One of the all-time great directors is 72 years young today...
We have so much love for the films of Martin Scorsese that we reckon the incredibly talented director could film somebody reading the phonebook against a backdrop of paint drying and it would still be a classic.
We also reckon that either Robert De Niro or Leonardo DiCaprio would be cast in it.
The Oscar-winning director's incredible back catalogue of work spans six decades and choosing some of his most famous moments on screen was difficult but also a genuine pleasure.
Here are some of our favourites in chronological order.
Mean Streets - Johnny Boy and Charlie
Violence, religion, redemption and the Rolling Stones all featured prominently in Scorsese's breakthrough feature. The use of a voiceover was a trick that the talented director would use time and again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xt32rq7iD8
Taxi Driver - Travis Bickle looks in the mirror
Often copied, never bettered. Dangerous, psychotic but utterly compelling, this scene might just be the director's most famous yet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QWL-FwX4t4
The Last Waltz - The camera arrangement
Scorsese achieved a different sort of fame when he went in front of the camera for his superb documentary about the career of The Band. His intelligent but earnest interview style was also the inspiration for Rob Reiner's character "Marty Di Bergi" in This Is Spinal Tap.
The intricate preparation and technical wizardry on display in the film in order to capture The Band at their very best on stage is superb because the camera positioning is so well structured that the audience feels 100% immersed.
Music has always been key to his body of work; only Tarantino and Wes Anderson can compete with his soundtracks, while his other music documentaries, The Blues, Shine A Light and No Direction Home, are all wonderful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjCw3-YTffo
Raging Bull - "You never got me down Ray"
Scorsese shot these boxing scenes as if they were the most beautiful barbaric ballet that was ever filmed through a lens. The cinematography is stunning, the sound fading to silence is a stunning touch and the editing between archive footage and De Niro's amazing performance is fantastic.
The director was also responsible for the genius idea of halting production so De Niro could put on 70lbs to play the role of Jake LaMotta in the later stages of his life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wwItkoapuA
The King of Comedy - One of De Niro's most unique roles
The most under-appreciated film in the director's fabulous body of work revolves around the surreal world of Rupert Pupkin and his bid for fame, which is still incredibly poignant. The scene when he kidnaps the chat show host Jerry Langford is fantastic but the whole film is brilliant from start to finish.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wVhCCo02P4
Goodfellas - This epic tracking shot
We could have done this list based upon ten iconic moments from this film alone, but from a pure technical point of view, this tracking shot from car to club is just outrageous.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpvNjbtF9Hg
OK we'll cheat and throw in the best poker face in the history of film from Joe Pesci; hilarious and terrifying at the same time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E84VqqCPI7w
Casino - The vice
Scorsese has never shied away from showing on screen violence but his 1995 drama turned up the levels by about 50. We have it on good authority that Tom from Father Ted used this as his inspiration to get rid of the rabbits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-d5yU-aQ34
The Departed - The chemistry between Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg
And so the Academy Awards finally realised what a bunch of idiots they were and finally awarded the director with a long overdue Oscar. While the whole film is superb and boasts some fantastic sequences between DiCaprio, Damon, Nicholson and Sheen, we always love seeing this pair together.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTaVxTmB5k4
Shutter Island - The Dream Sequence
Dreams or reality? Victim or villain? Dream or nightmare?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA7rZg0YJ84
The Wolf of Wall Street - His deft hand with actors
If the director wasn't so open to letting his actors improvise then we may have never had this moment and how awful would that be?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0CVT5fmFZs
And of course we have to finish with this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phxNVx3Jyq0
