Martin Scorsese (USA, born 1942) is among the most prolific of American directors, having made more than 25 features in a 40-year career that has seen him garner all the highest honours the film world can bestow. He is admired and respected throughout the world for the tireless work of his Film Foundation in preserving America's film heritage.

Few mainstream filmmakers have as pronounced a disregard for the supposed rules of filmmaking as Martin Scorsese. His inventiveness displays a reaction against the “right” way to make a movie, frequently eschewing tradition in favor of something flashy and unexpected. Despite this, he’s become one of the most influential directors of the last fifty years, a critical darling, and a fan favorite. In The Films of Martin Scorsese: Gangsters, Greed, and Guilt, Eric San Juan guides readers through the crooks, the mobsters, the loners, the moguls, and the nobodies of Scorsese's 26-movie filmography. San Juanexamines the techniques that have made Scorsese one of the most innovative directors in history, the themes that drive his works, and what Scorsese might be trying to tell us through his films. Iconic movies such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, GoodFellas, and The Irishman are all examined in fascinating and insightful detail. With rare behind-the-scenes photos and over five decades of Scorsese interviews, even the most ardent Scorsese fan will find new information in this book to discuss, dissect, and debate.

Publisher Description

From the urban violence and psychosis of MEAN STREETS, TAXI DRIVER, and GOODFELLAS to the romanticism of THE AGE OF INNOCENCE, and from the drama of RAGING BULL to the supremely provocative LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST, this book provides a "lively, informative look at the 'consummate cineast, ' whom Steven Spielberg calls America's best and most honest director" (LIBRARY JOURNAL).

This is the first and only illustrated book on the work of the master filmmaker Akira Kurosawa timed for the centennial of his birth. By looking at the full range of Kurosawa's films, this book captures the meticulously crafted visual style of one of the world's great directors in more than 200 images, many never before published. Akira Kurosawa is arguably the greatest of all Japanese film directors and is respected around the world as one of the masters of the art form. This is the first illustrated book to pay tribute to his unmistakable style-with more than two hundred images, many never before published. The filmmaker is also famous for his attention to detail, and fans will delight in seeing annotated script pages, sketches, and storyboards that reveal the meticulous craft behind Kurosawa's genius. Peter Cowie examines how Kurosawa took the samurai genre to its apogee in such films as Yojimbo and Seven Samurai; his literary influences in such films as Throne of Blood [Macbeth] and Ran [King Lear]; and in his take on our relationship to the modern world in such films as High and Low and Dreams.

Presents an in-depth analysis of the films of the Swedish director, discussing their plot, characters, dialogue, cinematography, major themes, and influence on the international community.

Martin Scorsese is one of the most celebrated film-makers working today in Hollywood. A five time Academy Award Nominee for Best Director, Scorsese's films consistently push the boundaries of what viewers expect to see on the silver screen. From Taxi Driver to Goodfellas to The Departed, Scorsese continually challeneges audiences with his gritty, often brutal films. Developed from over 30 years of interviews with his friend and fellow director, Michael Henry Wilson, Scorsese on Scorsese is the first book to examine the career of this cinematic master in his own words. Illustrated with documents, and personal photos from Scorsese's own archive along with film stills, this in-depth look at all of Scorsese's masterpieces from his early short films all the way up to his recent Shutter Island (2010) is a key reference work for both fans of the director and professionals looking for the keys to the master's work.