historical past.
So relating to Scorsese and DiCaprio’s working relationship, what do critics consider the six films they’ve made collectively based mostly on their Rotten Tomatoes scores? (They’ve technically made seven, however their 2015 quick movie “The Audition” would not have a Rotten Tomatoes rating.) Let’s be clear: None of Scorsese and DiCaprio’s movies collectively are dangerous by any metric, however critics suppose some are higher than others, so this is the rating from least to most beloved.
Shutter Island (69%)
“Shutter Island” is unquestionably the least simple collaboration between Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, largely due to its mind-bending twist, which could clarify why it earned the bottom Rotten Tomatoes rating of all of the pair’s movies collectively. Based mostly on the novel of the identical identify by Dennis Lehane, DiCaprio performs U.S. Marshal Edward “Teddy” Daniels, who heads to the distant Shutter Island off the coast of Boston along with his companion, Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), ostensibly to analyze the disappearance of a affected person at Ashcliffe Hospital (an asylum for individuals affected by extreme psychological sickness). When Teddy and Chuck get to Ashcliffe, the workers would not notably need to assist them discover the affected person in query, which could strike you as bizarre at first … however because the film progresses, you discover out precisely why all the things on the asylum feels particularly unsettling. (I will not spoil it right here!)
Because the lowest-ranking movie on this checklist, “Shutter Island” solely has a 69% ranking on Rotten Tomatoes — which remains to be fairly good, to be trustworthy — with a essential consensus that reads, “It might not rank with Scorsese’s greatest work, however ‘Shutter Island’s’ gleefully unapologetic style thrills characterize the director at his most unrestrained.” Just a few of these critics had fairly uncharitable readings of the film; for The Monetary Occasions, Nigel Andrews declared, “Since Scorsese is a stylist, the movie is gratifying. It will be extra so for those who might take out your mind and expertise it solely with eyes and ears.” Roger Ebert, although, favored it: “The movie’s major impact is on the senses. Every thing is introduced collectively right into a disturbing foreshadow of dreadful secrets and techniques.”
Gangs of New York (72%)
The primary main collaboration between Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio is, sadly, not one in every of their most profitable outings. Scorsese’s 2002 epic “Gangs of New York” stars DiCaprio as “Amsterdam” Vallon, son of former Irish gang chief “Priest” Vallon (Liam Neeson) who takes up his father’s mantle after Priest is killed by his rival, “Invoice the Butcher” Chopping (Daniel Day-Lewis). With the assistance of an acquaintance named Johnny Sirocco (Henry Thomas), Amsterdam learns that, within the years since his father’s demise, Invoice has principally overtaken New York and unfold anti-Irish sentiment — and simply so as to add insult to damage, Invoice throws an annual celebration to commemorate him killing Priest and the demise of Priest’s gang, the Useless Rabbits. Naturally, Amsterdam concocts a plot to kill Invoice throughout this occasion by infiltrating his gang (the Confederation of American Natives), and you will have to queue up “Gangs of New York” to see if he succeeds.
The humorous factor about “Gangs of New York” is that whereas it drew uneven reward from critics — it scored a 72% ranking on Rotten Tomatoes — all of them rushed to go with Day-Lewis as Invoice the Butcher, and to some extent it feels as if DiCaprio’s efficiency went underappreciated consequently. Actually, for the Denver Submit, Steven Rosen mentioned the actor principally saved the movie — “Day-Lewis retains you awake every time the story loses steam in the course of the movie’s 2 hours and 48 minutes” — however as soon as once more, the late, nice Roger Ebert summed all of it up completely. “All of it is a triumph for Scorsese, and but I don’t suppose this movie is within the first rank of his masterpieces,” he wrote in his evaluation. “It is rather good however not nice.”
The Wolf of Wall Avenue (76%)
“The Wolf of Wall Avenue” may fall squarely in the midst of the pack right here, however there’s one accolade this film earns fairly handily: It is the wildest, greatest, and most ridiculously audacious undertaking that Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio have made but. This time, DiCaprio runs your complete present as grasping stockbroker (and real-life determine) Jordan Belfort, who discovers learn how to recreation the system whereas working with dirt-cheap “penny shares” and ultimately varieties his personal brokerage firm the place he and his colleagues fleece individuals out of their cash by overestimating the worth of the shares they’re promoting. Even with Jonah Hill and Margot Robbie beside him in supporting roles, it is unattainable to look away from DiCaprio as Jordan, who begins the story as a meek, keen younger man earlier than turning into an absolute monster fueled by cash, medicine, and ladies. DiCaprio, in my humble opinion, offers one in every of his all-time greatest performances as Jordan, a person who gleefully exploits others and cheats on his spouse simply so he can keep wealthy — and the pure, unhinged dedication he brings the function ought to have earned him an Academy Award. (He did not win his first-ever Oscar till “The Revenant,” two years after “The Wolf of Wall Avenue.”)
I’ll additionally say that “The Wolf of Wall Avenue” is actually lengthy — frankly, a number of of the sequences the place Jordan and his debauched buddies do medicine and go berserk might have been axed from the ultimate product — however in line with critics, it is nonetheless successful, and it earned a 79% ranking on Rotten Tomatoes. As Christopher Orr wrote at The Atlantic, “‘The Wolf of Wall Avenue’ is an impressive black comedy: quick, humorous, and remarkably filthy,” and over at RogerEbert.com, Matt Zoller Seitz declared that “The Wolf of Wall Avenue” is “one of the entertaining movies ever made about loathsome males.”
The Aviator (86%)
“The Aviator” places Leonardo DiCaprio entrance and middle and lets him give one of the astounding performances of his profession — which is absolutely saying one thing, contemplating that he isn’t even the performer who gained an Oscar for the film. (That might be Cate Blanchett, who gained her first-ever statue for enjoying Katharine Hepburn within the movie.) In Martin Scorsese’s 2004 biopic, DiCaprio takes on the problem of taking part in Howard Hughes, the movie producer and aviation legend who additionally struggles with obsessive-compulsive dysfunction and different psychological difficulties that find yourself taking on his life as he ages. DiCaprio can also be given the extraordinarily tough activity of taking part in Hughes throughout a long time, depicting him each as an bold younger genius and a troubled middle-aged man who refuses to exist on the earth until he is sporting a germ-resistant swimsuit. Naturally, DiCaprio is phenomenal at depicting Hughes’ descent into devastating insanity, which might be why he picked up an Academy Award nomination for the function.
With an 86% ranking on Rotten Tomatoes and a essential consensus that claims the movie “succeeds because of sometimes assured course from Martin Scorsese and a powerful efficiency from Leonardo DiCaprio, who charts Howard Hughes’ descent from eccentric billionaire to reclusive madman,” it is secure to say that “The Aviator” is a very particular collaboration between the actor and director. Some critics nonetheless had misgivings — for Time Journal, Richard Corliss wrote that “this good-looking film is an oddly well-behaved one to come back from the preternaturally energetic Scorsese” — however many, like Paul Clinton at CNN, praised Scorsese’s imaginative and prescient and DiCaprio’s efficiency: “‘The Aviator’ is the right melding of expertise and materials.”
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The Departed (91%)
There is not any query that “The Departed” is one in every of Martin Scorsese’s greatest films, however the attention-grabbing factor right here is that Leonardo DiCaprio takes a little bit little bit of a backseat to 2 different powerhouse performers within the film (Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson). A unfastened adaptation of the Hong Kong mob film “Infernal Affairs,” Scorsese’s 2006 epic casts DiCaprio as William “Billy” Costigan Jr., a police academy recruit tasked with an undercover task surrounding notorious mob boss Frank Costello (Nicholson). Fortunately for Billy, he makes his approach into Frank’s internal circle earlier than lengthy, however what he would not know is that Massachusetts State Police workers sergeant Colin Sullivan (Damon) is in Frank’s pocket, working as a mole for the deeply harmful man. Ultimately, each the cops and the mob notice they have moles lurking round, and it is a race to the end between Colin and Billy as they attempt to uncover every others’ identities.
“The Departed” is an unequivocal masterpiece — it did win Finest Image and Finest Director for Scorsese on the 2007 Academy Awards — which is why critics got here collectively to reward it and provides it a 91% ranking on Rotten Tomatoes. For NPR, Bob Mondello succinctly wrote, “This crime thriller is a profane, blood-drenched pleasure to observe,” whereas Peter Sullivan on the Guardian declared, “Martin Scorsese has obtained his groove again.” Whether or not you have seen “The Departed” 100 instances or are simply sitting down on your first watch, you may possible discover you agree with these critics, and its rating on this checklist.
Killers of the Flower Moon (93%)
Based mostly on David Grann’s 2017 nonfiction guide in regards to the savage murders of Native Individuals belonging to the Osage tribe after oil was found of their land in the course of the Twenties, Martin Scorsese’s 2023 historic epic “Killers of the Flower Moon” definitely proved to followers and critics alike that the venerable director’s nonetheless “obtained it” (in spades, really). Leonardo DiCaprio appears a little bit miscast at first — his Ernest Burkhardt has simply returned from World Warfare I and possibly needs to be a bit youthful, however no matter — however he finally ends up delivering an impressive efficiency as an unintelligent, simply manipulated, and inherently evil man who seduces and marries an Osage lady named Mollie Kyle (an indomitable Lily Gladstone, who all however steals the film from each DiCaprio and his co-star Robert De Niro). After marrying Mollie, Ernest and his sinister, conniving uncle William King Hale (De Niro) steadily decide off Mollie’s members of the family in an effort to steal their land and treasured oil, all as Mollie’s well being deteriorates and Ernest tries to grapple with all the things he is performed to a spouse that he does really love.
“Killers of the Flower Moon” earned a nomination for Finest Image on the 2024 Oscars ceremony and a 93% ranking on Rotten Tomatoes, and critics have been fairly clear: Scorsese made yet one more masterpiece. “Telling the story of the mass homicide of the Osage Nation, Martin Scorsese wrestles with himself, Hollywood as a complete, and the unique sin of America itself,” Adam Nayman wrote for The Ringer, and Manohla Dargis of The New York Occasions declared, “For his telling, Scorsese has drawn on assorted genres — the film is without delay a romance, a western, a home drama, a whodunit and, lastly, a police procedural — that effortlessly combine, ebb and move.” So there you could have it: In accordance with critiques, “Killers of the Flower Moon” is Scorsese’s greatest film (by two share factors, no less than).