Martin Scorsese poses with the Oscar for Best Director for 'The Departed' at the 79th Annual Academy Awards in Hollywood, California, February 25, 2007. REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES)
It was 26 years too late, but Martin Scorsese has finally won an Academy Award for directing.
And the icing on that cake -- The Departed won for Best Picture.
Martin Scorsese's mob epic "The Departed" won best picture at the Academy Awards on Sunday and earned the filmmaker the directing prize that had eluded him throughout his illustrious career.
"Could you double-check the envelope?" said Scorsese, who arguably had been the greatest living American filmmaker without an Oscar.
Obviously, I still watch the Oscars. For me, the ceremony lost its luster a long time ago.
The awards broadcast is entertaining, sometimes.
The significance of the awards, in terms of achievement in film, is almost nonexistent. The awards are virtually meaningless.
The fact that the greatest director of the past quarter century never received an Oscar, until tonight, proves that.
Scorsese didn't need that statuette. In a way, Oscar isn't worthy of him. If I were Scorsese, I would have been tempted, to say, "I want to thank the Academy, but no thanks."
In the past, first-time directors, former actors, beat out the master Scorsese.
Not only did the Academy shun Scorsese, it shunned his films when it came to the Best Picture Oscar.
No Best Director Oscar or Best Picture Oscar for Raging Bull?
Ridiculous.
No Best Director Oscar or Best Picture Oscar for GoodFellas?
Insane.
Scorsese had to sit there as Robert Redford and Kevin Costner walked off with Best Director and Best Picture Oscars.
Ordinary People and Dances with Wolves are good movies. Actually, I think Ordinary People is an excellent movie.
However, Raging Bull and GoodFellas are great movies.
Martin Scorsese is a great filmmaker.
When I heard that Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas were set to present the Oscar for directing this year, I thought that the momentous occasion when Scorsese would finally be recognized by the Academy for his work was being staged.
American directors of Scorsese's generation, his peers, his friends, would be the ones to bestow the honor on him.
Martin Scorsese (2nd L) is congratulated for winning Best Director for 'The Departed' by fellow directors Francis Ford Coppola (L), George Lucas (2nd R) and Steven Spielberg at the 79th Annual Academy Awards in Hollywood, California, February 25, 2007. REUTERS/Gary Hershorn (UNITED STATES)
Was that supposed to make the moment more special?
It was nice, but for me it further reinforced the many times that the Academy failed to give Scorsese his due.
Congratulations to him.
And to the members of the Academy -- It took you long enough.
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