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 Saviour 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 favourite 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. Here at Esquire, we're happy to admit: we're aligned with good ol' Steve on that one. Raging Bull at number two; Goodfellas sits at the top. 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 humour."
Now, we have to know: what's Martin Scorsese's favourite Steven Spielberg film? Saving Private Ryan? Lincoln? Wait—don't tell me—Ready Player One?
