Masters of Cinema : Martin Scorsese

                                                                           The most renowned filmmaker of this era, Martin Scorsese virtually defined the state of modern American cinema. A masterful storyteller and visual stylist who lived and breathed movies. Working well outside of the mainstream, Scorsese nevertheless emerged as a towering figure throughout the industry, achieving the kind of fame and universal recognition typically reserved for more commercially successful talents. 

                                                                        A tireless supporter of film preservation, Scorsese has worked to bridge the gap between cinema's history and future like no other director. 

• Raised in a  Catholic environment, he initially studied to become a priest. 

•  Was voted the 4th greatest director of all time by Entertainment Weekly, making him the only living person in the top 5 and the only working film director in the top 10. 

• As of 2011 december, seven of his films are on the IMDb's Top 250 Films list: Goodfellas (1990), Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980), The Departed (2006), Casino (1995) and Shutter Island (2010), Hugo(2011).  

• Directed 17 different actors in Oscar nominated performances.

• Listed as one of 50 people barred from entering Tibet. He clashed with Chinese officials over the film Kundun (Dalai-lama Biopic), which Scorsese directed. 

• Scorsese draws his own storyboards for his films.

• Ranked #3 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Greatest directors ever!"

• Martin Scorsese is the founder of The Film Foundation. It is dedicated to protecting motion pictures and the rights of the artists who create them, educating the public about the importance of film preservation, and raising the necessary funds to save the endangered cinematic treasures of the 20th Century. 

 Quotes:

• "It seems to me that any sensible person must see that violence does not change the world and if it does, then only temporarily."

• [onstage at the 2007 Oscars after winning for Best Director] "Could you double-check the envelope . . . ?"

• "Movies touch our hearts and awaken our vision, and change the way we see things. They take us to other places, they open doors and minds. Movies are the memories of our life time, we need to keep them alive."

• "Film is history. With every foot of film that is lost, we lose a link to our culture, to the world around us, to each other and to ourselves. "