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Martin Scorsese vs Steven Spielberg - who has the best filmography?

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B

big ander

Member
I'm a little puzzled by the verdict here from many that Scorsese's craft is better but Spielberg's a better entertainer. Scorsese's movies are ludicrously entertaining--After Hours, Cape Fear and Goodfellas are riots. The Last Waltz and The Color of Money are so much fun. Even heavier or weirder movies like Taxi Driver or The King of Comedy or The Age of Innocence are first-class entertainment, perfectly suitable for disappearing into. On the flip side, Spielberg's technique is fine-tuned and exacting. Precise long takes, emotive reaction shots, rhythmic action scenes. His best works don't put the average blockbuster to shame because of dumb luck. Making an action-adventure movie actually thrilling is hard work.
 
S

Space Avocat

Member
Frog-fu said:
These "not even close" posts are annoying. We're talking about two of the most well known and highly regarded directors of all time. It's going to be pretty close.
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haha I've found 4 random best directors or most influential directors lists that have them ranked consecutively. Maybe there just happens to be a huge drop-off after one of the directors every time.
 
Hoho for breakfast

Hoho for breakfast

Member
Doesnt filmography include director as well as producer? The list in OP is missing so much in that case.

For Spielberg there's plenty of other movies he worked on like Back To The Future, Gremlins, Goonies, The Money Pit, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Arachnophobia, Twister, Casper...

I've personally enjoyed Spielbergs movies much more than Scorseses. Not that I'm saying he's bad or anything. I love some of his as well. If I could have a dream movie made it would probably be The Devil In The White City starring Leonardo Dicaprio. And it's happening!
 
J

jett

D-Member
Spielberg for me. Both are masterful directors of course.

I reserve the right to change my mind at any point in the future.
 
F

Fevaweva

Member
Hoho for breakfast said:
Doesnt filmography include director as well as producer? The list in OP is missing so much in that case.

For Spielberg there's plenty of other movies like Back To The Future, Gremlins, Goonies, The Money Pit, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Arachnophobia, Twister, Casper...

I've personally enjoyed Spielbergs movies much more than Scorseses. Not that I'm saying he's bad or anything. I love some of his as well. If I could have a dream movie made it would probably be The Devil In The White City starring Leonardo Dicaprio. And it's happening!
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As a director. I don't give a flying fig what Spielberg and Scorsese produce, even if the former is a producer for the Transformer films.
 
Hoho for breakfast

Hoho for breakfast

Member
Fevaweva said:
As a director. I don't give a flying fig what Spielberg and Scorsese produce, even if the former is a producer for the Transformer films.
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Ok. I still like Spielberg movies more, but I'd never say one is better than the other. I love a lot of both their work. Looking at the list I'm not sure that Spielberg has anything I like in the last 10+ years.

Edit: I have never seen War Horse but the only reason I'd even be interested in it is because of Spielberg.
 
M

Michael F. Assbender

Banned
Scorsese's best movies are all basically retreads of the same basic themes: Gangsters, gritty cities, and/or damaged men. He's much like Tarantino in this way. Both are masterful film makers who have an impressive catalog of hits, but neither have strayed too far from their comfort zone (or in Scorsese's case, have not done so with much success).

Spielberg's best comes from a wide range of genres. From action to horror to WWII drama to kid movies--so much of what he's done have become classics in the medium and are looked at by fans, critics, and Hollywood elite as some of the best wide-audience films available.

Scorsese is a master. Spielberg is a god.
 
F

Fevaweva

Member
Hoho for breakfast said:
Ok. I still like Spielberg movies more, but I'd never say one is better than the other. I love a lot of both their work.
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They both have their peaks and troughs. For me, Spielberg edges Scorsese out by the narrowest of margins because his best film (Schindler's List) is better than Scorsese's best (Goodfellas).

But I can totally understand why some would prefer one over the other.
 
TDLink

TDLink

Member
Both have made some of the best films out there. They're a bit hard to compare though since Spielberg typically aims for something family friendly or at least high concept (with notable exceptions like Schindler's list and Saving Private Ryan). Scorsese has consistently aimed for an adult only audience, except for Hugo. I will say though that I can't think of any Scorsese movies I didn't like. I can think of many Spielberg movies that are either mediocre or boring. When he's at the top of his game he's on par with Scorsese or maybe better. But Scorsese is always top notch.

That said, I do feel most of Spielberg's lesser films are among his more recent ones. Essentially the last decade. So I think it may be more of a case where he just doesn't have the same passion he used to while Scorsese still does.
 
D

dapperbandit

Banned
Spielberg's movies are more universally inclusive so I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people went for him.

I think Scorcese's best is better than Spielberg's however.
 
G

Ganondorfo

Junior Member
Spielberg has made the best movie ever: Raiders of the Lost Ark. He is probably the best director ever. Only Nolan can surpass him if he keeps making movies like Interstellar for the next 15 years.
 
TDLink

TDLink

Member
Ganondorfo said:
Spielberg has made the best movie ever: Raiders of the Lost Ark. He is probably the best director ever. Only Nolan can surpass him if he keeps making movies like Interstellar for the next 15 years.
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Nolan has a long way to go. Interstellar isn't even his best work.
 
lachesis

lachesis

Member
I love Spielberg's earlier movies than any of Scorsese's works - but for the entire library, I do appreciate Scorsese's works more than Spielberg's.
 
B

big ander

Member
plop said:
Scorsese's best movies are all basically retreads of the same basic themes: Gangsters, gritty cities, and/or damaged men. He's much like Tarantino in this way. Both are masterful film makers who have an impressive catalog of hits, but neither have strayed too far from their comfort zone (or in Scorsese's case, have not done so with much success).

Spielberg's best comes from a wide range of genres. From action to horror to WWII drama to kid movies--so much of what he's done have become classics in the medium and are looked at by fans, critics, and Hollywood elite as some of the best wide-audience films available.

Scorsese is a master. Spielberg is a god.
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And all of Spielberg's movies are about noble bravery, man messing with the superhuman and daddy issues. Spielberg may cover more ground in terms of genre but his thematic obsessions are as narrow as anyone. (Which isn't a bad thing.) (Also gangsters and cities aren't themes. "Damaged men" is a preoccupation of Scorsese's, sure.)
 
G

Ganondorfo

Junior Member
Solo said:
Nolan making movies like Interstellar for 15 years would be like Spielberg making movies like Hook for 15 years.
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Thats fine by me, because Hook is an underrated masterpiece for me. Even if it has a bad rottentomatoes score, but that is a movie that everyone loves now. It has that magical Spielberg + Williams (Robin and John) feelings. I will defend Hook everytime.
 
B

BotchPoppaPump

Member
Ganondorfo said:
Thats fine by me, because Hook is an underrated masterpiece for me. Even if it has a bad rottentomatoes score, but that is a movie that everyone loves now. It has that magical Spielberg + Williams (Robin and John) feelings. I will defend Hook everytime.
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Hook is genius. My childhood right there. Off to listen to the soundtrack...
 
G

gerudoman

Member
I'd choose Scorsese and the child in me, Spielberg. I guess I'd pick the latter since The Last Crusade, Jurassic Park and ET will forever be burned in my mind-
 
S

Snowman Prophet of Doom

Member
plop said:
Scorsese's best movies are all basically retreads of the same basic themes: Gangsters, gritty cities, and/or damaged men. He's much like Tarantino in this way. Both are masterful film makers who have an impressive catalog of hits, but neither have strayed too far from their comfort zone (or in Scorsese's case, have not done so with much success).

Spielberg's best comes from a wide range of genres. From action to horror to WWII drama to kid movies--so much of what he's done have become classics in the medium and are looked at by fans, critics, and Hollywood elite as some of the best wide-audience films available.

Scorsese is a master. Spielberg is a god.
Click to expand...

Except that Tarantino writes cinematic comic books, while Scorsese writes masterful cinematic novels with depth of characterization and cogent cultural and philosophical commentary. What you identify as Scorsese's "themes" are not, well, "themes", they're keys. Part of what makes prime Scorsese so great is the variation he found in such things. "Raging Bull" and "Taxi Driver" are both about male fuck-ups who increasingly cut themselves off from the world and those around them, but they couldn't be more different. "Goodfellas" and "Mean Streets" are both extremely stylistic flicks about participants in organized crime, but one is a realistic character study while the other is more of a sweeping "Great American Novel"-type film, and they're quite different in many of their particulars.

Spielberg may superficially have more variety, but in terms of actual artistry, Scorsese edges him out on that front, as well.
 
F

Fevaweva

Member
I will say though, Spielberg's interpretation of 'gritty' in the form of Munich is better than a schmaltzy Scorsese (Hugo)
 
T

T Dollarz

Member
Spielberg definitely for me, just more variety and more to choose from in general. Still a few more I gotta see, like Schindlers List and The Last Crusade.
 
M

MikeMyers

Member
Just on the strength of Taxi Driver and King of Comedy I gotta give this to Scorsese, but his modern input has been disappointing.

Solo said:
I love them both, but Spielberg made Hook, so therefore: Scorsese wins.
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Hey man every director has a misfire here and there. Besides I'd probably say 1941 is worse.
 
T

theignoramus

Member
Moppeh said:
I wouldn't necessarily say the characters themselves affect me that much either. For me, it's the relationship between the characters and what occurs in the films. Travis Bickle is a product of his environment, so you need to focus on his surroundings to gain anything substantial from Taxi Driver.

For me, a lot of Spielberg's films utilize what feels to me like manufactured sentimentality. I don't connect with the characters or the event in the film, instead, I get musical swells in emotional moments that tell me I'm supposed to be feeling something. It reminds me of a laugh track in a sitcom getting me to laugh. I still really like Spielberg's stuff, but for whatever reason, a lot of his films don't feel genuine to me. Scorsese, on the other hand, gets me all the time, even when dealing with criminals and sociopaths.

I will be honest though, part of what makes Raging Bull so great to me has to do with the history of the film's production and Scorsese's personal relationship with the film. If the film didn't "save his life", I probably wouldn't have adored it as much.
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Fucking NAILED it. Even Spielberg classics like Schindler and SVP I feel a touch of unwelcome manipulation from the direction and editing. Scorsese, like Kubrick is more cynical and cold in the way he allows an emotionally heavy scene to unfold.
The only recent Spielberg film I've seen that lacks that sentimentalist shit is Munich.
 
T

theignoramus

Member
Fevaweva said:
I'd like to see Spielberg try a gangster film and Scorsese do a science fiction film for no other reason than perverse curiosity.


Not saying he is as good, but Ridley Scott has a pretty varied filmography.
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Ridley Scott lacks consistency but his eye for how to film a scene is better than Spielberg and Scorsese. His films have that painters quality about them.
 
S

SCULLIBUNDO

Banned
theignoramus said:
Ridley Scott lacks consistency but his eye for how to film a scene is better than Spielberg and Scorsese. His films have that painters quality about them.
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Ridley Scott is a visual master, but nobody has a better sense of mise en scene than Spielberg. Definitely not Scott. Spielberg's ability to communicate information through his visual navigation of tenspace is second to nobody.
 
T

theignoramus

Member
I intensely disliked War Horse and Lincoln both of which had a ton of potential but we're dragged down by Spielberg's sentimental direction. You don't get that from Scorsese. Nor does he do boring films. I've seen nearly all of his movies and Kundun is the only one I found an insufferable bore.
The rest of his filmography is made up classics and flawed but thoroughly entertaining movies.
Spielberg had made at least a half dozen movies I found just plain BORING.
 
T

True Savior

Member
KidJr said:
I find it strange that people rank Goodfellas higher than Casino.
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Repetition tends to be slightly less graded. And Casino , stylistically , is very similar to Goodfellas.

Funny enough i actually think i like Casino more because i saw it first. But it's easy to recognize Goodfellas as the best of the bunch.
 
S

SCULLIBUNDO

Banned
theignoramus said:
I intensely disliked War Horse and Lincoln both of which had a ton of potential but we're dragged down by Spielberg's sentimental direction. You don't get that from Scorsese. Nor does he do boring films. I've seen nearly all of his movies and Kundun is the only one I found an insufferable bore.
The rest of his filmography is made up classics and flawed but thoroughly entertaining movies.
Spielberg had made at least a half dozen movies I found just plain BORING.
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New York, New York.
 
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