Scorsese Names Three Films That Destroyed Directors' Hollywood Power
The legendary filmmaker reveals how specific movies from the late 1970s fundamentally changed the studio system and forced directors to seek creative freedom through independent cinema.
Martin Scorsese has always stood as Hollywood's ultimate rebel filmmaker. His talent for crafting movies that challenge conventional storytelling remains as powerful now as it was during the creation of Taxi Driver in the 1970s. However, the acclaimed director pinpoints a specific era when the industry underwent a seismic shift that changed everything.
The Personal Connection to Early Work
During his early career, Scorsese drew inspiration from the world immediately surrounding him. When discussing projects like Mean Streets, he often mentioned how closely the onscreen stories mirrored the lives of people he encountered every day. This proximity to his subject matter gave his films an authentic edge that resonated with audiences.
As the 1970s drew to a close, Raging Bull marked a turning point where Scorsese approached his signature dramatic style differently. The film followed an unlikeable boxer struggling with personal demons and mental instability. Robert De Niro's performance conveyed the character's harsh reality with every line of dialogue.
The Bold Choice of Black and White
Despite emerging during boxing cinema's heyday, coinciding with Sylvester Stallone's Rocky sequel, Scorsese made a risky creative decision. He believed black-and-white photography would set his film apart from other boxing movies of the era. "Black-and-white would make it distinctly different from the other boxing films that were being made. Also, Irving Winkle pointed out to the studio that films that were made in black-and-white up until that point in the '70s were Paper Moon and Lenny, and they were hits," Scorsese explained to GQ.
The visual approach created stunning cinematography that enhanced the film's raw, unforgiving atmosphere. Dynamic camera movements during fight sequences pulled viewers directly into the violence and intensity, while slow-motion techniques and sharp editing delivered a gut-wrenching experience.
The Week That Changed Everything
Scorsese identified the exact moment when traditional Hollywood power structures crumbled. "The week that film was released was the same week, from the same studio, that Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate opened. That, along with Raging Bull and Apocalypse Now, all from the same studio, United Artists. It ended the power of the director in American filmmaking, and that had to come back through independent cinema, through the 1980s," he revealed.
Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now, inspired by Joseph Conrad's 1902 novella Heart of Darkness, represented one of cinema's most ambitious undertakings. The Vietnam War epic served as an allegorical examination of American intervention, colonialism, and humanity's capacity for hatred.
Unlike the big-budget spectacles dominating theaters at the time, Scorsese's contribution to this directorial revolution carried artistic weight. He intentionally separated boxing sequences from other scenes, creating an otherworldly atmosphere whenever audiences entered the ring with Jake LaMotta.
Reflecting on that transformative period, Scorsese remembered the creative freedom studios initially granted before imposing restrictions on his distinctive approach. "Things were wide open, and we took it like barbarians at the gate. We transformed whatever we could, but they caught us," he recalled.