The great Steven Spielberg is currently out and about in the world, on a mission to save cinema. Those duties include, but certainly are not limited to: promoting the somehow-underrated The Fabelmans, reviving Bullitt, and talking up fellow Savior of the Movies, Martin Scorsese.
Participating in Variety‘s “100 Greatest Movies of All Time” package, Spielberg penned a short and sweet essay about Goodfellas—which the director calls his favorite Scorsese film. “I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve experienced this epic cinematic masterpiece,” Spielberg writes, “which includes a brilliant screenplay by Nicholas Pileggi and Scorsese, and one of cinema history’s greatest acting ensembles: De Niro, Pesci, Liotta, and some of the most memorable supporting roles ever—from Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Imperioli, Chuck Low, and Tony Darrow to Catherine and Charles Scorsese…there are no background performances in Goodfellas.”
Damn right, Mr. Spielberg. The director added that Raging Bull is a close second place in his book. Spielberg added of his top pick, “It’s no longer a guilty pleasure to sit for 2 hours and 26 minutes, but rather a master class for any aspiring filmmaker who wants to see a breathtaking balancing act of multiple storylines, timelines, shocking violence, and violent humor.” (For those currently wondering, you can stream Goodfellas on HBO Max right here.)
Now, we have to know: what’s Martin Scorsese’s favorite Steven Spielberg film? Saving Private Ryan? Lincoln? Wait—don’t tell me—Ready Player One?
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