Martin Scorsese's New York through the films

Many filmmakers have chosen New York as the setting for their stories or filming locations, but perhaps only two directors have truly captured the heart and unique spirit of the city in their works: Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese.

Martin Scorsese was born in Queens, New York. He attended film school in New York. More than half of his films were made in New York. It could be said that this city nurtured him into an artist, and for nearly 60 years, it has continued to be a powerful source of inspiration throughout his work.

If you've ever seen a Scorsese film, you'll undoubtedly be captivated by the extraordinary emotions evoked by a diverse and dynamic New York on the big screen. The city is the setting for most of his films, to the point of becoming an indispensable "character" in each storyline, even if it's a humorous paradox.AAfter Hours, gang wars inGoodfellas, or the frivolous upper-class society inThe Age of Innocence.

But perhaps the most quintessential New York film, in Scorsese's opinion, isGangs of New York“You could say this film is the foundation for my other films. America was just being born then. And it was born in New York City.” A 19th-century New York, old and dilapidated through the eyes of Bill the Ripper and full of ambition through the eyes of Amsterdam Vallon, or a New York steeped in nostalgia as Martin Scorsese once shared: “If I continue making films about New York, they will probably be set in the past. I don’t know much about the ‘new’ New York. I’m not against contemporary films. In general, I still love the ‘new’ New York, but I find the colors of the city, of Times Square today, overwhelming. I think I’m stuck in a distant past.”

For Scorsese, New York was never just a backdrop. It was the stage of life, the setting and the driving force behind the protagonist's actions. It was an opportunity where they exploited the city's boundless loopholes to achieve their desires. Each of these desires led to different paths within the city. As inTaxi DriverAs Travis Bickle gradually loses his sense of reality, he projects his paranoia onto the outside world. Through his hostile eyes, New York is a filthy, sewer-like city, overflowing with garbage and sin, shrouded in a gloomy, nightmarish atmosphere—a place where the demon within the protagonist is unleashed. Under the flickering neon lights, viewers follow Travis Bickle's lonely, isolated yellow taxi as it glides through the streets, witnessing the decay of the city that never sleeps.

Conversely, New York inMean StreetsVibrant and lively, with scenes brimming with light and energy. For audiences not familiar with the New York underworld,Mean StreetsIt opens up a world of out-of-control gangsters with pool halls, restaurants, bars, and clubs radiating an alluring glow, luring people into a spiral of sin. New York, like a liquid taking the form of the film that contains it, emerges as the obsessive pursuit of fame by comedian Rupert Pumpkin.The King of Comedy, like the revenge of the Amsterdam vagabond Vallon inGangs of New York, like Jake La Motta's wild and brutal whirlwind of violence inRaging Bullor the insatiable greed of stockbroker Jordan Belfort inThe Wolf of Wall StreetNew York serves as a unifying thread, connecting each main character to their life story. Through each film, viewers feel as if they are seeing the city through a different window, all of which are authentic and vibrant.

Martin Scorsese didn't simply create a nostalgic portrayal of his hometown; he used New York as a mirror reflecting the lives of each of his main characters. Therefore, for New Yorkers and visitors who have fallen in love with the city, Scorsese's films are like timeless love letters, brimming with emotions and nostalgia for one of America's oldest cities.

Huong Thao