Buzz
To achieve the level of mastery and productivity that Martin Scorsese has as a filmmaker, one must also possess his deep passion for watching films. The acclaimed director often emphasizes that he is as much a devoted learner of cinema as he is a creator, frequently curating and sharing his evolving list of must-see movies for avid film enthusiasts.
In a 2012 interview with Fast Company, Scorsese discussed his curated list of 85 films, which he considers essential for understanding the art of cinema. Additionally, in 2006, aspiring filmmaker Colin Levy reached out to Scorsese seeking advice on foreign films, to which Scorsese provided a detailed list of nearly 40 recommendations. He has also contributed his insights and favorite films to Sight & Sound magazine, further expanding his influence as a cinematic guide.
Below, you’ll find a chronological compilation of all the films Scorsese has recommended, offering you the perfect starting point to enroll in the Scorsese School of Film.
1. The Infernal Cakewalk (1903)
2. Secrets of the Soul (1912)
3. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921)
4. Nosferatu (1922)
5. Dr. Mabuse the Gambler (1922)
6. Metropolis (1927)
7. Napoleon (1927)
8. The Power and the Glory (1933)
9. It Happened One Night (1934)
10. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)
11. La Grande Illusion (1937)
12. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
13. Stagecoach (1939)
14. The Roaring Twenties (1939)
15. The Rules Of The Game (1939)
16. Citizen Kane (1941)
17. How Green Was My Valley (1941)
18. Sullivan’s Travels (1941)
19. Cat People (1942)
20. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
21. Rome, Open City (1945)
22. Children Of Paradise (1945)
23. Duel in the Sun (1946)
24. Gilda (1946)
25. A Matter of Life and Death (1946)
26. Paisan (1946)
27. Beauty & The Beast (1946)
28. The Lady From Shanghai (1947)
29. T-Men (1947)
30. I Walk Alone (1947)
31. The Red Shoes (1948)
32. Germany Year Zero (1948)
33. Force of Evil (1948)
34. La Terra Trema (1948)
35. Macbeth (1948)
36. Raw Deal (1948)
37. Bicycle Thieves (1948)
38. Caught (1949)
39. The Third Man (1949)
40. Stromboli (1950)
41. The Flowers of St. Francis (1950)
42. Gun Crazy (1950)
43. Night and the City (1950)
44. An American in Paris (1951)
45. The River (1951)
46. Ace in the Hole (1951)
47. The Magic Box (1951)
48. The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)
49. Europa ’51 (1952)
50. Othello (1952)
51. Umberto D. (1952)
52. Ikiru (1952)
53. The Band Wagon (1953)
54. House of Wax (1953)
55. Julius Caesar (1953)
56. Pickup on South Street (1953)
57. Ugetsu (1953)
58. Tokyo Story (1953)
59. Dial M for Murder (1954)
60. Journey to Italy (1954)
61. Senso (1954)
62. Seven Samurai (1954)
63. Sansho the Bailiff (1954)
64. All that Heaven Allows (1955)
65. Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
66. The Searchers (1956)
67. Forty Guns (1957)
68. Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
69. Some Came Running (1958)
70. Touch of Evil (1958)
71. Vertigo (1958)
72. Ashes and Diamonds (1958)
73. Big Deal On Madonna Street (1958)
74. Shadows (1959)
75. The 400 Blows (1959)
76. Peeping Tom (1960)
77. Rocco and His Brothers (1960)
78. Shoot the Piano Player (1960)
79. Breathless (1960)
80. L'Avventura (1960)
81. The Hustler (1961)
82. One, Two, Three (1961)
83. Cape Fear (1962)
84. The Trial (1962)
85. Two Weeks in Another Town (1962)
86. Salvatore Giuliano (1962)
87. Il Sorpasso (1962)
88. America, America (1963)
89. Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
90. The Leopard (1963)
91. Shock Corridor (1963)
92. High and Low (1963)
93. 8½ (1963)
94. The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964)
95. Band of Outsiders (1964)
96. Before the Revolution (1964)
97. The Rise of Louis XIV (1966)
98. Blow-Up (1966)
99. Weekend (1967)
100. Faces (1968)
101. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
102. Death by Hanging (1968)
103. Midnight Cowboy (1969)
104. The Butcher (1970)
105. The American Friend (1970)
106. Klute (1971)
107. McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)
108. The Merchant of Four Seasons (1971)
109. The Godfather (1972)
110. M*A*S*H (1972)
111. Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)
112. The Conversation (1974)
113. Ali: Fear Eats The Soul (1974)
114. The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974)
115. The Messiah (1975)
116. Nashville (1975)
117. Kings of the Road (1976)
118. Apocalypse Now (1979)
119. The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979)
120. Health (1980)
121. Heaven’s Gate (1980)
122. Mishima (1985)
123. Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
124. Do the Right Thing (1989)
125. The Player (1992)
