I know his fast-talking voice from two rooms away when he’s on TV, and he has a commentary on about half of the DVDs I own. I cry when I watch his documentaries about film, especially his Letters To Elia, so moving is his love for the artform. To elaborate: I wrote my 15k word dissertation about him. I tend to feel that even his worst movies ( Gangs of New York, don't me) still have a level of craft that puts them head and shoulders above most other filmmakers’ work. As an artist, a teacher, and a human being, he holds a pivotal place in my film education, and his tireless passion for film history and preservation underlines why so many people regard him highly. But Martin Scorsese has always been a filmmaker very close to my heart.
The job of the film critic is generally to avoid this kind of emotionalism around directors.
I’ve spent more time than is reasonable defending one of the most recognisable and celebrated filmmakers in the world.
