Born 1942

Born in Little Italy, filmmaker Martin Scorsese developed a vision of the city that is by turns dark, violent, and bizarre, smeared with pain and blood and regrets. His most famous films include Taxi Driver (1976), Mean Streets (1972), and Raging Bull (1980), all of which take place in New York City. Jake La Motta, the main character of Raging Bull, and Travis Bickle, the hero of Taxi Driver, are both New Yorkers to the hilt; anguished and self–obsessed, they are trapped in their own visions of machismo. Scorsese’s particular genius is in showing the hidden heroisms of these individuals as they try to survive and find their dreams in the harsh, uncaring city.