Martin Scorsese is a racist. Why do we put up with it?

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Permalink Reply by sol aka "Cap'n Hates-A-Lot!" on June 23, 2009 at 10:57am

I stand corrected.

But I'm still not sure it excuses the rest of his career, although it does make me feel a little better.

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Permalink Reply by Pumpkin Matt on June 23, 2009 at 9:32am

That complaint seems to be based on the assumption that film-makers completely endorse their characters actions and views, that simply isn't true. Scorsese is just trying to address the issue of racism which is still very prevalent, the fact that it appears in all of his films just means that it is a major concern of his.

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Permalink Reply by sol aka "Cap'n Hates-A-Lot!" on June 23, 2009 at 10:55am

That's a good point. I'd like for that to be the case.

I don't want to believe he's a racist, he makes very compelling and on some level "heroic"and iconic movies, which I am a sucker for, but I don't want to support a racist. I'm not yet convinced that Scorsese isn't one.

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Permalink Reply by Ant on June 23, 2009 at 10:43am

I have to say that Scorsess's movies didn't bother me but for some reason the race lines in The Good Shepherd did. I felt there was no reason to use the N word.

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Permalink Reply by MDS on June 23, 2009 at 12:41pm

Here let's put this one to rest.

Read the Wiki on Martin. (Click Here)

Then read the IMDB on Martin. (click here)


After actually reading for yourself, answer the question if you think he is or isn't a racist.
I say no, he isn't.

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Permalink Reply by sol aka "Cap'n Hates-A-Lot!" on June 23, 2009 at 2:32pm

I don't have a problem with a racist character or a character saying something racist I have a problem with a movie maker trying to demean or express hatred for a race of people over the span of 40 years.

QT cast staring roles and co-staring roles for minorities. Scorsese dosen't, he just gives staring and co-staring roles to racist.

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Permalink Reply by MDS on June 23, 2009 at 4:11pm

And yet I don't see Scorsese promoting hatred of a single (or even a group) of races over another.

Sure, the CHARACTERS in his movies may display open hatred to another CHARACTER'S race.

But the director himself doesn't. He shows the character's surrounding environment of being accepted to hate another race of people. Hard to see a justification for putting a black/asian/hispanic actor in the roles of say Henry Hill (white guy) or the people in Goodfellas (who were white) or even the casting of say Casino (Where the people involved were white) or the Gangs of New York (Where the people were white because they were broken into their OWN RACIAL GROUPS) or even casting a white guy for The Aviator (Since Howard Hughes was known to be the darkest man to ever walk the earth *rolls eyes)

You continue to say that Scorsese himself is a racist director, and I call foul on that. He (As a person) hasn't done anything that I would say shows Scorsese to be racist. He picks movies that intrigue him to make. He has a LOVE of the 1940's-1970's Italian Mafia scene in NY because that's the area he GREW UP IN. He knows when a compelling story is being told with that background, because he KNOWS when it's authentic or bullshit. That doesn't mean the man (Scorsese) is a racist bastard at all. I just shows that he's picky about what he conciders to be a story worth telling and why it's worth telling.

And you wish to remove Kundun from his list of movies, but in truth you can't . A movie's who dedication to his recently departed movie (in his words) because "the Dalai Lama represents unconditional love, and to me my mother was the closest person with that kind of love".

The movie that still has him BANNED from entering China.

Cast of NON-professional actors for accuracy.


A biopic that was nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 4 nominations.

And on top of that, you can't try to take this film OUT of his body of works simply because it shoots your whole argument down. You claim that the MAN is a racist, and I've provided proof that he isn't.

And to be fair, I have said repeatedly that the CHARACTERS in his movies are racist to provide more details to the characters, provide the actors more material to work with, and to provide the viewer a reason to like/hate a character. That doesn't mean Scorsese outside of films, is a racist that promotes the events and believes of his characters.

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Permalink Reply by sol aka "Cap'n Hates-A-Lot!" on June 23, 2009 at 4:37pm

Who has been bringing those same "CHARACTERS" to the big screen for over 40 years?

Scorsese has been bringing us racist characters since Raging Bull. I'm just saying that after 40 years it's starting to get a little offensive.

Maybe he's not racist, but if he's not then he needs to explain why he's been pimp'n racist "CHARACTERS" for 40 years.

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Permalink Reply by Iron Man on June 23, 2009 at 4:38pm

SOL YOUR SO FUCKING SEXY THAT SEX WAS SO GOOD AFTER THE COMIC CON

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Permalink Reply by MDS on June 23, 2009 at 5:08pm

Who has been bringing those characters? Well, let's see.......


Mean Streets (One I personally didn't like)
Martin Scorsese (screenplay) and
Mardik Martin (screenplay) ...



Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (Never seen it)
Robert Getchell (written by)



Taxi Driver
Paul Schrader (written by)



New York, New York
Earl Mac Rauch (screenplay) and
Mardik Martin (screenplay)
Earl Mac Rauch (story)




Raging Bull
Jake LaMotta (book "Raging Bull: My Story") (as Jake La Motta) and
Joseph Carter (book "Raging Bull: My Story") &
Peter Savage (book "Raging Bull: My Story")
Paul Schrader (screenplay) and
Mardik Martin (screenplay)



The Last Temptation of Christ
Nikos Kazantzakis (novel)
Paul Schrader (screenplay)



Goodfellas
Nicholas Pileggi (book "Wise Guy")
Nicholas Pileggi (screenplay) &
Martin Scorsese (screenplay)




Casino
Nicholas Pileggi (book)
Nicholas Pileggi (screenplay) &
Martin Scorsese (screenplay)




Gangs of New York
Jay Cocks (story)
Jay Cocks (screenplay) and
Steven Zaillian (screenplay) and
Kenneth Lonergan (screenplay)




The Departed
William Monahan (screenplay)
Siu Fai Mak (2002 screenplay Mou gaan dou) (as Alan Mak) and
Felix Chong (2002 screenplay Mou gaan dou)



Well, CLEARLY it's all Scorsese's fault after all. I mean who would have EVER thought that his movies were so loaded with HIS racist points of view that other people's BOOKS about OTHER PEOPLE ALL TOGETHER were able to write in Scorsese's desire to put down a race of people when they wrote the book before he started filming it.

STOP THE PRESSES... I do believe that clearly Felix Chong and Sui Fai Mak are going to want to put in all of Scorsese's racist points of view when THEY WRITE the screenplay for The Departed.

Oh man, I wonder what Jake LaMotta did for all those years before writing his book about his life if it wasn't for Scorsese's clearly racist point of views to help him write it down on the spot.

I wonder how Henry Hill would have felt growing up all those years in the 50's-60's as a kid without Scorsese teaching how to be a racist so that Henry Hill's book would be a compelling story to tell in 1990.

I'm sure that Scorsese went back in time to teach Howard Hughes to be a big racist so that in 2002 he could tell a better story with a beloved racist in his movie --
The Aviator.
John Logan (written by)

I'm sure that Scorsese must have gone over to China and convinced them to invade Tibet so that he can make it into a movie years later. Or maybe he just twisted the arms of
Melissa Mathison (written by) to do it for him before he directed Kundun.




Seriously though.

Since when does a DIRECTOR have to justify the movies that audiences like or hate? I'm sure that Scorsese is able to sit back in his recliner, put on his KKK white robes, and call America and say "Be sure to see my latest movie, after all we can't let the white population down. It comes out on Friday".


Come on sol aka "Cap'n Hates-A-Lot!", change the needle in the record. Scorsese himself is NOT racist, he has NOT promoted a single race over another, he has NOT been seen promoting racist points of view himself, he has NOT been going around talking about the virtues of a single race over another, he has NOT been actively working to keep another race out of Hollywood, he has NOT been actively trying to take an opportunity away from another race. Your claim that Scorsese must be a racist is so full of holes that you can drive a semi-truck through it.

On a side-note, Scorsese is quoted as saying "[on Raging Bull (1980)]: [Robert De Niro] wanted to make this film. Not me. I don't understand anything about boxing. For me, it's like a physical game of chess."

And also quoted as saying:
"What does it take to be a filmmaker in Hollywood? Even today I still wonder what it takes to be a professional or even an artist in Hollywood. How do you survive the constant tug of war between personal expression and commercial imperatives? What is the price you pay to work in Hollywood? Do you end up with a split personality? Do you make one movie for them, one for yourself?"

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Permalink Reply by MDS on June 23, 2009 at 5:46pm

*Clarification:

Since when does a DIRECTOR have to justify the movies that audiences like or hate?

A director SHOULD be able to justify why an audience likes or hates HIS own films. But a single director should not have to justify why audiences like certain types of films or stories over another type.

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Permalink Reply by sol aka "Cap'n Hates-A-Lot!" on June 23, 2009 at 10:50pm

*sign* every adult is responsible for what they do...

Scorsese "chose" to direct thoes movies. His entire career he "chose" to direct those movie. If he is to get the praise then he is to get the blame. He's all gwowd up now. He can chose not to be associate with movies portraying racist characters and violence.

why does he make the same choice...over and over and over and over and over...

Look love Scorsese if you want, I don't care. That still doesn't make him any less socially irresponsible.

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